Alien: Isolation is a single-player action-adventure game with an emphasis on stealth and survival horror. The player controls Amanda Ripley from a first-person perspective,[1][2] and must explore a space station and complete objectives while avoiding, outsmarting and defeating enemies.[3] Objectives range from activating computers to collecting certain items or reaching a specific area in the game. The player can run, climb ladders, sneak into vents, crouch behind objects to break the line of sight with enemies, and peek over or lean around for a safe view.[3] The player also has the ability to go under tables or inside empty lockers to hide from enemies.[3]
Amanda encounters various enemies throughout the station, including hostile human survivors and androids. The player can either eliminate them or avoid them using stealth or distractions.[3] The main antagonist, an Alien creature, pursues the player throughout the game. The Alien creature cannot be defeated, requiring the player to use stealth tactics in order to survive.[2] Instead of following a predetermined path, the Alien has the ability to actively investigate disturbances and hunt the player by sight or sound.[3] Along the way, the player can use both a flashlight and a motion tracker to detect the Alien's movements. However, using any of these increases the chance of the Alien finding the player. For example, if the Alien is close enough, it will be attracted by the tracker's sound, forcing the player to use the tracker wisely and remove it as soon as it detects motion.[3] The motion tracker cannot detect enemies when they are not moving and cannot determine if the alien creature is up in the ducts or on ground level.[3][4]
Although Amanda gains access to a revolver, a shotgun, a bolt gun, a flamethrower, and a stun baton over the course of the game,[5][6] Alien: Isolation emphasizes evasion over direct combat by providing limited ammunition.[2] The player can also craft useful items by collecting schematics and different materials. Items include EMP detonators, noisemakers, molotov cocktails, and pipe bombs; these can help the player deal with enemies.[5] For example, the noisemaker can be used to attract enemies in a particular direction. The Alien is afraid of fire, so using flame weapons forces it to retreat into the station's ventilation system. The player has a limited amount of health which decreases when attacked by enemies; health is restored with medkits, which can be crafted with materials in Amanda's inventory.[3]
The space station is divided into sections connected by trams and elevators. Some doors require certain actions before entry is allowed; for example, some require a keycard or entry codes, while others need to be hacked or cut open with welding torches.[4] Computer terminals and rewiring stations can be used to access information and trigger actions such as disabling security cameras or manipulating the space station's air-purification mechanism.[4] An automap helps the player navigate the different areas of the game.[7] To save game progress, the player needs to locate a terminal in the game and insert Amanda's access card. If Amanda dies, the player will have to restart from the last saved point.[8] In addition to the campaign mode, Alien: Isolation features a special mode, called Survivor Mode, in which the player must complete objectives within a time limit on different challenge maps while being hunted by the Alien.
