I'm glad Alien Isolation 2 will be a sequel instead of a remake, proving that survival horror has a future beyond rehashing its past

GamesSurvival HorrorAlien: IsolationI’m glad Alien Isolation 2 will be a sequel instead of a remake, proving that survival horror has a future beyond rehashing its pastWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesSurvival HorrorAlien: IsolationI’m glad Alien Isolation 2 will be a sequel instead of a remake, proving that survival horror has a future beyond rehashing its pastWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. The survival horror renaissance is alive and well in 2024, and the latest proof is the fact thatAlien: Isolation 2 is currently in “early development”. Creative Assembly’s modern cult classic is still a terrifying force to be reckoned with, its heart-pounding concoction of claustrophobic cat-and-mouse in an abandoned spacecraft proving prime nightmare fodder even a decade on. If the original Dead Space (and System Shock, to an extent) set the scene for deep space horror to take off, Alien: Isolation took those blueprints and bolted with them. With the current trends leaning toward remake upon remake of thebest survival horror gamesof yore, though, it’s a relief that Creative Assembly is doing something different. Instead of rebuilding the 2014 original, fans are to be treated to a full-blown Alien: Isolation sequel – and hot on the heels of this summer’s box office hitAlien: Romulus, the announcement couldn’t have been timed better. There’s not much else to go on just yet, but the raucously positive response from the horror community indicates to me that the genre might not be as stuck in the past as I’d feared. Ellen Ripley’s believe it or not The belly of the beasts(Image credit: Creative Assembly)Alien: Romulus director explains his new film’s big Alien: Isolation Easter egg The belly of the beasts (Image credit: Creative Assembly)Alien: Romulus director explains his new film’s big Alien: Isolation Easter egg (Image credit: Creative Assembly) Alien: Romulus director explains his new film’s big Alien: Isolation Easter egg You and I might consider Alien: Isolation to be a legendary survival horror game, but it didn’t start off that way. That’s because while critical reception seemed strong enough, with GamesRadar+ giving it a solid score in ourAlien: Isolation review, it seemed a vast majority of mainstream gamers just weren’t hungering for horror the way they are now. Let’s Play content onYouTubeallowed many to experience the terror without having to take part themselves, and what’s more, it was the year of Far Cry 4, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Dark Souls 2 to name a handful of 2014’s superstars. With no shortage of games on the table for players to devour, Alien: Isolation would slink into the shadows, finding success in a passionate niche of the community instead of the bottom line. Today, the landscape looks a little different. True, horror is still not the biggest genre in the industry, but its fans have grown louder as the community swells with each passing year. One large, Tyrant-shaped reason for the sudden increased appetite? You can thank the litany of remakes over the past five years. Leon and Claire returned to our screens inCapcom’sResident Evil 2 Remakein 2019, and suddenly, it seemed that atmospheric, nostalgic, run-and-gun horror games were cool again. You only need to look atSilent Hill 2’s immense critical and public success this month, despite years of wariness from its dedicated fanbase, or Motive’s thrillingDead Space remakeback in early 2023, to see the trend for yourself. Thehorror remake renaissancehas been upon us for years now. That much is clearer than the starry skies above Raccoon City. There’s something special about a long overdue sequel that broadens appeal tenfold. Drawing in fans of the original is one way, sure, but more importantly, these sequels offer an entry point for new players to get on board too. With enough time having passed since the previous game, there’s enough room for developers to rehash, revise, or reinvent a series in a sequel to ensure the new entry feels relevant to modern audiences. I might be alluding to Alan Wake 2 here – specifically, itsmusical means of recapping eventsfor new players and those with fuzzy memories alike – but this isn’t something we only see in horror. TakeDragon Age: The Veilguard, for example, and howBioware’s confirmation thatonly a few player choices will be carried acrossfrom Inquisition effectively positions the game as a great place to start for newbies. If Alien: Isolation 2 plays its cards just right, opening up the field to temper the familiar with the novel, it could end up being a horror game for the many instead of the few. That said, working with a blockbuster Hollywood IP like Alien indicates a level of assumed knowledge on the player’s part. Having even a basic grasp of the context, lore, and events of the Alien movies might be helpful, but it shouldn’t be a barrier. The inclusivity of the horror community has always been its biggest strength, and when the time comes that we learn more about Alien: Isolation 2, I’m hoping to see more of that welcoming spirit as we take on the xenomorphs again – or perhaps something else? – more than a decade later. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more There are plenty ofupcoming horror gamesto jot down as well as Alien: Isolation 2, from Directive 8020 toDying Light: The Beast. 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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”