Alien: Rogue Incursion Review – In VR, Everyone Can Hear You Scream

Alien: Rogue Incursion Review

The Alien franchise has instilled fear in audiences since its inception in 1979, blending horror and science fiction and burrowing into the subconscious of pop culture. Spawned from the minds of creative visionaries, the series became iconic due to its claustrophobic atmosphere, unforgettable characters, and chilling settings. With its combination of suspenseful tension and high-octane action, Alien has consistently petrified audiences across various forms of media. Alien: Rogue Incursion ventures into the virtual realm, but will it take advantage of the immersive and tactile possibilities of the platform to elevate the franchise’s signature terror?

You play as Zula Hendricks, a fearless ex-Colonial Marine tasked with investigating a mysterious SOS signal emanating from the planet Purdan. However, after an unexpected loss of control, your spaceship crashes onto the planet’s surface. Stranded, you and your trusty synth companion, Davis 01, navigate the barren, broken remains of the Exoplanet Solutions research facility. As you delve deeper, you must evade deadly Xenomorphs while searching for survivors. Although the story leans on familiar tropes, Survios delivers a well-paced experience that masterfully blends the intense action reminiscent of Cameron’s vision with the suffocating dread of Scott’s original. The result is an intense and immersive adventure that honors the franchise’s legacy and firmly anchors you in its biomechanical world.

It Doesn’t Look Like An S.O.S… It Looks Like A Warning

Each moment carries a foreboding sense of dread. The cramped, enclosed corridors contrast with open areas, ensuring every confrontation with the menacing Xenomorphs is a heart-pounding thrill. Differing from Alien: Isolation, Incursion arms you with weapons to face these imposing aliens head-on. However, stealth remains a viable strategy; staying out of sight often proves advantageous as the cunning creatures work together to exploit your weaknesses.

While you have the tools to defend yourself, you will often have to turn your back to large areas in order to override a module or complete a small puzzle. This places you in a vulnerable position and can often lead to scenarios where you must drop everything and fight for your life. Audio cues lead to the whereabouts of aliens. The scuttle of claws in the vents above and non-diegetic sounds signal their arrival, creating a soundscape that keeps you constantly on edge. Each element combines to construct an intoxicating experience, hatching a deep-seated fear that leaves you scrambling to survive.

There’s a sublime level of interaction that permeates the adventure. In addition to opening lockers and containers for resources, Survios adds additional tactile elements that further immerse you in the experience. From wiping the blood off soaked monitors to injecting yourself with a stim to regain health, each interaction binds you to the world. This is further implemented through your tools. Via a handheld device, you can access the map and search the area with the tip of your finger. Each item and weapon is also intuitively located on different parts of your body, allowing you to jump from one item to the other quickly. This adds a frantic physicality to the adventure, heightening the horror as you try to overcome the paralyzing dread of Xenomorphs.

No One Can Hear You Scream

Your Pulse Rifle isn’t just a weapon—it’s your lifeline. Conveniently positioned over your shoulder, it’s your primary tool for survival. Closing one eye to aim through the reticle adds a satisfying layer of precision as you track aliens scaling walls and ceilings. However, holding the trigger causes significant recoil, throwing off your aim. Due to this, you must master short, controlled bursts to take down enemies efficiently. Reloading the rifle feels tactile and immersive. Ejecting the magazine, grabbing a fresh one, slamming it in place, and cocking the gun is a sequence that never gets old.

Panic Rooms are dotted throughout, allowing you to take a breather and save your progress. With no auto-save or checkpoints, you’ll find yourself revisiting these rooms regularly so that you don’t lose any progress. Although this adds tension to the experience, it can also be frustrating having to redo parts of the game after being impaled by a Xenomorph. With limited resources, there’s a good level of challenge on offer with the ability to tweak the difficulty to suit your preference.

Accessibility options are vital in VR gaming due to the range of factors that can impact your experience. Survios recognizes this and offers a variety of options to help you personalize your adventure. From customizable turning settings to adjustable visor effects, there are multiple ways to tailor the game to suit your needs. While this won’t halt motion sickness for those prone to it, it certainly gives you a range of options to stifle it.

Game Over, Man

The game manages to capture the aesthetics synonymous with the franchise. From narrow, metallic corridors to open, snow-filled areas, each location you visit feels as if it has been ripped from the silver screen. Shadows linger around each corner, hiding secrets that beckon you to investigate. Set pieces deliver thrilling moments that will remain in your psyche long after the credits. Coupled with the disturbing score, the overall presentation carries the essence of the series to deliver an authentic adventure that will resonate with fans of the franchise.

Alien: Rogue Incursion is a faithful adaptation of the iconic series, capturing the panic-inducing dread and relentless action synonymous with the movies. Each step through the dark, metallic corridors is nerve-wracking, thanks to a suspenseful score and the meticulous attention to detail. While more action-heavy than Alien: Isolation, the game’s weighty, tactile weapons enhance the immersion, delivering a visceral and satisfying experience. The balance of tension and combat makes Rogue Incursion an essential addition to any VR library.

***A PSVR 2 code was provided by the publisher***