Is Alien: Isolation's save system a deal breaker?

I'm quite impressed by this game, and want to buy it. But a broken save system is amongst the top reasons for me to avoid a game. I've heard people say that this game's ave syetms is too unforgiving, and its only used to amp up the difficulty. I just hate it when I have to lose half an hour's progress due to lack of save points.

Considering this, should I buy it now, or wait for a sale (because I will definitely buy it at some point)?Also, is the save system really as bad as the people and reviewers say?

Well, I don't think they should have gone with a manual save system, but I think they should have put the save points in more places because you do tend to loose a bit of progress when you fail to find one quickly.

Saying that, in most cases you learn where they are and how to get to them quickly, so I wouldn't say it's a total deal breaker. The game is really good if you want to experience the feeling of being in a Alien movie.

it's a game-maker

Personally I prefer it. It makes you more careful and adds another level of tension in the game!

Thanks for the feedback. The thing is, it already is a 8-hour game stretched to 15 hours using unnecessary fillers (that's the general opinion) and I wouldn't want it to be stretched by another 5 or 10 hours due to the try-fail-wash-rinse-repeat cycle. They should REALLY start making demos of games again, like in the 90s. I think I'll take a chance with this one, and buy it. Either this or The Evil Within, but that seems to be an unoptimized load of crap on the PC.

Thanks, I'll go for it!

Nice to know that!

It's only an 8 hour game if you sprint through it, and most of the time if you sprint you're dead. After a while you get to learn how the enemy works, so it becomes a bit easier to avoid them. Then on the second half of the game you get lots of utilities that help make it a bit easier.

As for Evil Within, I haven't tried it myself but a friend is playing it and he has no issues so far. It's got console commands to unlock the 30fps to 60fps. It's getting great reviews though.

Ok then, that's great! As for the Evil Within, I have my doubts in spite of the console commands. The game is getting great reviews, but the technical aspects of the PC version is being universally panned. Besides, I usually buy games only after all its DLCs are released, so that I can get the complete experience in one go. Since there will be 3 DLCs for The Evil Within, I'll buy the game along with the DLCs later. ALien Isloations upcoming DLCs are only survival mode additions, so it doesn't matter much to me.

I bought Ryse on the PC like an idiot in spite of knowing how crappy it is. Don't know what came over me, a discount coupon tempted me. Haven't started playing it yet. I think I'm in for tons of eye candy and nothing more than that.

I personally don't care about DLC cause most of the time it doesn't add that much to the game.

I finished Ryse. It's worth playing just to see how far we've come in terms of graphics, because it really is a lot of eye candy. The game is just a button smasher and repetitive... they should have made it so the main character unlocks new abilities as the game flows, but still it's a fun ride for the story and beautiful locations.

No, I greatly prefer fixed and manual save points in horror games. Checkpoint systems only work well when you have a completely linear progression and horror games tend to work better when you have a more open area to explore. Open areas makes a location in a game feel more real whereas completely linear progression makes a game feel more like a game than anything else. When's the last time you went to an office building and you found the office you were going to because it was the only unlocked door in the whole building? Contrivances like that make a game less immersive and there's no category of game where immersion is more important than horror.

Another problem with checkpoints is that you typically have little to no control over them. You can't save after you accomplish something that -you- think is important to your progression, only when the game thinks you've hit a milestone. When these are spaced too far apart, you lose progress anyway (i.e. Dead Space 3 where the side missions had no checkpoints at all so you had to complete them in one sitting) or they are placed too close together so there's no consequence to death because all it means is you have taken a couple steps backwards. Also, since resource management is an important part of most survival horror games, not being able to revert to an earlier save if you start going down a bad path also makes things more difficult.

-Byshop

Firstly, I don't really think Alien Isolation is a good game. My opinions align closely with both Kevin Van Ord and IGN reviews. The pacing is the main issue, but lots of other problems.

Having said that the save system is just how the game is designed. The punishment is to replay sections and the reward is hearing that save station beep (the relief is quite real). Although I was not a fan of the game asking me to overwrite a save every time I used it, nor was I that happy that some save points were clearly further away than others, it's just something that melded into the game much like the alien following you around.

I personally love and prefer save anywhere games (quick save and manual save) but I'm not totally against checkpoints if done reasonably well. Alien Isolation has punishing saves but they are by design and not necessarily horrible. It will mean many deaths and quite a bit of replaying, but if the save system is your only qualm with AI, then buy it. The save system should NOT be your only qualm.

I've adjusted to it and don't mind it now, it makes me really really not want to die if I have not saved in a while so I become friggin Terrified when I see Alien.

