Fear creeps through the shadows in these Alien: Isolation images

By Adam Rosenberg January 9, 2014

Read our full Alien: Isolation review.

In Alien: Isolation, Total War developer Creative Assembly casts off the action flavor of past video game efforts in the series in favor of survival horror. The creeping dread of director Ridley Scott’s 1979 film seems to have been capably translated, at least from what we can tell in these screens. Players step into the role of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), in a story that picks up 15 years after the events of the original film. There’s just one Xenomorph hunting you, but that’s a terrifying prospect when you don’t have a magic bag filled with guns to rely on.

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Adam Rosenberg

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

VR headset deals: Meta Quest 2 and VIVE XR

VR tech is pretty interesting, and while it's not as big as other forms of gaming, it's grown quite significantly since the original Oculus Go was released. In fact, there are some highly acclaimed modern VR games like Half-Life: Alyx that are a lot of fun, and with something like the Meta Quest, you don't even need a high-end gaming PC to run it. Luckily, even if you've spent money on one of many gaming PC deals out there, you can still buy a high-end VR headset that can use all that power. To that end, we've collected deals on some of the best VR headsets on the market, although if you're not quite ready to take that plunge, check out some of these other great video game deals.
Meta Quest 2 -- $199, was $200

Even though the Meta Quest 3 came out quite recently, the Meta Quest 2 is still a pretty powerful contender, especially since it has a wider library and app support than the Quest 3 currently has. Even more so, the Quest 2 is a lot cheaper than the Quest 3, and with the latest permanent discount down to just $200, that's a whole $300 or so difference from the Quest 3. Of course, the Quest 3 does have more advanced AR and slightly better performance with software and Wi-Fi, but that may not be worth the extra cost for some. Either way, be sure to check out the breakdown between Quest 2 and Quest 3 to get a better sense of what you should pick up.

Gaming

Hellblade 2 struggles to balance a serious message and video game tropes

Senua stares at a burning tree in Hellblade 2.

For the first two hours of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, I was fully transported into Senua's headspace. Every aspect of the sequel's design was working in concert to pull me into her mind and never let me go. And then I found my first collectible.

I missed out on the first Hellblade, but was familiar enough to know what the general consensus was regarding its strengths and weaknesses. I knew it was a narrative-driven game about a very serious mental health condition. What I never heard about, and thus didn't know to expect until I came across it, was something as "gamey" as collectibles. In most games, collectibles can be a way to reward exploration, add lore to the world, or simply be an added objective for those who want to do and see it all. In the case of Hellblade 2, however, it's one small piece of a larger issue: The series' video game instincts betraying the serious tone and subject matter that the rest of the subversive experience is so committed to.
Wall hugging
At first, Hellblade 2 gripped me like few games have. You already know just how impressive this game is from a visual standpoint from trailers and screenshots, but it's the 3D audio that pushes it into a league of its own. That first scene of Senua nearly drowning in the ocean while competing voices attempt to encourage and demoralize her instantly established an empathetic link between us. The tight perspective of the camera, the framing of Senua and her detailed facial animations, and the lack of a head-up display (HUD) all made sure that link remained unbroken.

Gaming

This retro Game Boy throwback is the modern-day Link’s Awakening

A character stands before a God in Isles of Sea and Sky.

If you've every played The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Game Boy, you know how special it is. While it initially looks like your average top-down Zelda game, it quickly gets delightfully weird. Shopkeepers will blast you with lightning if you try to shoplift, Goombas from Mario wander around, and the entire story revolves around a giant fish sleeping on a mountain. It's a fish-out-of-water story for Link, one that makes for the most mysterious but inviting Zelda game ever made.

Now, a new indie game is recapturing that magic. Isles of Sea and Sky just launched this week on Steam and it's a pixel-perfect homage to Link's Awakening. The adventure puzzle game captures the oddball spirit of that adventure, while doing its own thing entirely. And it does all that while playing with the limitations of a Game Boy art style. It's one retro game you don't want to miss this year.