alien
"Alien: Isolation" will launch this fall. Courtesy/Sega

The survival horror game “Alien Isolation” will launch this fall for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC, and we were lucky enough to speak with the title’s lead artist during a 15-minute gameplay preview at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

The first-person game takes place in 2137, 15 years after the events of the original “Alien” film. Players will take on the role of Amanda, who is investigating the disappearance of her mother, Ellen Ripley, the original film’s protagonist.

“We went back and watched the original movie and realized there was so much we were missing. So, we watched it again and again. We really wanted to get it right,” Jude Bond, the game’s lead artist, told IBTimes.

The gameplay was suspenseful – a mix of stealth and survival. “’Alien Isolation’ features a dynamic, reactive, wholly unpredictable alien AI,” Bond said. This means the alien in the game is programmed to actively hunt the player by sight, sound and smell.

The game is played from a first-person perspective. The player uses a motion detection device to ensure the bloodthirsty alien isn’t nearby. The creature stands nearly 10 feet tall and cannot be killed, and unlike previous “Alien” games, there is reportedly only one creature that Amanda must avoid.

“Alien: Isolation” takes place on a future space station that is mostly abandoned. You will encounter humans occasionally, as well as robotic droids that can be difficult to overpower. Throughout the game, you’re continuously hiding from the alien, which roams about the space station, leaving unfortunate victims in its wake.

“Obviously, we want people to be scared,” Bond said. “But we also want people to connect to the game on an emotional level.”

The game’s main character, Amanda, is able to hide in lockers from the alien. She can also hold her breath so the creature can’t hear her. Amanda can use her motion-tracking device to detect the alien nearby, but it's risky, since the noise the machine makes can also clue the creature in to her exact location.

How true to the original film will the game be? How similar will main protagonist Amanda be to her mother, Ellen Ripley? “Obviously, with ‘Alien,’ you’re going to have a strong female character,” Bond told us.

“Alien Isolation” is still in development by Creative Assembly and will be published by Sega this fall.