Films/TV => Alien Films => Topic started by: Corporal Hicks on Feb 27, 2019, 05:44:31 PM
Title: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Feb 27, 2019, 05:44:31 PM
Since just before the New Year, 20th Century Fox has been teasing their #ReadPlayWatch campaign that focuses on Alien: Isolation’s Amanda Ripley. Dark Horse Comics’ Aliens: Resistance kicked off the Read component – the second issue of which is out today! And last month saw the release of Alien: Blackout (Play).
We’ve since been waiting patiently for the campaign’s Watch component. That wait is about to end! IGN has just shared the trailer for the Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
It’s been fifteen years since Amanda Ripley’s mother disappeared aboard the deep space towing ship Nostromo. And for fifteen years, Amanda has suspected there was more to her mother’s story than meets the eye.
In this new digital series reimagining a familiar and fan-favorite story, 20th Century Fox has expanded on Alien: Isolation by taking the cut scenes from the 2014 game and adding in new story beats to bring the tale of Amanda Ripley to life in a whole new way.
The Alien: Isolation Digital Series consists of 7 episodes, and they’re all due for release via IGN (or their YouTube channel) tomorrow at 9 a.m. PT (5pm GMT).
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 05:57:42 PM
CANON Machinima! ;D lol
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: P1NK8C1DBOOTS on Feb 27, 2019, 05:57:47 PM
I mean it looks great....and I'm stoked to watch this....that final shot of the alien in the flames looks 👌👌👌BUT why couldn't we get a continuation of Isolation....a sequel.....that would have been amazing!!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Kurgan on Feb 27, 2019, 06:01:05 PM
Nice.
Curious what it will bring to the table and if it is as good a experience when you watch it instead of playing it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Feb 27, 2019, 06:02:10 PM
Wow, I really thought we would be waiting until Alien Day.
Quote from: P1NK8C1DBOOTS on Feb 27, 2019, 05:57:47 PM I mean it looks great....and I'm stoked to watch this....that final shot of the alien in the flames looks 👌👌👌BUT why couldn't we get a continuation of Isolation....a sequel.....that would have been amazing!!
Because me thinks not all Alien fans play games.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TERMINATOR-SSD on Feb 27, 2019, 06:04:38 PM
i find it absolutely LAUGHABLE that it's going to be on IGN. I mean IGN where the reason why the game failed 'to Sega' giving the game a 5.9/10. As so many people are sheep to IGN they just follow them and agree with them. Ultimately hindering the sales of the game and stopping any chance of a sequel.
Then after all the bad press and feedback on IGN, they turn around and start shoving out posts on how good the game is. IGN for you...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Feb 27, 2019, 06:05:19 PM
Yeah, I saw a comment on Facebook suggesting that this is so people who haven't played/completed the game can get her backstory going forward, and that makes total sense.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 06:06:14 PM
Sega's unrealistic expectations and requirement's the reason.
Although, Defiance, Resistance and Rescue's the continuation.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: T Dog on Feb 27, 2019, 06:08:40 PM
Would it be safe to assume Fox might testing the waters for an Amanda centred live action tv show and/or movie?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 06:09:20 PM
Perhaps, prithee no though.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Xenomorphine on Feb 27, 2019, 06:26:22 PM
Quote from: P1NK8C1DBOOTS on Feb 27, 2019, 05:57:47 PM I mean it looks great....and I'm stoked to watch this....that final shot of the alien in the flames looks 👌👌👌BUT why couldn't we get a continuation of Isolation....a sequel.....that would have been amazing!!
Because, as Sega declared a long while ago, the original never sold enough units to make a sequel financially viable.
It might have been critically acclaimed, but was not commercially successful.
Quote from: TERMINATOR-SSD on Feb 27, 2019, 06:04:38 PM i find it absolutely LAUGHABLE that it's going to be on IGN. I mean IGN where the reason why the game failed 'to Sega' giving the game a 5.9/10. As so many people are sheep to IGN they just follow them and agree with them. Ultimately hindering the sales of the game and stopping any chance of a sequel.
Then after all the bad press and feedback on IGN, they turn around and start shoving out posts on how good the game is. IGN for you...
Eh... About 6-7/10 would be about the score I'd give it, too. Too glitchy and prone to AI-cheating for me to ultimately progress very far. A great sense of atmosphere, but a lot more frustrating than fun.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Feb 27, 2019, 06:31:21 PM
I'll never agree on you when it comes to Isolation. Never. :laugh:
I've known the bare basics of this for a while now and have been quite excited about it. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this has all turned out! ;D
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 06:47:15 PM
The idea "the A.I cheats" is a maximum misconception. Information:
"Isolation sold incredibly well. Considering ACM & the history of movie-licensed games. (& Cheaper alternatives.) Isolation was a success, Sega were unrealistic about the measure of it's success. Especially considering that incredibly shit IGN review. ACM's reception the previous year, Isolation's expense (Triple AAA) and niche genre."
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Feb 27, 2019, 06:56:42 PM
I have only one to say: HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: BlazinBlueReview on Feb 27, 2019, 06:59:18 PM
Feel like this is testing for a sequel game. Or films wjth Amanda Ripley in it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 07:06:06 PM
This is good since I still can't be arsed to play the game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Feb 27, 2019, 07:16:23 PM
This looks really cool, especially if it utilizes deleted material and fills in the patchwork quilt that is the narrative of the game. Particularly, the beginning and ending of Alien Isolation are probably it's weakest points as a story terrible.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Feb 27, 2019, 07:23:09 PM
Awesome. Looks great.
It will be nice to watch this story in a nice, streamlined package during Alien marathons rather than needing to slog through the whole game again.
I hope it gets a physical release.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 07:24:44 PM
The narrative is weak, agreed. Good? No. Bad though? No.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: BlazinBlueReview on Feb 27, 2019, 07:33:41 PM
It will be nice to watch this story in a nice, streamlined package during Alien marathons rather than needing to slog through the whole game again.
I hope it gets a physical release.
It wouldn't surprise me if they released it on Alien Day. That would be a nice gift to the fans.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: P1NK8C1DBOOTS on Feb 27, 2019, 07:35:46 PM
When I mentioned regarding a sequel, I know that there won't be a game sequel....but it would be interesting to see a sequel perhaps in other formats.....such as a digital series...... either way I'm really excited to watch this and like others have said, hope it gets a physical release! I also hope Fox ARE testing the waters for an Amanda centred live action tv show and/or movie - that be AMAZING!!!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Whos_Nick on Feb 27, 2019, 07:58:56 PM
I've had to stay quiet about this for a little while, but yeah got to preview this already. It's pretty neat
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Predwars24 on Feb 27, 2019, 08:15:56 PM
:- Very Confused.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TheBATMAN on Feb 27, 2019, 08:23:44 PM
How long is each episode going to be?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Lord Freezer on Feb 27, 2019, 08:34:08 PM
Very strange marketing strategy...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Feb 27, 2019, 08:37:02 PM
I hear ACM will be next!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: BishopShouldGo on Feb 27, 2019, 09:04:55 PM
This looks awesome! I can't wait.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 27, 2019, 09:11:20 PM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Feb 27, 2019, 10:20:59 PM
:laugh:
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Adam802 on Feb 27, 2019, 10:27:38 PM
Huh, ok Ill watch it. f**k ign though in general.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Feb 27, 2019, 10:40:00 PM
It looks like eee ... game? What is the point?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 10:44:26 PM
Quote "What's the point?"
I imagine:
"It's been fifteen years since Amanda Ripley's mother disappeared aboard the deep space towing ship Nostromo. And for fifteen years, Amanda has suspected there was more to her mother's story than meets the eye.
In this new digital series reimagining a familiar and fan-favorite story, 20th Century Fox has expanded on Alien: Isolation by taking the cut scenes from the 2014 game and adding in new story beats to bring the tale of Amanda Ripley to life in a whole new way".
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 27, 2019, 10:45:15 PM
I'd have loved an actual feature length movie version of isolation . I will definitely be checking these out . I hope they're good . Maybe somehow this will bring attention back to isolation again , and renew chances of getting a sequel . Doubtful, but a guy can hope. Still, I'd much rather we had gotten an animated film or as I said before an actual movie version of isolation. Then slap it on Blu-ray so I can really enjoy it .
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 10:46:50 PM
Animated film, myself TBH
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Feb 27, 2019, 10:47:23 PM
Cutted scenes? Sounds interesting for me
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Feb 27, 2019, 10:47:30 PM
The key word is: cut scenes from the game. I've played that game already. Laziness.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 27, 2019, 10:48:37 PM
Why not? If you check out Isolation's Xenopedia page you'll find that's there pretty much of interesting but unfortunately cutted content.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Mr. Clemens on Feb 27, 2019, 10:50:39 PM
I've often wished there was an Isolation movie, on nights when I want to appreciate it without having to piss my pants playing it. So this is a win for me. Just make sure to sell it to me on blu-ray, 'cause IGN can get stuffed.
And don't cut out the Working Joes! Coolest addition to the canon since the WY commandos, in my opinion. ;D
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 27, 2019, 10:51:25 PM
It's far from just cut-scenes strung together.
As has been pointed out.
But please, pursue that line of thinking for the sake of a whinge.
Why not? If you check out Isolation's Xenopedia page you'll find that's there pretty much of interesting but unfortunately cutted content.
If it was animated movie then I would be pleased but digital movie that looks like a game I've already finished? It's embarrassing. First mobile game and now this? Come on!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 10:55:11 PM
I've not played the game due to lack of hardware, and this is better than dodgy youtube cutscene compilations as it apparently adds a fair bit. My dad's in his 60's and has never played a vidya but loves the Alien series. This is clearly for people like us, and nobody's forcing you to watch it if you've already beaten the game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 27, 2019, 10:56:36 PM
Some of this looks like it's just captured in game with the camera position in different places. Not the best trailer they couldn't put forward. There have been many YouTube channels that have done that already , I hope they put more effort into this than that .
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Feb 27, 2019, 10:56:49 PM
Why not? If you check out Isolation's Xenopedia page you'll find that's there pretty much of interesting but unfortunately cutted content.
Cut scenes in this instance doesn't mean deleted material.
Oh, i've known that you was gonna say that! That's why i've left word "content" instead of "cutted scenes"
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 27, 2019, 10:59:36 PM
Then I'm not sure what you're getting at.
Cut-scenes in games are when the game stops and you get some piece of plot progression.
Forgive me if I'm being condescending and stating the obvious but if English isn't your first language a cut scene and deleted scene might sound like the same thing.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 11:01:47 PM
Cutscene aka in-game cinematic.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 27, 2019, 11:02:29 PM
Cut-scenes in games are when the game stops and you get some piece of plot progression.
Forgive me if I'm being condescending and stating the obvious but if English isn't your first language a cut scene and deleted scene might sound like the same thing.
Ok you caught me. I meant "deleted scenes". My English still not as perfect as i wish ;D
And thank you for being so patient with me. I apreciate that ;)
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Richman678 on Feb 27, 2019, 11:07:20 PM
IGN......I hate that website. Why is Fox letting IGN host this show??? They gave the game a 5.9, and are the main reason the sales were not that strong. They gave it a 5.9 for christs sake!!! Think about it for a moment....
Look I am glad they made a digital series, but putting it on IGN only shows me they have no idea what they are doing.
