Impressions after 30 minutes with Alien: Isolation 2 – the sequel is scarier than the original

Journalists from GamesRadar got their hands on a half-hour demo of Alien: Isolation 2 and walked away with one takeaway – the sequel presses on the nerves even harder than the 2014 original.

The xenomorph still learns from player behavior, and the claustrophobic corridors of the ship now have open stretches of an alien planet to contend with as well.

The demo opens with a landing on the planet, where protagonist Blake and her crew climb out of their landing pod straight into a wall of rain. Sheets of water pound down, visibility drops to almost nothing, and the only way to navigate is by following sparks and debris. Creative Assembly makes it clear right away that stepping outside doesn't turn the horror game into a walk in the park.

Sound carries most of the weight here. Groaning metal, howling wind, crackling electrical discharges in puddles, and footsteps on rocky terrain build a constant sense of pressure even when nothing is on screen. The sensory assault outside proved so exhausting that heading back inside the wrecked ship actually felt like relief.

Scattered among the wreckage at the crash site are flare guns left behind by earlier survivors, along with spare parts for repairs. The level stays tight and linear, which plays into the cinematic feel that runs through the whole Alien franchise. The only thing that broke the immersion was one crewmate whose animations were noticeably more exaggerated than everyone else's, gesturing with unusual energy.

Inside the ship, the objective sounds mundane enough – find electrical components, fix a fusebox, and power up the generators to open a sealed chamber. Survivors from the crash are supposed to be waiting on the other side. Instead, things unfold exactly the way anyone familiar with the series would expect.

The xenomorph makes its entrance with broken glass, gnashing teeth, and an instant shift in tone. Blake's breathing immediately goes shaky, and the first-person view sharpens the effect, evoking Resident Evil Requiem's Grace Ashcroft. What follows is the classic cat-and-mouse the series is known for – hiding under a desk, throwing bottles to distract the creature, and grabbing anything that might come in handy if you live long enough to use it.

Dying in the demo looked just as dramatic as it did in the original. Making a break for a newly-unlocked door, the character gets a tail through the ribs, the music cuts out, and the camera lingers on the bloodied spike jutting from her chest. Then a blackout, and the game over screen.

According to the developers, the mistake was trying to run at all. Across the half-hour session, escape from the xenomorph failed all three times it was attempted, and each time impatience was the culprit.

The stalker's AI has been reworked compared to the first game. The xenomorph doesn't just track the sound of footsteps anymore – it also picks up on repeated patterns, familiar routes, and go-to tactics. Pull off the same trick twice, and by the third attempt the creature will be ready for it, turning the situation right back against the player.

Weather cuts both ways. Heavy rain muffles sound and makes sneaking around easier, but it also robs players of any chance to hear the predator closing in. Hiding inside the ship feels safer, right up until there are no more places left to hide in a hull that's been torn wide open.

Alien: Isolation 2 still doesn't have a release date. But it does have a Steam page.