Alien: Isolation 2 keeps the classic horror game's uncompromising approach to raising tension

• Gaming

We played the opening prologue of the horror sequel, and it's still got ways to bring the scares.

One of the best horror games of the 2010s was Creative Assembly's Alien: Isolation, but it certainly took some time for audiences to see it in its proper light. Though it initially received mixed reception for its tense encounters and stark difficulty, it's now seen large reappraisal from horror fans for its uncompromising gameplay and faithful recreation of the tone and experience of the original 1979 Alien film. At Summer Game Fest 2026, Sega and Creative Assembly revealed the full trailer for Alien: Isolation 2, which not only continues the original's stealth-action survival-horror experience but also brings the scares to a new setting, introducing a new protagonist caught in a cat-and-mouse game with the cunning creature.

During the SGF Play Days media event, we got to go hands-on with Alien: Isolation 2's tense opening prologue. We learned from director Al Hope about how they're building a sequel that's all about getting players immersed in a new setting while facing a familiar foe.

"It's been absolutely amazing [seeing the response] to the trailer, we were on stage when we premiered it and I really wasn't prepared for the noise from the people seeing it for the first time," said creative director Al Hope. "With the first game, we were really doing something different with it, since games from the Alien IP had been really focused on the James Cameron Aliens experience, and that's really cool. We really wanted to do something different and to really transport the player back to Ridley Scott's original 1979 Alien film. It was all about imagining what it would be like to encounter that creature. It was about creating an experience of survival, not killing, and so when we released it, we were super proud of the game."

Set a few months after the end of Alien: Isolation, the sequel picks up on a remote colony world known as Terrafirma with a crew investigating a mysterious object that crashed from orbit. One of the lead surveyors, Blake, goes out to investigate the crash, only to learn that it's a separated module from the doomed Sevastopol Station. Upon exploring the ship and finding data logs detailing what happened, she encounters a lone xenomorph that stowed away in the derelict, leading to an unrelenting fight for survival on the hostile world.

While the original game was very much Amanda Ripley's story of survival, Alien: Isolation 2 brings the focus to a new protagonist. One of the big motivators for shifting perspectives was to lock in on the experience of exploring radically different settings. Instead of the enclosed space station that evokes a sense of claustrophobia, the colony planet, which is quite similar to LV-426's Hadley's Hope from Aliens, emphasizes survival in the outdoors.

The demo

I got a feel of this new approach from the game's prologue, which acted as an extended tutorial. As Blake, I had to maneuver through the dead woodland area of the planet to reach the crashed module. Compared to the eerie silence of Sevastopol Station, the colony is loud and chaotic, with limited visibility into the world beyond. With the clock ticking to reach the module before a flood came in, I had to carefully maneuver through the debris field to reach the crash site.

Inside the module, my memories of playing Alien: Isolation came rushing back. Just like the original film and the 2014 horror game, the interior was that familiar blend of low-fi/high-tech design with working-class workspace. There was even a great jump scare with a wrecked Working Joe android giving one last bit of aggression before powering down. As I explored for scrap to repair the power system, I noticed to the strong sound design, which captured the eerie quiet of the ship and the storm outside. With the power back on, I was able to activate that familiar, slow-acting save station to record my progress. Once I got into the computer room, the alien appeared, which then kick-started the careful sneak back to the exit.

Much like the original game, maneuvering past the alien requires patience and careful attention to your surroundings — one wrong move or an ill-advised sprint can alert the beast and send it your way. By hiding under desks and in crawl spaces to avoid its gaze as it lurked about, I was able to reach the exit. As the demo closed, the alien spotted me and went in for the kill, but I was saved by the ensuing flood, which reached the module and sent it careening down a hill. And that's where the demo ended.

I found Blake to be a solid choice for a new protagonist, though I would like to know more about their motivations and background. Currently, the character feels a bit too similar to Amanda Ripley's, so I hope the game offers a different spin on Blake's story and experience.

According to the creative director, one of the main reasons for the change in protagonist was to create a perspective that makes it feel like a new "journey of discovery" in a totally new environment.

"So we obviously love Amanda; she's super important to us as a character from Alien: Isolation," said Hope. "But I think it was all about thinking about this opportunity to make a sequel from a really high level. We were like, "Ok, we want to tell a story that's really closely connected to the first game, but we want to tell a new story in a new world that really lends itself to that horror experience. It was all about this journey of discovery and mystery for Blake, and so it just felt like this was the right path to take with this sequel."

This early look at Alien: Isolation 2's opening offered up the right amount of scares and tension that made the original game so memorable. But what intrigued me most about this sequel was the new setting. While the demo was very familiar in terms of the original's flow, I really dug the new location, which was such a big departure from Sevastopol Station. It still captured the same sense of dread as the original game, but with the added pressure of navigating a chaotic setting. The devs were unfortunately tight-lipped about how the game's structure changes in a more open environment compared to the original. Still, the new atmosphere it provides offers a new way to experience that full blend of stealth-action and survival horror. I'm a big admirer of the original game, and so far, Alien: Isolation 2 has a great concept for a follow-up to one of the greatest horror games ever.

Alien: Isolation 2 is currently in active development, and is planned for release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.