I am not impressed with this.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 11:08:26 PM
IGNorance.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 11:09:37 PM
Didn't they love Blackout though?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Feb 27, 2019, 11:11:09 PM
Quote from: Richman678 on Feb 27, 2019, 11:07:20 PM IGN......I hate that website. Why is Fox letting IGN host this show??? They gave the game a 5.9, and are the main reason the sales were not that strong. They gave it a 5.9 for christs sake!!! Think about it for a moment....
Look I am glad they made a digital series, but putting it on IGN only shows me they have no idea what they are doing.
I am not impressed with this.
I've just thougt about this...
Spoiler
IGN must go to Hell to clear itself from mortal sin
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 11:12:49 PM
That's pretty harsh.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Feb 27, 2019, 11:14:08 PM
I just love that game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 11:16:05 PM
More than ACM?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 27, 2019, 11:17:40 PM
Well in case you're interested i was about 12 when ACM came out so i barely knew anything about it and was not so hyper-hyped for it. I completed the game and for me it was fun enough but not very replayable experience.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 27, 2019, 11:21:23 PM
Quote from: Richman678 on Feb 27, 2019, 11:07:20 PM IGN......I hate that website. Why is Fox letting IGN host this show??? They gave the game a 5.9, and are the main reason the sales were not that strong. They gave it a 5.9 for christs sake!!! Think about it for a moment....
Look I am glad they made a digital series, but putting it on IGN only shows me they have no idea what they are doing.
I am not impressed with this.
I've just thougt about this...
Spoiler
IGN must go to Hell to clear itself from mortal sin
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Feb 27, 2019, 11:46:43 PM
The next Aliens video game counts. It's canon. And the people who are making it think it might finally solve some key mysteries in the film—and even make the films a bit better. "It's all connected together," Randy Pitchford, head of Gearbox Software said
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 27, 2019, 11:47:24 PM
This should be fun. I wish we were getting a new story and not something we already knew/experienced before, but I get that during the awkward Disney/Fox transition period that something like that isn't really a thing I should be expecting.
Stylistically it looks pretty damn near identical to the game (which makes sense considering it is Axis animating this), so this should serve pretty well as an alternate means of experiencing the story. Should be great for those that aren't gamers but are curious about Isolation after the fan response.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 27, 2019, 11:47:40 PM
"Adding in new story beats" probably mainly means "We'll create more material to fill the holes created by the gameplay removal".
They can't just show the cutscenes and add a few parts where Amanda runs through Sevastopol at an equal, nonhuman animation rhythm and other parts where she's shooting in an equally nonhuman way (assuming her in-game 3D model even has a head).
They need to do proper animation on all these parts, to add mise-en-scène, framing, pacing, and probably to add some new lines and minor events for maximum narrative functionality.
It'll really be interesting to see how they do it.
Edit: Oh, and they'll probably REMOVE some plot points, since most of the journey for Amanda is "solving various technical issues in order to progress". And they'll add more parts where Amanda has company. An entire series where she's progressing alone would be impossible.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 27, 2019, 11:49:28 PM
Agreed! Nightmare Asylum and Oasis Nadrama.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: razeak on Feb 28, 2019, 12:14:48 AM
Is this just the cut scenes from the game?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Feb 28, 2019, 12:16:46 AM
Seeing lots of bitching on social media.
People just want Isolation 2 and have tantrums if anything else is announced.
I don't get it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 28, 2019, 12:17:57 AM
I'm sure large chunks of it will remake elements from the cutscenes, and other parts of it will adapt story beats that were gleamed during gameplay from a totally new, cinematic perspective.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 12:18:39 AM
Are the cut scene elements reanimated (with updated CGI and/or alternate framing/editing), or are they literally just lifted from the game?
Some of that new stuff honestly looked like it was lifted from the game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 12:23:26 AM
Lifted as far as I know. I'm not sure why you'd redo them. They still look great.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Feb 28, 2019, 12:25:09 AM
This game really didn't have THAT many cutscenes, did it?
If you watch "movie" edits of the game on YouTube, it seems like the vast majority of time is spent on gameplay footage with dialogue. I think a lot of new content is needed to make the narrative work like this.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 12:28:25 AM
The original game script was edited and had new stuff added.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 12:36:16 AM
Good or bad, we'll know soon enough how it goes.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: LtJesseRipley on Feb 28, 2019, 12:37:24 AM
The rendering of the cutscenes in Isolation are f**ked up, jittery and compressed, pre-rendered even on PC. Sub-30 FPS, I talked to Matt Filer about fixing them by redoing them, but unfortunately discovered quickly that Amanda Ripley has no in-game body model so, that fell apart. It would be incredibly telling of laziness if the cutscenes aren't redone in this or perhaps they have access to the source cutscenes before they were compressed into Oblivion.
Well I really, really hope you're not too disappointed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Perfect-Organism on Feb 28, 2019, 01:27:44 AM
Quote from: Richman678 on Feb 27, 2019, 11:07:20 PM IGN......I hate that website. Why is Fox letting IGN host this show??? They gave the game a 5.9, and are the main reason the sales were not that strong. They gave it a 5.9 for christs sake!!! Think about it for a moment....
Look I am glad they made a digital series, but putting it on IGN only shows me they have no idea what they are doing.
I am not impressed with this.
Redemption?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: 426Buddy on Feb 28, 2019, 01:37:04 AM
Sweet! I cant wait to check this out. ;D
Oh wait i mean
Whinge, cry, whine...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Feb 28, 2019, 01:39:05 AM
I really don't see why people care so much about the IGN thing.
One reviewer for the site gave it a low score, so the whole website isn't allowed to promote anything related to the game now? Like it's some hypocritical betrayal? How melodramatic.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Perfect-Organism on Feb 28, 2019, 01:40:55 AM
A super-duper, well organized way to watch the Alien: Isolation game? For free? How cool is that? Many times have I tried to find something like that which didn't take 5 hours, just so I can sit down and enjoy it from beginning to end while grabbing a bite in front of the TV. Thanks Fox. I will enjoy this, and looking forward to a longer series, and a new movie (hint... Blomkamp)..
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 01:42:06 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 01:44:41 AM
Was the reception of this news everything SM expected?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 28, 2019, 01:46:52 AM
Sigh.
No enhanced Pre-renders modification then...
Ok, happy tomorrow though! ;D
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Feb 28, 2019, 01:48:04 AM
Not gonna lie, this disappoints me a bit. I was hoping for a continuation of some kind, not just a retelling. Combined with the novelisation, it means that 2/3 of the #ReadPlayWatch is the same storyline we got 4 years ago, and the new part (Blackout) isn't even acknowledged in Resistance.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 01:48:21 AM
One reviewer for the site gave it a low score, so the whole website isn't allowed to promote anything related to the game now? Like it's some hypocritical betrayal? How melodramatic.
It's footage from a game. Ign is as good a place as any. They'll reach their intended audience and perhaps get non fans to support a sequel.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 01:55:04 AM
Lot more people seem willing to give this a crack.
Mind you I haven't looked at Facebook...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 28, 2019, 02:00:56 AM
IGN's trash's the Historic indication.
But the Isolation series is hosted @IGN YT, nothing more.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 02:07:55 AM
I can't tell if you're displeased by this news.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 02:13:20 AM
IGN gave ACM a 4,5 and Isolation a 5,9. :laugh:
I actually really enjoyed reading their stuff back then, but after some reviews... those guys are more like paid shills than gamers. Still not the worse I saw on the internet.
Hmm I suppose at least some of my family might enjoy this... when the subtitles arrive.
Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Feb 27, 2019, 11:46:43 PM The next Aliens video game counts. It's canon. And the people who are making it think it might finally solve some key mysteries in the film—and even make the films a bit better. "It's all connected t"ogether, Randy Pitchford, head of Gearbox Software said
That's where the trouble began.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 28, 2019, 02:14:04 AM
The News? Pleased. :)
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: D88M on Feb 28, 2019, 02:35:07 AM
I dont get it, they are gonna do Alien: Isolation but as an animated series? Why not follow the story after that cringe worthy cliffhanger?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 02:39:14 AM
That would probably take more work.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 02:40:17 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 02:42:48 AM
Because, of course, no one has done any work on this, and it's just some PA at Fox splicing stuff downloaded from Youtube with Windows Movie Maker...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 02:44:57 AM
Quote from: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 02:42:48 AM Because, of course, no one has done any work on this, and it's just some PA at Fox splicing stuff downloaded from Youtube with Windows Movie Maker...
If SM admits it, then it must be true
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 02:46:33 AM
Quote from: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 02:42:48 AM Because, of course, no one has done any work on this, and it's just some PA at Fox splicing stuff downloaded from Youtube with Windows Movie Maker...
Confirmed by the man himself. Someone here owes me 5 bucks.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Feb 28, 2019, 02:48:48 AM
Isolation's ending is good. *Shrugs*
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 02:50:24 AM
Shouldn't there be some sort of connective tissue between Isolation, Blackout and Resistance though?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 02:53:32 AM
We have to have something interactive though. How about a mobile game?
Good idea Johnson! Not too expensive but hopefully enough to shut them up about the isolation sequel.
We need something visual. But what? An actual show is too expensive.
I've got it! We'll put the cut scenes online!
Brilliant! Let's do it!
Why I'm glad Australia Has Strict Gun Laws Reason #937
- When voicing the expression "Somebody shoot me" it is difficult to comply.
There's no such thing as difficult. Just a failure to improvise.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 03:24:33 AM
SM is channeling Chopper Read?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Perfect-Organism on Feb 28, 2019, 03:27:32 AM
Any word on the Isolation novelization? Wasn't that supposed to be coming out soon? I wonder if it will reflect any plot additions that are in this series...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 03:34:44 AM
I hope ADF writes it and peppers it with references to the alien's ancient origins.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 03:39:27 AM
I think that the whole angle in Covenant where David get's the author of the play wrong gives the notion that he is wrong about the origin of the Aliens as well. I hope that is the case. I'm fine with him adding some biomechanical elements to the Alien design, but I also really like the Ancient idea. That's been the way that I've seen the Alien for 30 years. There's something really otherworldly about discovering an ancient Alien ship full of eggs that are still alive after countless millennia. I do also like David's madness and hubris however. I'm a bit torn about how I feel about his creation.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 03:53:47 AM
Unspeakably ancient. The ensuing debates will be cosmic.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 03:58:29 AM
Am I the only one to frankly hope there's some restructuration going on?
Because really, I must insist, the plot of Alien Isolation is functional for a video game. If the structure stays the same, it will just be a CHORE to watch.
At the very least they have to remove 90% of the problem-solving, which means some entire arcs, and also they need one or two additional characters, or a vastly expanded role for the existing ones. The encounters with the extras amongst Sevastopol, either frightened or murderous ones, wouldn't do the trick.
This shit urgently needs pacing, bouncing, stronger characters and stronger thematics.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 04:01:58 AM
It's not just watching someone play a video game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 04:02:24 AM
Obviously there's going to be restructuring. It's a narrative short series, not a Let's Play.
Are people actually thinking this is literally just cut scenes and mocked up third person gameplay cut together or something? Are we really this stupid as a fan base? ???
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 04:11:34 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Feb 28, 2019, 04:21:22 AM
Quote.., 20th Century Fox has expanded on Alien: Isolation by taking the cut scenes from the 2014 game and adding in new story beats ...
This gives me cause for optimism.
