2) Alien: Isolation
H.R. Giger’s iconic cinematic monster somewhat eclipsed The Evil Within at launch, as it released just a week prior on PS4, Xbox One and PC. The game is a prequel to James Cameron’s Aliens and places you in the shoes of Ellen Ripley’s daughter Amanda. Set 15 years after the disappearance of the Nostromo, Amanda is determined to uncover the truth of what happened to her missing mother.
What’s truly surprising about Alien: Isolation is how incredibly authentic the video game is to its source material. The environments are meticulously cribbed from Ridley Scott’s classic, along with the old-school bleeping and blooping audio that is so evocative of the original movie. The grotesque and chilling alien is also a high point and not only looks the part but acts the part, too (though I would’ve liked to see it crawling on the ceiling a little bit more).
Alien: Isolation is a thrilling first-person horror that brims with authenticity, a taut atmosphere and terrific production values. If you’re a fan of the movies and interested in taking an “express elevator to Hell,” then this might well be just the ticket.