Not all Alien video game adaptations are created equal—the peaks of Alien: Isolation and Aliens Versus Predator 2 are countered by the lows of Aliens: Colonial Marines and Aliens: Thanatos Encounter. The iconic sci-fi IP has crossed over into this interactive media as far back as 1982 on the Atari 2600. Since then, the property has spawned entries spanning many platforms and genres. Of all the Alien games we have seen attempt to capture the magic of the original films (to varying degrees of success), we have yet to receive a full virtual reality experience in this universe. That is, until now.
Developer Survios has brought a fully fledged Alien VR title with Alien: Rogue Incursion, starring ex-Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks, a name familiar to those who have read the Alien: Defiance comics that released in 2016 and 2017. Our heroine, accompanied by her synth companion Davis, has it out for Weyland-Yutani and their dastardly experiments. And exposing the company means venturing (or in Zula’s case, crashing) into the villainous corporation’s Gemini Exoplanet Solutions research facility following an SOS from their contact Carver. Unfortunately, as it’s soon learned, the place happens to be infested with Xenomorphs.
Certainly a former Colonial Marine is up to the task of wiping out alien threats, but the threats Zula uncovers far exceed her initial worries. It’s a strong foundation upon which to build, one that eagerly aligns with the known beats of the beloved movies, and makes it clear that Survios is aiming to snag an Alien: Isolation– level win here. However, it is worth noting that Rogue Incursion is only “Part One” of a two-part story, meaning a cliffhanger awaits at the end instead of a clear conclusion.
As a VR game, it’s all about immersion, even more so than your standard FPS. The goal is to make the player truly feel that they are enveloped in the world they are seeing, causing them to disconnect from the reality of their actual surroundings and give into the fantasy environment responding to their real-life movements. In many ways, Alien: Rogue Incursion succeeds in this regard, presenting grim and oppressive environments akin to the films as well as thoughtful touches that elevate the atmosphere.
En(gross)ing
For example, emails can be read on a computer, navigated via an in-game joystick, but if the computer screen is covered in blood the player will need to wipe away the red obstruction to see what tidbits of information are contained in those email exchanges. It’s not a transformative mechanic on its own, but it truly is the combination of numerous small efforts that come together to create something engrossing. It’s in these small interactive details that Rogue Incursion wins, but there are notable losses that seep into the core mechanics.
As an alien-wrecking badass, Zula is outfitted appropriately for such enemies. She’s packing three firearms: the unmistakable M41 Pulse Rifle, a pump-action shotgun and a trusty revolver. Of the three, I reckon most players will stick with the pulse rifle, whether for its good-for-all-situations efficiency or simply its iconic design (especially when compared against two standard, modern-day options). Plus, firing the pulse rifle is a blast, both in terms of the devastation it brings and its sound profile. It’s a shame then that it can be unwieldy at times due to commonplace VR jank.
The early moments required some adjustment in terms of where I felt I was aiming versus where I was actually aiming in-game. It felt slightly off, but it’s nothing that couldn’t be overcome with practice and familiarity. Still, when it comes to facing off against extraterrestrial threats, you want to feel confident in the precision of the controls, and that wasn’t always the case in Rogue Incursion.
Those early hours of Alien: Rogue Incursion fare better than the later ones. This is largely due to the Xenomorphs, a critical make-or-break component of an Alien game. Those initial encounters are filled with heart-pounding dread as the Xenos appear from vents and scurry across the ceilings and walls towards the player. However, these foes eventually reveal themselves to be somewhat dim-witted, despite their formidable and frightening appearance. The AI doesn’t have too many tactics to display, but the most baffling component of their approach is the random animation pause after they close the distance, giving the player a window to open fire and spray their acidic blood all over the room.
Far From Isolation
Once the player becomes aware of these tendencies, the Xenos lose much of their fear factor. That’s not to say that watching the pulse rifle’s ammo counter trend towards zero while getting swarmed by two or three aliens simultaneously won’t cause you any panic, but the persistent fear that once filled the halls fades away. If you were hoping for an Alien: Isolation style threat, you will be disappointed. Rogue Incursion is more Aliens than Alien, despite its title.
Even with those shortcomings accounted for, Survios has put together a competent Alien VR experience. Holding the motion tracker in one hand to assess incoming threats while holding the pule rifle in the other feels great. There’s no denying that the developer understands the universe and builds meaningfully within it, even if their technical chops don’t always best compliment those efforts. Wiping the blood away from a screen and rearranging wires are typically throwaway tasks in other games, but the Xenomorph threat is ever present.
It is not uncommon to get ambushed while partaking in these activities, causing the player to keep their head on a swivel. In these moments, everything falls in place and evokes excitement. Then there are the endless onslaught moments as the player wanders the environment, trying to figure out the correct direction, that prove more annoying than exciting. Given the middling AI, the waves of Xenos may not be overly difficult, but they do chip away at resources and continually pull attention from viewing the map embedded within the Datapad as the player attempts to progress.
Alien: Rogue Incursion Review Verdict
Alien: Rogue Incursion: Survios has given Alien a strong VR debut with Alien: Rogue Incursion. Its by-the-books story will resonate with fans by providing much of what they have come to love. And that extends to other areas of the game, such as the realization of the claustrophobic, dimly lit metallic hallways and iconic sound profiles of the Xenomorphs and weaponry. There are so many small touches that elevate this experience, but it's an experience that remains uneven due to some simplistic AI and technical shortcomings (all of which could be improved in Part Two). – Joshua
Editor’s Note: Alien: Rogue Incursion was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.