7 x 10 min episodes = 70 min total
Once they've been edited together (and they will be by someone - you can count on it ) that's long enough duration to require a decent act structure. Fingers crossed those additional scenes do the trick.
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 04:23:12 AM
Just imagine the canon debates when (not if) this takes necessary liberties and actually conflicts with the game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Prez on Feb 28, 2019, 04:25:13 AM
I'm actually looking forward to this. As someone who has only played the game briefly but is a big admirer of it (I simply don't have the time or patience (balls) to play this long term) this looks quite cool.
I'm always up for anything new in the AEU.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 04:53:22 AM
Are people actually thinking this is literally just cut scenes and mocked up third person gameplay cut together or something? Are we really this stupid as a fan base? ???
It's obvious it needs restructuration, but I'm scared at the idea it doesn't get enough of it.
And the story definitely needs some new strength, not only because the original structure wouldn't work, but also because the main quality of Alien Isolation was its violent, almost uncompromising gameplay. No one played it for the story; we played it to have the first real video game Alien experience. It would have been almost as good without cutscenes at all.
With this series, this crucial aspect is gone. Isolation will have to rely entirely on its art direction (which luckily is near perfect), framing/editing and story. That's quite the challenge.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 28, 2019, 04:56:21 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Frosty Venom on Feb 28, 2019, 05:06:59 AM
Finally!
I can get around this.
I wonder if it will incorporate additional elements from the novelization.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 05:23:09 AM
Interesting.
Spoiler
They seem to throw the "main twist" of the multiple Aliens in the promo material.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 05:27:53 AM
Room for a queen in this one.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 05:29:35 AM
Nooooo please no. No Queen no queen no.
ROOM FOR EGGMORPHING IN THIS ONE
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 05:30:46 AM
There's room for both. I doubt we'll see either.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Feb 28, 2019, 05:42:17 AM
QuoteIn this new digital series reimagining a familiar and fan-favorite story, 20th Century Fox has expanded on Alien: Isolation by taking the cut scenes from the 2014 game and adding in new story beats to bring the tale of Amanda Ripley to life in a whole new way.
Adding new story beats doesn't change the fact that this digital series look is based (literally) upon the game itself. It looks like the game itself! As I said before, it's just pure laziness. And IGN doing it? How can you give this game 5.9 out of 10?
IGN verdict: Mediocre
QuoteAlien: Isolation erases the memory of Colonial Marines, but it's still not the great Alien game we were hoping for.
Not the great game?
And this ...
QuoteThe Verdict Alien: Isolation seemed like the perfect Alien game on paper, and for the first handful of hours it even seems to deliver on its promise on the strength of its outstanding art and sound that faithfully recreates the ambiance of the classic horror film. Instead, what was the Great Xenomorphic Hope ends in another disappointment for a license loaded with interactive-entertainment potential. It's a shame that Isolation doesn't track stats, because I'd be curious to know how many of its roughly 15-20 hours I spent hiding in lockers, staring at the motion tracker, and, most of all, how many hundreds (yes, hundreds) of times I died without a chance to save myself.
It may seem strange to complain that a game's too long, but when the genuine scares of being hunted by an unstoppable predator are so diluted by repetition and padding, Isolation's epic length really does work against it. Someday, someone is going to make an incredible Alien video game that checks every box. But, sadly, Isolation is not it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 05:46:58 AM
QuoteAlien: Isolation erases the memory of Colonial Marines, but it's still not the great Alien game we were hoping for.
Not the great game?
I found it to be nearly perfect.
It surpassed my expectations and desires.
It is the definitive alien gaming experience.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 06:04:52 AM
Quote from: Ingwar on Feb 28, 2019, 05:42:17 AM Adding new story beats doesn't change the fact that this digital series look is based (literally) upon the game itself. It looks like the game itself! As I said before, it's just pure laziness.
It's resourceful and cost effective; I doubt effort was a consideration. They spent all that time and money on design, characters, locations, rigging -- why not reuse the material? It's better than a lot of DTV 3D animations get.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 06:22:24 AM
Yeah, and it gives so many people a chance to enjoy the Isolation retrofuture art direction.
Such magnificence cannot be contained to Alien-loving gamers and the rare people who will look for screencaps. It would just be too sad. I'm so happy that many more people will get the chance to discover the Sevastopol station. <3
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 06:26:57 AM
QuoteAdding new story beats doesn't change the fact that this digital series look is based (literally) upon the game itself. It looks like the game itself!
...
What should it be based on if not the game?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Feb 28, 2019, 06:32:28 AM
Such magnificence cannot be contained to Alien-loving gamers and the rare people who will look for screencaps. It would just be too sad. I'm so happy that many more people will get the chance to discover the Sevastopol station. <3
Man, that image looks gorgeous! Completely agreed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 06:36:10 AM
I know I'm not SM but honestly I was surprised it took as long for people to complain as it did. The overall reaction seems to have been pleasantly positive though.
Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Feb 28, 2019, 01:40:55 AM A super-duper, well organized way to watch the Alien: Isolation game? For free? How cool is that? Many times have I tried to find something like that which didn't take 5 hours, just so I can sit down and enjoy it from beginning to end while grabbing a bite in front of the TV. Thanks Fox. I will enjoy this, and looking forward to a longer series, and a new movie (hint... Blomkamp)..
Exactly. It's free. It's the type of thing people do off their own back but now you get new footage to bridge it all together. It still needs to be well put together but if they do, that's win in my book.
One reviewer for the site gave it a low score, so the whole website isn't allowed to promote anything related to the game now? Like it's some hypocritical betrayal? How melodramatic.
It's a strange thing. They published a second review that was more positive. That reviewer was the one who did the hands-on with Blackout that some people complained about.
Quote from: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 02:42:48 AM Because, of course, no one has done any work on this, and it's just some PA at Fox splicing stuff downloaded from Youtube with Windows Movie Maker...
f**king Movie Maker. They're cheaper than I thought! They're still on Windows 7! >:(
Spoiler
:laugh:
[close]
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 27, 2019, 11:47:24 PM This should be fun. I wish we were getting a new story and not something we already knew/experienced before, but I get that during the awkward Disney/Fox transition period that something like that isn't really a thing I should be expecting.
This. People need to be considerate of that. We've got too many expectations running wild lately.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Feb 28, 2019, 10:01:48 AM
I was kinda middling on this when I first found out about it, but the more I think about it now it's been officially announced, the more excited I'm getting for it.
Love that shot from the trailer of some guy getting all f*cked up by the Alien, with blood pouring everywhere.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Feb 28, 2019, 10:04:52 AM
Quotef**king Movie Maker. They're cheaper than I thought! They're still on Windows 7!
XP.
Just waiting for that sweet Mouse moolah to roll in.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Still Collating... on Feb 28, 2019, 02:03:59 PM
I'm so looking forward to this. Very excited!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XENOMORPHOSIS on Feb 28, 2019, 03:07:41 PM
So this show is essensially expanded animated sections adapted from the Alien Isolation game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Perfect-Organism on Feb 28, 2019, 03:14:36 PM
Thank you Fox for doing this and making it free. That's taking care of your fans. Hopefully some interesting content will be further developed from this.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 28, 2019, 04:15:51 PM
This should be dropping in 45 minutes. I'll be watching later on tonight.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Predwars24 on Feb 28, 2019, 04:21:12 PM
Guy Pitching Idea's: You know what'd be great is if we could watch cutscenes from the game as a web series. It'd be free so that people can use that to defend the show. Also I was thinking we might add something in between just so that the cutscenes make sense. We're totally making sure that no one using some sort of video game capturing software couldn't just make their own version of this using any kind of video editor at their disposal, and because people will defend it with previously mentioned point we won't have to actually try and make any new content. Fox Exec: You're a genius man!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: robbritton on Feb 28, 2019, 05:06:02 PM
Done a bit of skipping through. There's definitely new stuff in there, and it is at the very least interesting to see the actual game scenes from different angles. Will plough on as soon as my son finishes his piano lesson!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Feb 28, 2019, 05:08:23 PM
Quote from: Predwars24 on Feb 28, 2019, 04:21:12 PMWe're totally making sure that no one using some sort of video game capturing software couldn't just make their own version of this using any kind of video editor at their disposal, and because people will defend it with previously mentioned point we won't have to actually try and make any new content.
Except this is nonsense, because I've just had a look at the first episode and a lot of the new stuff between the cutscene footage is basically a fully rendered and animated CGI movie, and not just something recorded out of the game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Perfect-Organism on Feb 28, 2019, 05:19:05 PM
Sounds sweet! Can't wait to get home and watch these!
Somebody needs to get to work stitching this all together into 1 awesome movie!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Predwars24 on Feb 28, 2019, 05:29:44 PM
Just watched the first episode and this animation is pretty ugly at least on Amanda in this picture, and it's distracting to how it looks completely different than the actual cutscenes.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Feb 28, 2019, 05:30:38 PM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: skhellter on Feb 28, 2019, 05:56:08 PM
Quote from: Predwars24 on Feb 28, 2019, 05:29:44 PM Just watched the first episode and this animation is pretty ugly at least on Amanda in this picture, and it's distracting to how it looks completely different than the actual cutscenes.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
An Alien Isolation animated series isn't a bad concept..
But, jesus christ... :D :D :D :laugh: :laugh: This is embarrassing.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Xenomorphine on Feb 28, 2019, 06:37:00 PM
Quote from: Ingwar on Feb 28, 2019, 05:42:17 AM Adding new story beats doesn't change the fact that this digital series look is based (literally) upon the game itself. It looks like the game itself! As I said before, it's just pure laziness. And IGN doing it? How can you give this game 5.9 out of 10?
IGN verdict: Mediocre
QuoteAlien: Isolation erases the memory of Colonial Marines, but it's still not the great Alien game we were hoping for.
Not the great game?
Can't say I disagree with that view, to be honest. It has a great nostalgic presentation style and sense of atmosphere, but is also very repetitive and unnecessarily frustrating (and that's before all the glitching and teleporting Alien/Amanda nonsense which made it unplayable for me, though I appreciate only some of us have that kind of experience and others never encounter it, for whatever reason).
That's part of why I'm looking forward to this alternative attempt at presenting its core story. Although, some of it has most definitely been changed.
Quote from: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 06:04:52 AM It's resourceful and cost effective; I doubt effort was a consideration. They spent all that time and money on design, characters, locations, rigging -- why not reuse the material? It's better than a lot of DTV 3D animations get.
Agreed. Only seen two episodes, so far and, while there are some obvious problems with lip synching, it's a cost-effective and likely impressive presentation for those still unfamiliar with the game. If you've got great pre-existing assets, might as well use them.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 06:43:41 PM
Good lord those face animations triggered my Mass Effect Andromeda ptsd.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 06:47:37 PM
Cheap and stinky so far.
Amanda looks awful.
I'll finish them, but the gameplay movies on YouTube are way better than this.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TheSailingRabbit on Feb 28, 2019, 06:51:07 PM
I'll finish them, but the gameplay movies on YouTube are way better than this.
I'm starting Ep. 5 after finishing the dishes.
