As a die-hard fan of the Alien franchise, I must say that my heart skipped a beat when I heard about Rogue Incursion, a VR game set in the dark and terrifying world of the Xenomorphs. Having grown up watching these creatures stalk their prey through the shadows, I was eager to jump into the action and face off against these iconic beasts in virtual reality.
The Alien series hasn’t always excelled in video game adaptations, with hits like Alien: Isolation balanced by less successful titles such as Aliens: Colonial Marines. Yet, fans are consistently drawn to the universe, be it the vintage CRT monitors or the distinctive sound of the M4A1 Pulse Rifle firing. In this regard, Alien: Rogue Incursion offers a distinct appeal due to its status as the first official VR exploration of the franchise, providing an immersive, close-up encounter with the series’ emblematic elements.
If you’ve followed the series, you won’t find many unexpected events in this installment. As Zula Hendricks, a former colonial marine, you unexpectedly land on Purdan following a distress call from a comrade. Within moments of stepping onto its desolate snow-covered terrain, it becomes clear that the station you’re about to investigate is teeming with deadly Xenomorphs.
The core narrative of this game revolves around a heartwarming bond between Zula and her robot companion, Davis-01. These characters are familiar from an Aliens comic series, offering Easter eggs for enthusiasts, but the game is accessible to newcomers as well. As you progress, you’ll encounter corrupt corporate experiments, negligence, and a shocking disregard for the wellbeing of the unaware workers – all common themes in the Alien universe.
Without a doubt, you’re here for the main characters, and Rogue Incursion offers plenty of them. This game leans more towards the ‘Aliens’ franchise rather than the original ‘Alien’, so it’s important to note that it’s quite different from Creative Assembly’s 2014 masterpiece. During our playtime, we found it to be reminiscent of arcade Aliens games, and while this isn’t a bad thing in itself, there are differences.
Prior to diving into the details, let’s discuss the virtual reality aspect of Alien: Rogue Incursion. Survios has previously explored VR, and while there are areas where the immersion is seamless, other parts may need a bit more polish. For instance, the way your equipment is available within the game world is simply remarkable. The instant you grasp a motion tracker in one hand and a pulse rifle in the other, you’re hit with a wave of nostalgia, transporting you back to the role of Ripley heading towards the Queen’s nest in the 1986 original.
Instead, let me rephrase for you: What truly stands out for us are the ordinary aspects made extraordinary, such as reading emails on an antiquated computer screen with a joystick for navigation, and navigating through intricate metallic labyrinths using a data pad map. The immersion provided by everything being part of the game world is remarkable, and we find Survios’ efforts nearly subtle in their impact. We’re also captivated by the innovative VR mechanics, like cleaning blood off a screen with a swipe or experiencing heart-stopping scripted scenes – we won’t reveal those here to preserve the surprise.
As a gamer, I’ve got to admit, there was a bit of wobble with Alien Rogue Incursion – sometimes my weapon wouldn’t quite hit the mark or objects seemed to overlap oddly. However, I eventually figured out how to navigate within the game’s tracking system, though it wasn’t as smooth as, say, Metro Awakening. But by the end of my gaming session with Alien Rogue Incursion, the controls felt like second nature to me – a real testament to a well-designed VR game in my book.
After getting familiar with the controls, it’s now time for you to delve into the Purdan station. The gameplay mainly involves figuring out ways to unlock new areas through intriguing wiring puzzles, computer terminal interactions, and acquiring new tools. It’s quite astonishing how intricate the map becomes as you progress, and how much you need to memorize it. There were instances where we found ourselves somewhat lost, not knowing our destination or the route to get there. A bit more guidance or signage would have been helpful.
Despite this, we relished every instance that echoed the movies, such as a close-up surgery on a synthetic head with a tangle of wires – reminiscent of one of the few excellent scenes from Alien 3. Additionally, there’s a specific moment in an Alien’s nest that ranks among the top gameplay highlights of the year.
In critical moments during Rogue Incursion, it’s either make or break. There are instances where you find yourself constantly turning your head, listening for scurrying sounds in nearby ducts, feeling the tension as your motion tracker threatens to induce anxiety, and being acutely conscious of the rapidly decreasing digital ammo count on your pulse rifle’s side. As avid enthusiasts of the series, this is precisely what we anticipated from an Alien VR game.
Regrettably, not every fight sequence within this game offers such an immersive experience. Over time, it’s hard to ignore that the Alien AI is quite basic. The creatures will emerge from vents and then stand right in front of you for a moment, providing plenty of time to apply acidic paint to your surroundings. Even outside of intense combat situations, the game seems to be constantly directing more Aliens towards you, which can become increasingly annoying, particularly when you’re uncertain about your next move.
Occasionally, you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat during battles, yet given that Xenos were our primary foes, who were essentially our only type of enemy, it would have been refreshing if combat offered a bit more diversity. The opportunity to evade Aliens and employ some stealth tactics could have added an exciting layer to gameplay. Additionally, while the pulse rifle is a classic choice, and the shotgun and revolver are serviceable, the overall weapon arsenal doesn’t present as much variety as one might hope. The main rifle, in particular, leaves us yearning for something more satisfying.
We have to say, though, Rogue Incursion is a great looking game, with a particular affinity for dark smokey metallic corridors. It doesn’t all scream Alien like Alien: Isolation does, at times looking more generic sci-fi than something ripped straight out of the movies, but when the game gets the aesthetic right it really gets it right. We’d have loved a tad more variety in its environments but there’s nothing quite as chilling as witnessing a fleshy Xenomorph egg peel open before your very eyes, with a face-hugger crawling its way out.
A special mention goes to the outstanding sound design, particularly the ominous initial beep of the motion scanner and the rhythmic pounding from the vents above, which frequently made the hair on the back of one’s neck stand up. We were thrilled by how hissing pipes regularly mimicked the sound of Xenos, enhancing the feeling of unease as you traversed Purdan station.
In terms of performance, Rogue Incursion doesn’t always deliver a smooth gameplay experience. Occasionally, the tracking of objects appears to lag or stutter, especially when moving your motion tracker from side to side, causing a drop in frame rate that can be noticeable. Additionally, after killing aliens, they sometimes get stuck in walls, which breaks the immersion significantly. There was also an issue where a level got stuck in lockdown, preventing all doors from opening even though no aliens were present. This meant we had to reload our last save and play through that part again, which can be quite frustrating given this game’s challenging save system. While none of these issues completely ruin the experience, there are certainly areas for improvement in future updates.
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2024-12-23 22:06