Alien: Isolation Cheats and Tips
Hiding Is Not Always Safe
If you’ve been following our Alien: Isolation coverage, you probably already know that your best bet for staying alive is to avoid confrontation and stick to the shadows. However, just because you’ve manage to find a good hiding spot doesn’t mean you’re safe. The xenomorph can still sniff you out when you’re hiding in lockers (you’ll have to time holding your breath to prevent giving yourself away), and can easily track you down in vents as well. Hiding under desks and tables also isn’t foolproof; the xenomorph can still sometimes get a line of sight on you and won’t hesitate to pull you out to your death.
While this shouldn’t prevent you from taking cover in these locations, try to find an object in the environment – a stack of crates, a computer station, etc. – that affords you the ability to sneak around it. This way if the xenomorph or other enemy approaches your location, you can circle around in the opposite direction while using the peeking mechanic to keep an eye on it. This will also let you use distractions like flares and noisemakers, which you can’t when you’re stuck in a locker. You might not feel as safe as being holed up in a designated hiding spot, but being able to stay mobile more than makes up for it.
Your Motion Scanner Is Your Best Friend
It won’t take Ripley long to come across a motion scanner, and from that point on the old-school detection unit will be the most valuable tool at your disposal. In addition to cluing you in on the distance and direction of enemies, the motion scanner also constantly points you to your mission objective and is far more reliable than your map. Just remember, however, that it’s a motion scanner – enemies will instantly disappear when they stop moving. Also, the light and beeping that the motion scanner emits can alert enemies if they’re close enough, so once that flashing dot shows up right on top of your location, you should probably put the helpful gadget away and hide away somewhere.
To Boldly Go
While this one isn’t strictly about survival, it is possible to play Alien: Isolation too slowly. Obsessing over your scanner and crawling at a snail’s pace isn’t going to help you; the alien is always going to be lurking in your general vicinity, and parts of the game will require a certain amount of trial and error. Instead of being crippled by fear, channel your inner Ellen Ripley and be decisive; pick your route, and then move as quickly and efficiently as possible. Use saves as an opportunity to push forward – you still don’t want to stand up and run, but you won’t lose any progress if you die, so you might as well see what lies ahead before you get bogged down by your relentless predator.
Get Crafty
Survival-horror games have taught us to be stingy with supplies. However, the tools you can craft in Alien: Isolation are vital to your survival, and you’ll come across plenty of resources to build them. By the end of the game, I was maxed out on every item, from noisemakers to pipe bombs, so don’t be afraid to use what you have.
Also, while you can’t carry that many crafting components at once, you can commit them to the creation of an item before you actually create it, which removes them from your inventory. Can’t pick up that sensor you just found? Apply the ones in your inventory to creating your next Molotov or noisemaker, then grab the new one as well. Just make sure you’re in a good hiding spot before you start juggling your inventory, as you’re not safe from enemy attacks.
What’s the best item? While your play style may favor something else, I found noisemakers to be my go-to tool. The beeping distractions work well with all enemy types and can be used to coax the alien’s attention toward human foes, providing you with a win-win situation.