Spoiler
They skipped San Cristobal. Why? I peed my pants when I watched the doctor get yanked into the void.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Feb 28, 2019, 06:52:34 PM
It's fine. I never played the game, but I bought the artbook. So I watch this and it's fine. I like the production design. I give the character animation a lot of slack. I could care less about Amanda Ripley, but... It's all fine. :P
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Feb 28, 2019, 06:55:38 PM
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Feb 28, 2019, 06:52:34 PM It's fine. I never played the game, but I bought the artbook. So I watch this and it's fine. I like the production design. I give the character animation a lot of slack. I could care less about Amanda Ripley, but... It's all fine. :P
No offense, but that's like saying " I've never seen gold but this bronze looks real nice".
As someone who owns and plays the game, this is indeed inferior.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Feb 28, 2019, 06:59:12 PM
Oh well. No time or patience to play the game, but I can spin through this at 1.5x speed and get caught up. Cheers to Fox for posting it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ironb4lls on Feb 28, 2019, 06:59:46 PM
I'm about five episodes in, and while I'm enjoying it, I'm also frustrated that they rushed it out so quickly.
First, the good: I loved the opening scene, once I realized it was picking up right where the game left off. I like seeing what happened to Amanda after we were left hanging at the end of the story. And the fact that her suit has propulsion explains how she was able to get back to the station from the jettisoned lab. I also like the new dialog from the original cast members. It adds to the story and gives more insight into things like Amanda's relationship with her mother, and Marlow's character.
The bad: Some of the edits are abrupt, like when it cuts straight from the Axle scene to the reveal in the comms room. Or when she talks to Apollo, then goes straight to overloading the reactor, but without showing us why.
The ugly: That model they added for the in-game engine scenes! Her skin looks all waxy, and the lip sync is on par with one of those old badly dubbed kung fu movies from the 1960s.
Yeah, I know it's free, and I like that they're giving A:I some more love these days, but this could've been really awesome if they'd just spent a little more time on it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Kurgan on Feb 28, 2019, 07:04:17 PM
It was alright for what it was.
The facial animations were horrible and just watching the story did not quite provide the same atmospheric experience as playing it yourself. But all in all i enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Feb 28, 2019, 07:06:51 PM
Will be watching it tonight! Woot!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Feb 28, 2019, 07:22:27 PM
I thought this was pretty cool, especially the extended ending which looks to be showcasing a deleted 3rd person segment. Some awkward transitions like from the end of level 8 to the beginning of level 11. But overall it was neat.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TheSailingRabbit on Feb 28, 2019, 07:29:23 PM
Spoiler
Jesus, Samuels dying still gets me.
Dude . . . they skipped the hive sequence?!
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:41:51 PM
I just watched all of it and I'm FURIOUS.
The technical problems are something, yes (the "new" dialogue parts make the character's facial animations completely zombie-like, and there's some terrible sequences like Marlowe's end with shots where the camera is placed on his side of the glass panel and we still have his radio voice), but frankly that's not the worst thing.
I'm depressed at the amount of FPS shots in the finale product. This was an extremely bad idea, it doesn't work and remove any kind of immersion and consistency instead of adding to it. It constantly puts us in and out of Amanda's shoes, quite literally.
But the worst thing is
Spoiler
THE ABSENCE OF THE HIVE. WHAT THE f**k? WHAT THE EVERLASTING f**k?
[close]
The Hospital is understandable because in the end, it's just a "subquest". Even if it is magnificently tense, it is uninteresting plot-wise.
The Hive omission cannot be forgiven.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 07:46:10 PM
Can we officially #whinge now?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM
Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 07:49:30 PM
I have yet to see this. Would I just be better off watching the YouTube fan-compilation of the game's cutscenes?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 07:53:45 PM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: P1NK8C1DBOOTS on Feb 28, 2019, 07:54:48 PM
I'm 5 episodes in and I'm actually enjoying the story. It's great to hear new dialogue and gets some new scenes.
The new shots of the Alien look amazing and there is a particular shot in episode 4 which Corporal Hicks will enjoy.....the skull in the alien! Not usually a huge fan of the skull but it looks pretty cool here!
The animation of Ripley is something that definitely needs working on. In some shots she looks pretty decent but that first shot of her in 3rd person in episode 1 was pretty laughable really! I found the way she moves and looks differs from scene to scene. And let's not get started on the voice over dubbing 🙄🙄🙄
So far though I am actually really enjoying it! It's great to see the isolation story told in a different way.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Feb 28, 2019, 07:56:24 PM
Its also available on consoles for those that don't use PC for gaming.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Feb 28, 2019, 07:58:28 PM
I'll go along with P1NK8C1DBOOTS and say I enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 08:00:08 PM
Quote from: P1NK8C1DBOOTS on Feb 28, 2019, 07:54:48 PMThe new shots of the Alien look amazing and there is a particular shot in episode 4 which Corporal Hicks will enjoy.....the skull in the alien! Not usually a huge fan of the skull but it looks pretty cool here!
Deal breaker. >:(
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TheSailingRabbit on Feb 28, 2019, 08:15:52 PM
Spoiler
I will be honest, I got more investment out of watching all 14 or some odd hours of Markiplier's playthrough last January. Then again, that was my first "experience" with the game. I have yet to actually play it myself.
That's not to say this series was bad. It isn't awful, just lacking. Perhaps it could've been extended to 8 or 9 episodes to include San Cristobal and the hive sections. It's rare I agree with Old One, but, yes, those two were definite piss-your-pants parts of the game. The Sevastopol hospital was creepy enough without the Alien, and the hive was gross and scary and a very nice nod to Aliens.
The animation needed a little more polishing. In the game itself, it's fine. The use of direct cutscenes was OK, but, they should've been tinkered with to look better.
The last three-four minutes of episode 7 were iffy, in my opinion. Pretty sure those were dead--not dormant--Aliens Amanda was looking at while floating through the wreckage. Then again, she doesn't know that, so I'll give that a pass.
And again. Samuels. :'( No fails in making Wabbit cry.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: GQSioux on Feb 28, 2019, 08:24:06 PM
Well, they clearly didn't have permission or rights to reuse Sigourney Weaver's voice work from the actual game. Bummer.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Feb 28, 2019, 08:31:57 PM
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
We always knew she'd survive and live to the age of 66 anyway.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Darkness on Feb 28, 2019, 08:43:57 PM
Disappointing to say the least. I thought it was going to be an original story or a continuation of Amanda's story but all it is, is a recap of the events we've already seen. It'd feel more at home in a prologue to the sequel rather than a webisode series. I really loved the cutscenes in the game and wish there were more of them but the animation is shocking here. It just feels so unfinished and doesn't match what we already saw. I'd say to everybody to go back and replay the game rather than watch this.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Feb 28, 2019, 08:44:56 PM
No, but they could have got Laurel Lefkow from the audio dramas. She does a significantly better impression.
Speaking of impressions, mine are... Mixed.
The new animations are stilted and the lip sync is akin to Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast. The 3D model doesn't fit too well into the first person footage, and looks like someone on a green screen.
What's confusing is why the original animated cutscenes look so bad. They're all exhibiting stutter which isn't there in the original game itself.
The story seems choppy, and rushed. It feels like it glosses over too many things and misses out the significant hive section.
However, it wasn't awful. I quite liked the framing story and the extended ending (though I feel like they missed an opportunity to link it to Blackout). If I'd paid for it I think I'd be disappointed, but it was free, and allows people who haven't played the game to experience the story. It's a good idea since they seem to be on an Amanda Ripley push at the moment.
For what it is, it's OK, but with a bit more polish it could have been better.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Still Collating... on Feb 28, 2019, 08:46:41 PM
I really wanted to like this. I tried hard to like it. I did not want to hate on this. But this was silly, and laughable at times. I appreciate having more exposure for Isolation, but it just made me go: the game is so much better. And if you want to see cool shots of the alien from the game, the youtube channel Max Headshot has better visuals of the alien than this.
The actress sounds great, we need her in an Isolation audio drama. I could not get immersed because of Amanda's comical animations. Though it got better as the episodes progressed. Still, very cheap how they used the ingame footage and the cut scenes when they don't mash together well. It's known that the ingame scenes have bad facial animation but we usually don't get that close and don't notice. So why the hell do they give us a close up of the character when they are not really at their best at that time.
Someone needs to make a meme of Amanda's stiff arms, that was hilarious.
I really liked whenever Amanda was in space floating, looked and felt awesome. Especially the end.
Omitting the hive was a stupid move. Very. And the pace was all over the place, didn't feel right.
Overall, don't hate it. Though don't really appreciate it either. Didn't add much. Really liked the new footage of her floating, though that's the only thing I liked TBH. The choppy animations hurt this project a lot for me and a longer format was needed if you're going to retell the story. That's why I think I'll enjoy the novel a lot more. I'd rather pay for good quality than get something sub-par for free. Don't hate it at all, just disappointing. The environments looked great. More shots of those enviroments with the characters further away from us so we don't see how bad the lip sync and animations are would have maybe had been. a better option.
Enjoyed Blackout more than this. I still hope the series does well so that Fox might consider more installments. And it's funny how everyone in the comment section on Youtube thinks that this is getting ready for announcing Isolation 2.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: 0321recon on Feb 28, 2019, 08:52:39 PM
Yikes! This is what Fox has reduced themselves to. This wouldn't had of happened, if they hadn't messed with Paradise, and gone with the script including Shaw. They would be making more films than hacking this half assed project. Its a pity to see.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kane's other son on Feb 28, 2019, 09:24:43 PM
Watched the first episode and, yikes, it looks like sex dolls talking to each other.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Feb 28, 2019, 09:26:33 PM
Now I'm intrigued.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Feb 28, 2019, 09:33:22 PM
The Aliens floating on space debris. "They're in some kind of stasis... Hibernating." Thoughts? Were they dying? Alive?
[close]
I wish that was in the game.
Cue the Big Chap being alive arguments.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: newbeing on Feb 28, 2019, 09:39:59 PM
Started off promising enough, then yeah... those gameplay bits looked awful. The in game lipsync never looked that great in the first place, but you could mostly get over it when playing the game, but here it is front and center and looks awkward as hell. And Amanda yikes.
The beginning was the best part, as it was finally nice to see what happened to her after the first game, and mostly looks fine because we don't see Ripley's mouth move.
Either way I'll still watch these. Just wish there was more put into them.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: OWLF on Feb 28, 2019, 09:45:42 PM
The Aliens floating on space debris. "They're in some kind of stasis... Hibernating." Thoughts? Were they dying? Alive?
[close]
I wish that was in the game.
I thought that was a pretty cool scene. Probably hibernating my guess but it's not quite clear. And that brief dream sequence at the beginning was cool. Very 2001 Space Odyssey inspired.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Feb 28, 2019, 09:51:01 PM
Quote from: newbeing on Feb 28, 2019, 09:39:59 PM The beginning was the best part, as it was finally nice to see what happened to her after the first game, and mostly looks fine because we don't see Ripley's mouth move.
I actually thought the intro was bad because you don't see her mouth move. It looks like they didn't animate it because it's covered, but she's still speaking, so it creates a disconnect. Because a lot of facial muscles move when you talk, if you don't animate it when the character is talking (even if you can't see their mouth) it looks off.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Feb 28, 2019, 10:11:17 PM
Quote from: newbeing on Feb 28, 2019, 09:39:59 PM The beginning was the best part, as it was finally nice to see what happened to her after the first game, and mostly looks fine because we don't see Ripley's mouth move.
