A sequel to Alien Isolation, one of the best survival horror games of all time, is real - and it's in development now

10 years after one of the most surprising licensed games of all time launched, Sega has announced a sequel.

Did you get off on outsmarting enemies, tiptoeing around the xenomorph, and praying that your save file isn’t going to get permenantly screwed by a misjudged visit to a terminal in the original Alien: Isolation? Yes? Well then, you’re going to be thrilled to find out that a sequel is real, and in production at Sega.

Many of us have been asking for a follow-up to 2014’s survival horror masterclass, Alien: Isolation, pretty much since we hit credits in the first game back on the PS4, Xbox One or PC - and now, I’m psyched to report, our prayers have finally been answered. Anyone that was a fan of the lo-fi, retro-futuristic vibes of Alien, as realised by Creative Assembly, is going to want to keep their eyes peeled on this.

Per an announcement on Twitter, Alistair Hope returns from the development team of the original for the sequel - proving that Sega is listening, and is keen to deliver something special for the sequel.

The game is in development at the moment, and will (probbaly) launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2025. We’ve previously heard from Tim Heaton, former Creative Assembly head, that a sequel was "not out of the question" but was financially unfeasible - at least back in 2015. Whatever has changed behind the scenes must be good, then, for the follow-up to finally be on the cards. Hey, I’m not complaining.

I’ve written previously that Alien: Isolation is the best horror game I’ve ever played. If the sequel leverages what made the original so great - namely, that you can’t predict how any given level is going to play out - picking it up is going to be a no-brainer.

What I loved about the original is that you can slink from doorway to doorway a thousand times, and never know whether the Xenomorph is tucked away in a vent above you, stalking the canteen over there, or right behind you, ready to tear your face off. It understands and plays on all the insecurities of the survival horror genre, and is a phenomenal game becasue of it.

If you want to get in the mood ahead of the sequel’s release, you can pick up Perfect Organism: An Alien Isolation Companion, written by games media artisan, Andy Kelly. The book dives into the art direction, design philosophy, and history of the game, and does a fantastic job of making you appreciate the nuance and deft hand that put the game together. I am due a replay of the original game after reading it, and I can already tell that it’s going to massively improve the experience.

One of the most interesting things about the book is that it delves into certain features that never made the cut in the original game; perhaps we’ll see some of them finally come to life in this as-yet-untitled sequel.

We’re going to have to wait until the game launches - definitely no earlier than 2025 - to find out for sure.