I enjoy the manual saves in this game. It makes it more terrifying... Yeah so you may lose some progress, but that's what gives this the old school feeling of games that make you build skill and think strategically.

Alien Isolation is basically linear. You load an area, and go around doing stuff but it's not like open world or where you choose where to go next.

Well, there aren't exactly a lot of open world horror games, but trust me when I say that the game could be a LOT more linear. When compared to something like Final Fantasy 13 where the entire game is basically one long hallway, AI is practically GTA5. The areas you go into are pretty wide open, there are branching paths, extra rooms you can go back and visit once you have the correct item to open the doors, and extra supplies to be found. Checkpoint systems don't work well in games where you can do any backtracking, especially resource constrained games with backtracking.

-Byshop

I have to agree in the aspect of comparing it to something like FF or even Resident Evil games.

The Checkpoint system was fine, there just needed to be MORE of them.

Having to manually save while mid-objective adds a good challenge. But not autosaving after an objective has been reached or completed can get very annoying.

The game actually features both. Major objectives autosave, but they are spaced far apart. You also have the ability to manually save between objectives.

-Byshop

@funkyzoom: It's the exact opposite of a deal breaker. It keeps you from being a massive pussy and saving every 10 seconds. It makes the game far more enjoyable for me and it's much harder which I like. I'd rather die 10-20 times in a row on the same short section (which I have, playing on hard) than breeze through the game without much challenge. It makes the game more intense and adds to the fear. A+ game.

So did you get the game lol...

@FelipeInside

I did buy Alien Isolation, finally! On a side note, what would be the best way to play Ryse on the PC? Is it with keyboard/mouse or an XBox 360 controller? I'd like to give this game a go, since you mentioned its not that bad.

Depends what you concentrate on.

As for graphics, it's pretty awesome. As for story, it's nothing special but ok and it flows. As for character, fine.

As for gameplay, way too repetitive.

Yeah, I got your point. But I was asking you which would be better to play Ryse with, among keyboard/mouse and XBox 360 controller.

I played it with KB/MS which worked fine, but I'm guessing a controller would suit it as well.

Alright then! I'll try it with the controller, but I hope the camera locks behind the playable character automatically. This is one reason I avoid playing some games with the controller. Manually adjusting the camera with the right analog stick is is a lot more tedious and cumbersome than doing it with the mouse.

Some games are meant for controllers, but I still prefer my mouse in most of them. The speed of the mouse is just so much better, not only for gameplay but also to quickly pan the camera around (and you have to pan a LOT in Ryse cause the enemies come from every angle)

Thanks for the heads up, I'll play it with keyboard/mouse. I'm with you on this one. The only games I play with a controller are those that don't involve a mouse, such as racing, platforming or side-scrolling fighting games. Just began the massive download of Ryse on Steam (although I had purchased it earlier). It may take ages due to my slow internet connection, which happens to be among the 'fast' ones available in my third world country. :(

Yeah, that does sound like a potential dealbreaker. I'm having a hard time convincing myself to buy it, even if it's Alien.

@MlauTheDaft: I'm not describing the save system in Alien Isolation, I was describing bad checkpoint systems in response to people's complaint that Alien mostly doesn't use a checkpoint system. I actually like the save system in Alien Isolation.

-Byshop

Oh... Well thanks for clearing it up, seing as I somehow managed to turn it on it's head. Must be because I worked out for the first time in forever today ;)

@MlauTheDaft: I go into more detail on the pros and cons of checkpoint systems versus fixed save points in my earlier response in this thread. It may or may not be your preference but that should give you a good idea of what to expect.

-Byshop

@Byshop: Cheers. Maybe it's worth it afterall ;)

I watched youtube video running on hard mode, and he seems to use savegame really often. I noticed that the hostile/alien/android will get resetted cause of that and there is certain interval where they may appear close to you again.

It's definitely worth it.

It captures the feel of the first Alien movie perfectly.

@funkyzoom: dying means you're playing on hard difficulty or doing something wrong. this is a game that you take your time & don't run through each mission area, that you are better being stealthy. i tried the evil within and it just isn't for me i can't get into the universe it feels like saw movies mixed with texas chainsaw massacre, it's mocking alien isolation, texas chainsaw massacre and saw which sega is the first to introduce closet hiding first aliens colonial marines stasis interrupted dlc, alien isolation is original it's not mocking anything.

This thread is eleven months old. I'm sure everyone has moved on by now. In the future please remember to check the date on a thread before replying.

-Byshop