I actually thought the intro was bad because you don't see her mouth move. It looks like they didn't animate it because it's covered, but she's still speaking, so it creates a disconnect. Because a lot of facial muscles move when you talk, if you don't animate it when the character is talking (even if you can't see their mouth) it looks off.
I originally thought they hadn't animated the mouth as it's hidden, but you can see the mouth moving in a few shots.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Feb 28, 2019, 11:44:49 PM
Just watched first episode and I realised I experienced déjà vu. How come? Ahh yes, that game I played year ago :)
Thank you Fox, Happy 40th anniversary! ;D
But seriously, this is beyond embarrassment. Epic fail at its best. Congratulations Fox.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Feb 28, 2019, 11:52:17 PM
Quote from: newbeing on Feb 28, 2019, 09:39:59 PM The beginning was the best part, as it was finally nice to see what happened to her after the first game, and mostly looks fine because we don't see Ripley's mouth move.
I actually thought the intro was bad because you don't see her mouth move. It looks like they didn't animate it because it's covered, but she's still speaking, so it creates a disconnect. Because a lot of facial muscles move when you talk, if you don't animate it when the character is talking (even if you can't see their mouth) it looks off.
I originally thought they hadn't animated the mouth as it's hidden, but you can see the mouth moving in a few shots.
I think it's animated in some but not others. I was pleasantly surprised with the ending where the animation was significantly better, in my opinion.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 28, 2019, 11:58:47 PM
I am three episodes in so far. Gotta say, I'm not really digging it. I love Isolation (and with it, of course, its cutscenes), but I was hoping that the "connective tissue" that they were going to animate to really tell the story in this format was going to be something a little more than just machinima with the in-game assets. I guess I was expecting it to match the level of polish of the original cutscenes themselves, what with the same animation team working on them. The lip-sync is essentially nonexistent and there isn't really anything cinematic about just pointing the in-game camera at figures standing upright and talking back and forth to one another, and the narration bridging the scenes is pretty clunky if I'm being honest.
Had they had more time and money to do this project properly, I would have been incredibly interested in seeing Isolation recreated from scratch as an animated film or miniseries or whatever with a consistent computer generated animation style. I guess in my gut that is kind of what I was hoping that this would be. The stuff with Amanda floating through space is probably the best of the "new" elements so far. At least the cinematography in those pieces are a bit more interesting than what they did for the in-game segments.
I really wanted to love this, and don't get me wrong, I do absolutely appreciate the effort that went into making it. But some of it is just... rough, unfortunately.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Mar 01, 2019, 12:11:57 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 12:13:36 AM
Can we call this the assembly cut of Isolation?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Neocron on Mar 01, 2019, 12:18:52 AM
Just finished watching all 7 episodes after getting home from work. Not a bad distillation of the game, to be honest. Most of the major story beats are there (notably missing is the horror-fest that is the jaunt through Medical as well as the spine-tingling tour of the hive below the Reactor)... but it's a good way for people who aren't gamers to experience the story of Amanda Ripley and her search for closure.
I also like that the ending is more concrete than the game... the game always left it wide open in regards to interpretation, specifically if Amanda was hallucinating at the very end or not. It's no replacement for the game, but I don't think that's the intention here. I think the intention is to bring Amanda Ripley front and center so that Fox can use her outside of the gamespace (i.e. a movie role). And that's ok by me!
I still want Alien: Isolation 2 though, darnit!!!!!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Mar 01, 2019, 12:19:01 AM
The technical problems are something, yes (the "new" dialogue parts make the character's facial animations completely zombie-like, and there's some terrible sequences like Marlowe's end with shots where the camera is placed on his side of the glass panel and we still have his radio voice), but frankly that's not the worst thing.
I'm depressed at the amount of FPS shots in the finale product. This was an extremely bad idea, it doesn't work and remove any kind of immersion and consistency instead of adding to it. It constantly puts us in and out of Amanda's shoes, quite literally.
But the worst thing is
Spoiler
THE ABSENCE OF THE HIVE. WHAT THE f**k? WHAT THE EVERLASTING f**k?
[close]
The Hospital is understandable because in the end, it's just a "subquest". Even if it is magnificently tense, it is uninteresting plot-wise.
The Hive omission cannot be forgiven.
Quote from: Still Collating... on Feb 28, 2019, 08:46:40 PM I really wanted to like this. I tried hard to like it. I did not want to hate on this. But this was silly, and laughable at times. I appreciate having more exposure for Isolation, but it just made me go: the game is so much better.
The actress sounds great, we need her in an Isolation audio drama. I could not get immersed because of Amanda's comical animations. Though it got better as the episodes progressed. Still, very cheap how they used the ingame footage and the cut scenes when they don't mash together well. It's known that the ingame scenes have bad facial animation but we usually don't get that close and don't notice. So why the hell do they give us a close up of the character when they are not really at their best at that time.
Someone needs to make a meme of Amanda's stiff arms, that was hilarious.
I really liked whenever Amanda was in space floating, looked and felt awesome. Especially the end.
Omitting the hive was a stupid move. Very. And the pace was all over the place, didn't feel right.
Overall, don't hate it. Though don't really appreciate it either. Didn't add much. Really liked the new footage of her floating, though that's the only thing I liked TBH. The choppy animations hurt this project a lot for me and a longer format was needed if you're going to retell the story. That's why I think I'll enjoy the novel a lot more. I'd rather pay for good quality than get something sub-par for free. Don't hate it at all, just disappointing. The environments looked great. More shots of those environments with the characters further away from us so we don't see how bad the lip sync and animations are would have maybe had been a better option.
Enjoyed Blackout more than this. I still hope the series does well so that Fox might consider more instalments. And it's funny how everyone in the comment section on Youtube thinks that this, is getting ready for announcing an Isolation sequel.
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Feb 28, 2019, 11:58:48 PM I am three episodes in so far. Gotta say, I'm not really digging it. I love Isolation (and with it, of course, its cutscenes), but I was hoping that the "connective tissue" that they were going to animate to really tell the story in this format was going to be something a little more than just machinima with the in-game assets. I guess I was expecting it to match the level of polish of the original cutscenes themselves, what with the same animation team working on them. The lip-sync is essentially nonexistent and there isn't really anything cinematic about just pointing the in-game camera at figures standing upright and talking back and forth to one another, and the narration bridging the scenes is pretty clunky if I'm being honest.
Had they had more time and money to do this project properly, I would have been incredibly interested in seeing Isolation recreated from scratch as an animated film or miniseries or whatever with a consistent computer generated animation style. I guess in my gut that is kind of what I was hoping that this would be. The stuff with Amanda floating through space is probably the best of the "new" elements so far. At least the cinematography in those pieces are a bit more interesting than what they did for the in-game segments.
I really wanted to love this, and don't get me wrong, I do absolutely appreciate the effort that went into making it. But some of it is just... rough, unfortunately.
Agreed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Samhain13 on Mar 01, 2019, 12:25:01 AM
Its the IGN cut. They cant complain about it being too hard to play now, but it is to watch.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Huggs on Mar 01, 2019, 12:37:05 AM
I wonder how many beans gave up their lives being counted, in order to determine if this was a reasonable alternative to something good?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 01:28:14 AM
Quote from: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 04:02:24 AM Are people actually thinking this is literally just cut scenes and mocked up third person gameplay cut together or something? Are we really this stupid as a fan base? ???
Someone pass me the sauce so I can eat these f**king words.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: 426Buddy on Mar 01, 2019, 01:42:59 AM
:laugh:
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: reecebomb on Mar 01, 2019, 02:03:26 AM
Some cool new shots and angles, the alien and environments still look spectacular for a game (unlike the new laughably bad Amanda lip sync animations). I also liked the extended ending. But overall i think it does a disservice to the game a and cheapens Isolation. If you haven't played it yet, the game is far more effective and not a disjointed mess. So IGN, don't think for a second this makes up for the damage you've done with the review.
Oh well, at least i enjoyed it more than Alien Covenant.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Acid_Reign161 on Mar 01, 2019, 02:24:07 AM
I think we need to look at the bigger picture here... Yes the animation was shyte, yes, they made the cutscenes look infinitely worse than the actual game, the pacing was rushed, things were omitted etc etc.. But the bigger question is *why*?
Think about it.. They COULD have just promoted the game, made it free for a limited period on consoles and steam to get more people on board and caught up if they wanted to, and still managed to sell some DLC in the process..
To me, there is something going on here.. They need the non-gamers caught up with the story.. But why?
Blackout? Nope.. Alien fans who are gamers are probably already all over that already..
The comics? Doubtful.. They could have just released a 6 issue comic adaptation..
So what does that leave us with? Something on the horizon for non gamers that relies on all fans knowing the outcome of isolation... The fact that the digital series has an expanded ending is also suspicious.. They are setting something up.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 02:31:38 AM
Or it was something they could put out for $10 and a case of beers.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 02:33:56 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Acid_Reign161 on Mar 01, 2019, 02:49:45 AM
Well, look at it this way... If it were just a reiteration of Isolation, then [SPOILER ALERT] why add all the hybernating xenos in space? Maybe something new in Amanda's story... (the developers of Blackout said they left how she got to the station in the game ambiguous as not to interfere with potential followup story to Isolation)
Cold Iron Studios game is said to be a Mmofps.. Though looking at the teaser imagery earlier in the year (that can only be for that game now really) it seems to be set in the Aliens/Alien 3 time period or after, so doubtful it is for that..
.. There is a live action series in the works however..
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 01, 2019, 02:52:17 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Mar 01, 2019, 02:55:53 AM
True. And nothing is for certain before the Disney takeover unless production has already begun at that time.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 02:58:14 AM
Alien: The Amanda Ripley Chronicles (https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/7/24/1437734325876/7a10ee58-a0f2-437a-984a-083b3dcc1437-bestSizeAvailable.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ec1b56ec8d4cbb5df84eb3bd63709d48)
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: BlazinBlueReview on Mar 01, 2019, 02:58:46 AM
Agreed regarding that expanded ending. Its very interesting how FOX went about this. They trying to impress us with Blackout and the comics. But then release this?
Yeah, it was a misstep. Really sad that its only 10 min episodes. If they were gonna do this, expand the episode count to 10 or 11. And show Spoiler
THE HIVE
[close]
. It's not that hard.
I am interested to see if any new gamecuts could incorporate the new beginning and expanded ending.
Also what gamecuts the best for cinematic experience?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Vrastal on Mar 01, 2019, 03:03:25 AM
Watched the first epidode...is rhe animation this bad through the whole thing?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 01, 2019, 03:05:21 AM
IMO, if anything this Digital Series just reinforces the idea that Isolation isn't really intended to be a "cinematic" experience and is best served as an "interactive" one.
You'd have to start from scratch with all new animation (not game assets, but rather a proper animated feature) if you wanted to do something truly atmospheric with Isolation outside of simply playing the game yourself.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 03:05:50 AM
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: acrediblesource on Mar 01, 2019, 03:06:06 AM
It is a big misrepresentation of the quality of the game. To me, whats more impressive is that they managed to previsualize what would be a polished 70 minute representation of the game cinematically. However with the lack of funding (my guess) they just couldn't do it. Leave it to IGN to take it as is.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: GQSioux on Mar 01, 2019, 03:33:53 AM
I'm also bummed that Marlow turning off the Derelict beacon was omitted.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 03:40:40 AM
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 01, 2019, 03:05:20 AM IMO, if anything this Digital Series just reinforces the idea that Isolation isn't really intended to be a "cinematic" experience and is best served as an "interactive" one.
