The very idea of revisiting the classic Alien franchise in video game form reeks of so much nostalgia, this gamer simply can’t wait to jump in his way-back machine!
The game’s timeline runs parallel with that of the original film (set just after its conclusion), so the designers decided to go with more of a throw-back element instead of the futuristic set pieces we saw in later sequels. That means the culture of the period (which would be late ‘70s-mid ‘80s) pops up all over the ship!
In addition to Sigourney Weaver and others from the original cast making appearances via DLC, the folks at the Xbox Wire put together a handy-dandy list of all the retro sights and sounds to be found within Alien: Isolation:
- Motion Tracker
- If you’ve seen Aliens – and if you haven’t, what’s wrong with you? – you’ll remember the pulse-pounding feeling of the motion tracker’s ping! That film takes place years after the events of Alien: Isolation, though, and technology moves fast…
- Save Station
- You’ve been eluding the titular alien for what feels like hours, and you can’t help but feel like the odds are building against you. You’re thinking it would be a pretty good idea to save your progress…
- PC Terminals
- For those of us of a certain age, the green monochrome screen brings back painful memories of screeching modems and MS-DOS. In Isolation, they serve a greater purpose: They offer background information, provide periodic clues, and occasionally activate elements in the environment…
- Boom Box
- Ah, yes, the envy of every early-’80s grade-school student: the boom box. This one comes equipped with separate woofers and tweeters, what appears to be not one but two equalizers, and a logo for “Generic Electric…”
- Tape Recorder
- Isolation features a collection of audio logs that offer background to the events preceding the abandonment of the Sevastopol, the space station that serves as the setting for most of the game…
- Random Computer Console
- Computing in the far future requires one hell of a lot of random screens, apparently. These consoles are sprinkled throughout the game, and the vast majority of them don’t really do anything. Well, except look awesome.
- Rewire System
- Duo-tone screen? Check. Big honkin’ buttons? Check. Atari 2600 fonts? Oh yeah, baby! The Rewire System interface is a mastery of retro design…
- Incandescent Bulb
- Perhaps the most hilariously unlikely bit of technology in the entire game.