You'd have to start from scratch with all new animation (not game assets, but rather a proper animated feature) if you wanted to do something truly atmospheric with Isolation outside of simply playing the game yourself.
Yeah, I saw a comment on Facebook suggesting that this is so people who haven't played/completed the game can get her backstory going forward, and that makes total sense.
Makes sense to me too.
So is this is the first step in developing the future of the Alien franchise P.R. (Post-Ridley™) ?
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XENOMORPHOSIS on Mar 01, 2019, 04:28:04 AM
Seems that the Alien fans have devided into seperate factors amoung what specific era of the Alien franchise they favour. Thriller, Action, Nihilism, Black Comedy, cheap B-Movie, Gore fest and phylosophical themes of creation.
The Haunted House in Space Terror of Alien by Ridley Scott. The Visceral heart pounding Action of Aliens by James Cameron.
Even the subsequent sequels Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, while they have their share of critics and disappointed fan aslo have their defenders.
Worlds collide in the Action packed cross over Alien vs Predator films which also recieved its share of panning do have a devoted fan base.
And most recently the philosophical grandure aspired Alien Prequels which some consider profound others find propostrous over bloated and pretentious.
Seeing the devided response of late its clear that you can't please everybody. We the fans are devided, however we are united our love of good movies, story telling, characters and this world we love to revisit time and time again.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Gutter In Outer Space on Mar 01, 2019, 04:42:54 AM
I've gotta be honest: I'm stunned by this.
The lip syncing and lack of any lighting efforts is astounding -- hell, there's even texture pop-in! This isn't only amatuer animation for the parts that are stitched in (Amanda's model appears to be manipulated in SFM and inserted into the game), but just an amatuer release. To think this was officially sanctioned by Fox is on a level genuinely more unbelievable than AvPR. The mouth flaps from the other characters were never meant to hold up under close scrutiny, and Amanda's, which were added in, are just... well, the original Mass Effect had it better, and many of those operated on an interpretive basis.
I'm genuinely at a loss here. I know, they didn't need to give us this and so on, but I really wanted to believe there was some degree of quality control going into the franchise at this point. After this and the eye-searing 4K steelbook cover, and the embarassing tweets... I'm just not sure anybody at Fox really cares anymore. Kind of depressing, really.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 04:54:38 AM
Technically, the film editor's "assembly" meant the very first version in the editing process where selected takes were put into story order, prior to any form of fine cutting (back in the days of actual celluloid, i.e. pre-digital). IOW at that stage the film was expected to play like crap.
So yeah. Let's call it the assembly cut of Isolation :D
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 05:00:10 AM
Yeah, the Alien³ (2010) Special Edition's the best version, for the first two stick with Theatrical Versions... and Isolation: the PC Theatrical version. ;)
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 01, 2019, 05:51:14 AM
It looks to me like they had FPS conversion problems ( that's FPS as in "Frames Per Second"). The original cinematics might have been rendered at quite a high rate (to better match the game engine animation), but needed to be converted to a new, lower rate for this "movie" version. If you don't use special interpolation software you can get some weird stuttering. (Even better would have been to re-render the animations from scratch. )
I made a quick comparison of some same shots in both the game original and this movie version (because I didn't remember the lipsync being this bad), and it's obvious whoever edited this together struggled to keep the dialogue track in sync, frequently letting it slip by a matter of frames.
But quality control didn't catch any of this; yet another clue the project was done on a tight budget.
I was kind of hoping to see something of the order of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, but... no. (Jesus, that movie was made in 2001 and still holds up today!)
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 05:54:50 AM
Are they pleased with the overwhelmingly positive reception this has received?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SM on Mar 01, 2019, 06:26:13 AM
Seriously? Right at this moment I could not be f**ked engaging with your trademark repartee.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 06:27:21 AM
Then don't reply...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 06:32:16 AM
Dang.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 06:33:45 AM
It can get a bit annoying dude.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 06:43:48 AM
Ironically, what I've seen of this thing hasn't bothered me at all. Maybe it's because I didn't play the game, but I didn't go into it with high expectations. Same for the Resistance comic.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 06:45:32 AM
Play the game.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 06:58:26 AM
I probably would if the gameplay itself didn't seem like such a slog. The hiding and sneaking genre (or whatever it's called) isn't very appealing to me.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 07:10:07 AM
The cheap animation and really weird editing took me aback. I wasn't expecting much, but there are shots of Ripley walking where her feet are gliding on the floor between steps. In Episode 6 there's a section where she's torching an Alien one second, then she's meeting Marlow finally after an establishing shot outside? Really weird.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 07:12:17 AM
Quote from: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 07:10:07 AMIn Episode 6 there's a section where she's torching an Alien one second, then she's meeting Marlow finally after an establishing shot outside? Really weird.
Are these issues not present in the game or do the gameplay sequences serve to connect them?
Those androids are creepy AF. They remind me of Michael Myers.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 01, 2019, 07:29:30 AM
I liked the game but one of my criticisms is that it was too long. Fortunately this is solved in the DLCs (Crew Expendable and Last Survivor).
They recreate sequences from the Alien '79 movie, complete with some of the original actors reprising their roles. These are must plays for any Alien fan! And very intense too.
( It's also cool just to visit the engine room and initiate the self-destruct mechanism! :) )
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Wlvscrclwlvs on Mar 01, 2019, 08:08:01 AM
Although the effort to put content out is good the quality is so low it kinda ruins that effort for me.
I wanted to like it and as someone who tried playing the game but just couldn't get into it I wanted to see the rest of the story... Its just so minimal effort it's off putting, can't see any pride in the quality of work for this at all and that's just sad.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Axe on Mar 01, 2019, 08:14:12 AM
That's what you get when you are an Alien fan. Shit quality on shit content (at best).
My friends who are not into the story or are not die hard Alien fans are laughing out very loud at this. It is beyond embarasassing.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 08:17:00 AM
Untrue. Three good films and Labyrinth, Salvation, Sacrifice. Modern Alien? Dead Orbit, Dust To Dust, The Cold Forge and Alien Isolation's excellent.
The game's narrative is mediocre, elevated by good characters, but presented perfectly. It's a suspense masterpiece.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Gutter In Outer Space on Mar 01, 2019, 08:29:00 AM
Wow. (https://i.gyazo.com/98261a18239fdeee0b69d10b3538f12f.png) Deep stuff. Really makes you think.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Gutter In Outer Space on Mar 01, 2019, 09:04:39 AM
Last sequence had some effort behind it, good original set piece moment. Always nice to hear Andrea Deck, as she's terrific. Writing for her monologue was just fine as well.
Really just a shame about everything to do with the in-game stuff. The original models/assets and space situation was surprisingly well done, but vastly outweighed by the woefully integrated and synced models and sloppy audio work.
If the people that worked on this are reading our comments however, I do want to say that despite our harsh criticism, I'm quite sure we all are aware of the likely minimal time you had to work on this, asset limitations, and likely most pressing of all, meager budget. This all comes down to a critique of Fox and their abysmal frugality, rather than the work of the artists behind the piece.
I understand if Fox doesn't consider the franchise financially viable after Alien: Covenant's box office failure, but then what's the point in all of this? They should know that the only thing that will sate fans and appeal to a wider audience would be an Isolation sequel, but god knows the time has passed for that (especially one from Creative Assembly), and they're most definitely not going to shell out money to produce that.
I'm basically just typing to comfort myself through the franchise-sized void I feel after watching that. Floatin' through space.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Wlvscrclwlvs on Mar 01, 2019, 09:11:56 AM
Oh fully agree we're being harsh and I don't doubt the guys who put this together probs had very little budget and time and would of liked to put more into it but from fox surely they knew this was below par and should of given it more time and money to really make an impact on fans and bring new fans in which I would guess was the main reason for this, but there you go I guess maybe fox will learn 🤔
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 01, 2019, 09:13:56 AM
THE ABSENCE OF THE HIVE. WHAT THE f**k? WHAT THE EVERLASTING f**k?
[close]
The Hospital is understandable because in the end, it's just a "subquest". Even if it is magnificently tense, it is uninteresting plot-wise.
The Hive omission cannot be forgiven.
It's in the seventh episode...? Doesn't spend much time there, but this series didn't spend much time anywhere. Definitely needed more breathing room.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 01, 2019, 09:22:43 AM
So I thought Episode 7 was actually pretty sweet. I'd been really looking forward to this because I thought it sounded like a pretty cool idea! But over all, I'm not too impressed. I could not stand the lip-syncing in all the new footage - it was so distracting :(. The new Amanda model stuck out like a sore thumb too.
I'm afraid this was a miss for me. And that kills me since I always try to look on the bright side when it comes to our releases. As it stands 5/10. Gonna rewatch it again over the next day or so as we're recording an episode on this at the weekend. Will see if the opinion changes. https://uk.ign.com/articles/2019/02/28/how-alien-isolation-digital-series-expands-amanda-ripleys-story-from-the-2014-game
QuoteFor a more in-depth look at how this project came to fruition, we went straight to the developers for answers: Kinga Smith from Reverse Engineering Studios (RES) and Fabian DuBois from DVgroup (DV). RES specializes in creating innovative content by using existing materials, while DV has plenty of experience adapting projects with the technical complexity this expansion on Isolation needed. Since both comapnies' staffs consist of huge Alien fans, this Isolation project was a match made in heaven.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 09:27:43 AM
If those scenes were lifted wholesale from the game, shouldn't the lip syncing issues have been ironed out by the devs?
The frame rate is also lower that I'd expect to see on even a regular Xbox One, much less a high-end PC.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: AlienDestroysPredator on Mar 01, 2019, 09:29:06 AM
I had low expectations and was still really disappointed. This whole thing is just way too cheap and lazy for me to appreciate. Fox seems to be dead set on giving the fans everything except what they actually want.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 09:30:56 AM
Ugh, IGN denounces the masterpiece and reinforces the garbage.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 09:32:13 AM
IGN and RottenTomatoes should hang out.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 01, 2019, 09:35:20 AM
I can't recall if lip sync was an in issue in the original cut scenes but I don't believe all the footage using the in-game models is lifted wholesale from the game. Some of it looks like them trying to film new shots, using the existing models, with dialogue that was originally just over the radio.
My issue is more with the lip syncing of the new Amanda model.
Quote from: AlienDestroysPredator on Mar 01, 2019, 09:29:06 AM I had low expectations and was still really disappointed. This whole thing is just way too cheap and lazy for me to appreciate. Fox seems to be dead set on giving the fans everything except what they actually want.
I wanna make it perfectly clear Fox aren't trying to disappoint us. And when I say Fox, I'm not talking the faceless entity. There is a group of people looking after the franchise who want to keep it alive while we're in this period of uncertainty with the company and with feature films. They're only working within their means.
For me they succeeded with Blackout but not here.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Gutter In Outer Space on Mar 01, 2019, 09:39:41 AM
I can't recall if lip sync was an in issue in the original cut scenes
It was a little bit, but it was more of a framerate issue rather than one to do with animation. The framerate in the pre-rendered cutscenes was always choppy for some reason, which sometimes made the mouth movements appear out of sync with the audio. As for the lip sync for the in-game models, they were never meant to be viewed under close-up scrutiny... and here they're paid the attention levels of Norma Desmond.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Mar 01, 2019, 09:49:52 AM
Quote from: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 04:02:24 AM Are people actually thinking this is literally just cut scenes and mocked up third person gameplay cut together or something? Are we really this stupid as a fan base? ???
Someone pass me the sauce so I can eat these f**king words.
What sauce do you like? BBQ?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Predator@Alien on Mar 01, 2019, 09:59:12 AM
As long as there is new canon proposed, I like it. We can see some more scenes, and additional dialogues, it's okay for me.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Still Collating... on Mar 01, 2019, 10:11:17 AM
I can't recall if lip sync was an in issue in the original cut scenes
It was a little bit, but it was more of a framerate issue rather than one to do with animation. The framerate in the pre-rendered cutscenes was always choppy for some reason, which sometimes made the mouth movements appear out of sync with the audio. As for the lip sync for the in-game models, they were never meant to be viewed under close-up scrutiny... and here they're paid the attention levels of Norma Desmond.
Yeah, the in game bad lip sync was always there along with the dead facial animations. But you never get too close to their faces and don't notice it as much. In the game it feels more natural because of this. That's why never in a million years did I think they would use so much in game footage and actually show the awful closeups of everyone's face. I don't understand who came up with such an idea? They should have used more shots from a greater distance and not focus on their faces if they weren't going to do new animations. Or focus shots more on the alien as the original devs clearly did.
The new Amanda in space scenes were all great IMO. But the rest just baffles me from a creative point of view. It's like if in Alien someone said: shoot Big Chap in full, bright lights from head to toe. And focus on his rubber legs. They understood how to hide the imperfections, so this adaptation of Amanda's story is a wired one cause I can't understand what happened here?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Yautja_Warrior on Mar 01, 2019, 10:13:15 AM
First the mobile game and now this. So disappointing, even when I wasn't expecting much to begin with.
Using footage from the game and adding in a little bit of new footage (which looks worse than the actual game footage) was just lazy and not at all what Isolation fans want. I would have been fine with an animated movie sequel but this is just wasted potential.
I guess the only good thing is if it gets enough views, it shows the interest is still there and they might look at making a proper sequel (animated movie or game) at some point, fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 01, 2019, 10:33:53 AM
Quote from: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 04:02:24 AM Are people actually thinking this is literally just cut scenes and mocked up third person gameplay cut together or something? Are we really this stupid as a fan base? ???
Someone pass me the sauce so I can eat these f**king words.
What sauce do you like? BBQ?
I'm partial to sriracha at the moment.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 01, 2019, 10:43:21 AM
Sad that the new stuff doesn't look as good and they replaced Sigourney's voice. But it's better than fan-made "movie" edits of the game.
Glad I played the game, but this serves as a nice recap that doesn't take 15-20 hours to play every time I want to revisit Amanda's story.
Anyway, I've already finished splicing the episodes together and now I'm replacing the Ellen audio with Sigourney. Just making this cut for personal use, but I might upload somewhere if anyone's interested.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 10:50:50 AM
Sure! Upload. :)
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kane's other son on Mar 01, 2019, 12:01:50 PM
Quote from: SiL on Feb 28, 2019, 04:02:24 AM Are people actually thinking this is literally just cut scenes and mocked up third person gameplay cut together or something? Are we really this stupid as a fan base? ???
Someone pass me the sauce so I can eat these f**king words.
At least your rage made me laugh.
I'm so disappointed and depressed by The Digital Series that I really needed that kind of laugh. Thank you very much.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Jarac on Mar 01, 2019, 01:03:51 PM
I do find it ironic that it's premiered on IGN, who absolutely took a dump on the game and gave it a 5.9.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 01:33:21 PM
It would have been painful to watch at normal speed, but I watch most everything at 1.5x or faster. It's faster that way and you still get the content. Obviously, they did it on shoestring budget. It's probably for people who can't be fussed to play the game, but even the players get sucked in by the apparent inclusion of additional content. I can see where they're getting people caught up for More Amanda Ripley, 'cause can't have Alien without a Ripley, Makes me want to puke, but maybe other people think it's great. IGN is a relatively large outlet. It's no surprise they'd get the nod. By this point, nothing Fox does should surprise anyone.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Mar 01, 2019, 01:47:33 PM
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 01:33:21 PM It would have been painful to watch at normal speed, but I watch most everything at 1.5x or faster. It's faster that way and you still get the content. Obviously, they did it on shoestring budget. It's probably for people who can't be fussed to play the game, but even the players get sucked in by the apparent inclusion of additional content. I can see where they're getting people caught up for More Amanda Ripley, 'cause can't have Alien without a Ripley, Makes me want to puke, but maybe other people think it's great. IGN is a relatively large outlet. It's no surprise they'd get the nod. By this point, nothing Fox does should surprise anyone.
This is really fascinating. I've never heard of this before. You said you "watch most everything at 1.5x or faster." Does this include films and television series?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 01:50:06 PM
ADHD Xenohunter?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Voodoo Magic on Mar 01, 2019, 01:56:22 PM
But that might not be the case with XenoHunter99. Let's be nice because I'm genuinely interested in what XH has to say. No judgments! :)
*edited generally to genuinely - need coffee
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 02:00:22 PM
Fair enough.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: razeak on Mar 01, 2019, 03:45:33 PM
It was okay. The animation was distracting as hell. There were some interesting things late.
I get that it was free, but it is still subject to criticism. Venom is unnecessary though.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 03:59:35 PM
I don't see venom, but genuine criticism.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ironb4lls on Mar 01, 2019, 04:15:43 PM
I've presented animatics of TV spots to advertising clients, and some of them have resembled the new dialog scenes in this series. They're these low-poly, sort of creepy, minimally animated versions of a storyboard to give people a sense of what the commercial would look like.
Now that it's been out for a day, I'm wondering if the low-poly, poorly-animated-mouth scenes were originally just animatics, and not intended to be the final product? But then the studio was like, "c'mon, we have to release this," and they had to just run with the animatics instead of fully animating them.
I'm not sure why they were in such a rush to get this up online. Alien Day would've made a lot more sense, and they could've had more time to polish it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 04:18:34 PM
Indeed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 01, 2019, 04:41:26 PM
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
I thought it was a much better way to frame the narrative than merely opening with the ending dialogue from Alien as a voiceover to clumsily transition us into the story, and literally just cutting the thing off to end it. I preferred both the beginning and ending of The Digital Series to what we get in the game.
But a lot of it doesn't make sense and I'm skeptical that someone unfamiliar with the game's story is going to fully understand what's happening here.
Spoiler
Missing the medical center sequence, the flashback to LV-426, the hive, and the Anesiadora (sp?) segment really cut this down to the bare bones.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TheSailingRabbit on Mar 01, 2019, 04:48:55 PM
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
I thought it was a much better way to frame the narrative than merely opening with the ending dialogue from Alien as a voiceover to clumsily transition us into the story, and literally just cutting the thing off to end it. I preferred both the beginning and ending of The Digital Series to what we get in the game.
But a lot of it doesn't make sense and I'm skeptical that someone unfamiliar with the game's story is going to fully understand what's happening here.
Spoiler
Missing the medical center sequence, the flashback to LV-426, the hive, and the Anesiadora (sp?) segment really cut this down to the bare bones.
[close]
Spoiler
The flashback to LV-426 was there, but it was cut really short.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯 on Mar 01, 2019, 04:56:56 PM
Alrighty, so have we all reached consensus on this new series?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 05:03:03 PM
@The Old One: No. It's limited time to watch. Life intrudes. That's also why I don't play games now. I love games, but it's a choice for what I do with my time. Plus, in videos, normal speed often unfolds too slowly for my taste. Even 1.3x is a big help!
@Voodoo Magic: Obviously, at the movie theater, I watch at normal speed. I don't watch TV. When I watch with the family, normal speed. Watching alone? Faster, please. The mind can process speech that's faster than normal cadence. 1.5x is the sweet spot, I think. 2x is usually unintelligible, unless it's a Lynda class. Some of those instructors speak very slowly. I've been watching movies faster for years. If I watch the movie in less time, that frees me to watch something else or go back for highlights. I don't feel like I've missed anything. Sometimes, I do like to watch more than once. And when I'm watching, I want to watch as much as I can stuff into the time. I prefer subtitles. I have the backup if I miss something. But I like subtitles at normal speed, too. That's fun with foreign movies, where the subtitles are a bit different from the dubbed speech. Thanks for asking :)
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 01, 2019, 05:27:26 PM
Xenohunter> You sure have an interesting watching philosophy. Logical conclusion from a limited lifetime. Yet I'd propose to you the hypothesis you are in fact missing something - movies and series are meant to be watched at a specific rhythm, the pacing won't have the same value if you accelerate it, plus it alters the immersion.
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
I thought it was a much better way to frame the narrative than merely opening with the ending dialogue from Alien as a voiceover to clumsily transition us into the story, and literally just cutting the thing off to end it. I preferred both the beginning and ending of The Digital Series to what we get in the game.
About the ending, I feel you. It's nice to have some kind of conclusion, yes, and it is actually superior to the weird experimental cut that "concludes" the game.
But about the beginning... Well, the series (and the game for that matter) could have just started with the Samuels/Amanda dialogue. It's a nice dialogue, in media res, quick to get to the point, with great industrial atmosphere, nothing is missing from this beginning.
It's kinda raw, but I like it raw.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 05:31:45 PM
100% Agreed. Oasis Nadrama.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: CainsSon on Mar 01, 2019, 05:32:02 PM
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 01:33:21 PM It would have been painful to watch at normal speed, but I watch most everything at 1.5x or faster. It's faster that way and you still get the content. Obviously, they did it on shoestring budget. It's probably for people who can't be fussed to play the game, but even the players get sucked in by the apparent inclusion of additional content. I can see where they're getting people caught up for More Amanda Ripley, 'cause can't have Alien without a Ripley, Makes me want to puke, but maybe other people think it's great. IGN is a relatively large outlet. It's no surprise they'd get the nod. By this point, nothing Fox does should surprise anyone.
This is really fascinating. I've never heard of this before. You said you "watch most everything at 1.5x or faster." Does this include films and television series?
Crazy. This is what happens when generations of people think they watched a movie on a f**king telephone. - to quote David Lynch - get real!
I dont mean to attack anyone really, just to point out that there needs to be some assessment as to what platform somehing is meant to be seen on. Filmmakers make films to be seen in the theatre, but youtubers donmake movies to be seen across platforms. This is an interesting kind of narrative expression. Its a computer generated version of a cartoon made to be presented episodically like a vlog, made from cut scenes which are elaborating on story elements of a video game which is trying to recreate the world created by a specific sequel of a film franchise, and its narrative continues in the form of graphic comics. It should be noted hat all roads lead back to the immersion / transportation created by the original film. Film is still the kickstarter - the model the game tries to achieve, here. And all modeling and judgement therefore is in how it relates to a film, which is meant to be experienced a certain way (in a theatre) as opposed to another, and inferior way. Everyone should see Alien in a theatre IMO. Its easy to see why someone would say that is the ideal setting even if you fell in live woth it otherwise. Likewise, you shouod consider tbat you are missing something watching anything at an accelerated speed.
That said I loved the series, could see it was rushed but think the story should be a film but it would likely be very expenisive.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 01, 2019, 05:35:30 PM
He's correct and I imagine the "1.5x" philosophy's indistinguishable.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Local Trouble on Mar 01, 2019, 05:40:30 PM
He's not wrong.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 05:43:19 PM
;D I don't watch on a phone. I did speed up Lynch to 1.75x That guy needed to get to the point. Anyway, I shared because Voodoo Magic asked. And yes, I do have a different philosophy and outlook on these things. So, that's really all there is to it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 01, 2019, 06:46:54 PM
You can just call me Oasis, I mainly add the last name on websites so people will be able to find my articles and artistic work on Google instead of a bunch of landscapes, sodas and boyzbands. :D
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 01, 2019, 07:36:54 PM
So I took the useful bits of footage that were created for Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series and did a super quick edit to turn them into what could essentially be seen as an epilogue to Alien: Isolation, I guess. Pacing is a bit janky, but I think it flows fairly well considering that what I had to work with is essentially a bunch of pieces built to bookend other footage.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: CainsSon on Mar 01, 2019, 08:13:38 PM
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 05:43:19 PM ;D I don't watch on a phone. I did speed up Lynch to 1.75x That guy needed to get to the point. Anyway, I shared because Voodoo Magic asked. And yes, I do have a different philosophy and outlook on these things. So, that's really all there is to it.
You'd think. Accept very great artists have made the point over and over again that speed matters for affect. Case in point: John Baldesaari's famous work titled "I will not make anymore boring art." https://vimeo.com/25452374 (https://vimeo.com/25452374)
Im sure you will fast forward to the 11:00 minute mark to not have to sit through the wait to find out what happens at the 11 minute mark. Or perhaps you will just choose not to watch because you find the entire exercise to be boring. Needless to say as this work proves the experience of sitting through the boredom commands you to feel far more frustration and humor at the 11:00 min mark than someone possibly could experience by rushing to "the point." You will not have experienced the hope that feeling of wanting it to be over necessary to achieve the same feeling in the audience of those who waited it out. The point is: to make the audience experience things they cannot without the time taken to build up to them ( this is true in life as well millenials ). Its one very important part of suspense. You cant achieve it if youre rushing through things. This, I would argue, is also why Alien and Aliens are the only scary Alien films because theyre the only ones allowed to not show you the creature and build up tension. The exceptions prove the rule.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: EvilMark on Mar 01, 2019, 09:01:38 PM
I like the concept of the series, but the scenes using cinematics from the game seem to be running on a lower framerate, and the new Amanda model they inserted into some of the gameplay scenes looks like shit and is very poorly animated. It feels more like a fan work than an official production.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 01, 2019, 09:02:06 PM
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 01, 2019, 07:36:54 PM So I took the useful bits of footage that were created for Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series and did a super quick edit to turn them into what could essentially be seen as an epilogue to Alien: Isolation, I guess. Pacing is a bit janky, but I think it flows fairly well considering that what I had to work with is essentially a bunch of pieces built to bookend other footage.
Glad I played the game, but this serves as a nice recap that doesn't take 15-20 hours to play every time I want to revisit Amanda's story.
Anyway, I've already finished splicing the episodes together and now I'm replacing the Ellen audio with Sigourney. Just making this cut for personal use, but I might upload somewhere if anyone's interested.
May I suggest replacing the stuttering footage with the scenes taken directly from the game?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: razeak on Mar 01, 2019, 11:02:46 PM
I was thinking about YouTube comments when I mentioned venom.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 01, 2019, 11:25:39 PM
@CainsSon: You're arguing for the importance of artist intentionality with the movie director as artist. Artist intentionality loses power when the work of art reaches its audience. Directors intend people to watch their movies in theaters. But people can watch movies on their phones, so they do that. Directors intend people to watch their films at normal speed. But people can change the speed, so they do that. Artist intentionality has no effect on any of that.
Look another way: Let's say it's 1979 and we went to the theater to watch Alien. And the viewing was fine until we got to the climax of the movie and the projector breaks. So Ripley is running through the ship, the alien is lurking around every corner, and somewhere in there, the screen fills with that reddish-brown melting film color before going white. And we're sitting there for 20 minutes while they get it going again. Or say the film has been in the theater for a while and the reels are all full of scratches. The picture quality is naff the whole way through. None of that is how Ridley Scott intended for us to watch the movie. But that happened a lot.
Then people watched on TV, watched VHS tapes, watched DVDs, and on 'til this summer when we can ideally watch the 4k version on a large 4K TV with surround sound in our living room (assuming we buy all that). Or on our phones. :laugh:
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 02, 2019, 01:30:36 AM
Lot of effort. I'm just starting with stitching everything together and putting Sigourney's voice back. I also re-inserted the beacon shutdown.
Rendering now. I'll put it on YouTube soon, but I assume it'll get yanked.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: gabgrave on Mar 02, 2019, 01:43:07 AM
Does anyone else find the whole floating in space monologues at the beginning of each episode similar to the style of Final Space?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 02, 2019, 02:52:48 AM
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Mar 01, 2019, 09:35:20 AM ... I don't believe all the footage using the in-game models is lifted wholesale from the game. Some of it looks like them trying to film new shots, using the existing models... ...
Quote from: Ironb4lls on Mar 01, 2019, 04:15:43 PM I've presented animatics of TV spots to advertising clients, and some of them have resembled the new dialog scenes in this series. They're these low-poly, sort of creepy, minimally animated versions of a storyboard to give people a sense of what the commercial would look like. ...
Yes, the new game engine footage reminds me a lot of iClone, an increasingly popular real-time game engine package that Hollywood has taken to as a preproduction tool for scene planning (basically a quick way of creating an animated storyboard with 3D assets).
I also seem to recall that Creative Assembly created their own game engine for Isolation, rather than use UE or Unity (the traditional standards). That being the case, it could be that there was something non-standard about the assets that made them difficult to import/export/translate, and therefore difficult to repurpose for close-up lipsync animation. (The head models were in dire need of many, many more shape targets to create even a passing semblance of lipsync phonemes.)
I can only assume they didn't want to work with CA's hi-rez assets that were used for the game's cinematic cut scenes, because their workflow was built around the expediency of a real-time game engine.
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 02, 2019, 02:59:06 AM
Lot of effort. I'm just starting with stitching everything together and putting Sigourney's voice back. I also re-inserted the beacon shutdown.
Rendering now. I'll put it on YouTube soon, but I assume it'll get yanked.
Fair enough.
As for it being yanked... Who knows? It's mainly content from the video game, and there are enough clips on YouTube of the A:I cutscenes. If you don't mention 'The Digital Series' you might get away with it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 02, 2019, 04:33:25 AM
@Xenokiller
Missing the point.
The point isn't that you couldn't but you shouldn't.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Still Collating... on Mar 02, 2019, 12:42:03 PM
Quote from: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 01, 2019, 07:36:54 PM So I took the useful bits of footage that were created for Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series and did a super quick edit to turn them into what could essentially be seen as an epilogue to Alien: Isolation, I guess. Pacing is a bit janky, but I think it flows fairly well considering that what I had to work with is essentially a bunch of pieces built to bookend other footage.
Hell yeah. This is all I want to see of the new footage.
When you think about it, Amanda's been through a lot of trauma just counting Sevastopol and this epilogue. And if we take what's going to happen to her in Resistance and Rescue, she might be the greatest survivor in the Alien universe yet.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 02, 2019, 05:15:48 PM
@Old one: I addressed the point explicitly. We reached different conclusions.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 02, 2019, 06:49:22 PM
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 01, 2019, 05:27:26 PM Xenohunter> You sure have an interesting watching philosophy. Logical conclusion from a limited lifetime. Yet I'd propose to you the hypothesis you are in fact missing something - movies and series are meant to be watched at a specific rhythm, the pacing won't have the same value if you accelerate it, plus it alters the immersion.
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
I thought it was a much better way to frame the narrative than merely opening with the ending dialogue from Alien as a voiceover to clumsily transition us into the story, and literally just cutting the thing off to end it. I preferred both the beginning and ending of The Digital Series to what we get in the game.
About the ending, I feel you. It's nice to have some kind of conclusion, yes, and it is actually superior to the weird experimental cut that "concludes" the game.
But about the beginning... Well, the series (and the game for that matter) could have just started with the Samuels/Amanda dialogue. It's a nice dialogue, in media res, quick to get to the point, with great industrial atmosphere, nothing is missing from this beginning.
To each their own, but I disagree that "in media res" constitutes being dropped into a room with two people talking and no context. If we began the story when Ripley awakens aboard the Torrens, that would've been better than the opening scene we have now.
And I'm basically saying they could've dropped some hint of where Amanda was, what she was doing, and the fact that Samuels is an android. I don't find that we gain anything as an audience by those details being withheld.
The "rawness" of it comes off to me as unfinished.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 02, 2019, 08:41:48 PM
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 01, 2019, 05:27:26 PM Xenohunter> You sure have an interesting watching philosophy. Logical conclusion from a limited lifetime. Yet I'd propose to you the hypothesis you are in fact missing something - movies and series are meant to be watched at a specific rhythm, the pacing won't have the same value if you accelerate it, plus it alters the immersion.
Quote from: Oasis Nadrama on Feb 28, 2019, 07:48:19 PM Oh, also the "prologue" parts with Amanda floating in space and telling her story repeatedly kill and bury every trace of suspense (since we know she'll survive) and they are useless, as well as her voiced narration. They make the entire product even more artificial and laborious.
I thought it was a much better way to frame the narrative than merely opening with the ending dialogue from Alien as a voiceover to clumsily transition us into the story, and literally just cutting the thing off to end it. I preferred both the beginning and ending of The Digital Series to what we get in the game.
About the ending, I feel you. It's nice to have some kind of conclusion, yes, and it is actually superior to the weird experimental cut that "concludes" the game.
But about the beginning... Well, the series (and the game for that matter) could have just started with the Samuels/Amanda dialogue. It's a nice dialogue, in media res, quick to get to the point, with great industrial atmosphere, nothing is missing from this beginning.
To each their own, but I disagree that "in media res" constitutes being dropped into a room with two people talking and no context. If we began the story when Ripley awakens aboard the Torrens, that would've been better than the opening scene we have now.
And I'm basically saying they could've dropped some hint of where Amanda was, what she was doing, and the fact that Samuels is an android. I don't find that we gain anything as an audience by those details being withheld.
The "rawness" of it comes off to me as unfinished.
Yeah. I've not played AI in a long time and I forgot about Samuels. The 'reveal' in the series came off with no real emotional payoff, because we didn't know much about him from the get go.
If it was extended to give it a bit more pacing, and had more care and attention paid to the new animations, it could've been really good.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 02, 2019, 09:00:11 PM
Is it mentioned at all in the digital series that he's an android?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Xiggz456 on Mar 02, 2019, 09:00:31 PM
Although not perfect, I enjoyed the series. Specifically, I liked the drifting through space scenes and how those scenes set the stage for the retelling of events to come. This leads to two other elements I like which is the Amanda Ripley narration which allows you to get to know the character better and how the space scenes help structure the episodic narrative.
During my first watch through all I could focus on was "what's missing" and that kind of ruined it for me as it made everything feel rushed and choppy. On my second watch through I tried to only focus on the narrative given and "forget" about the full experience, this ultimately gave me an appreciation for this adaptation and made it more enjoyable.
Of course the animation could've and should've been more polished and that unfortunately detracts from the overall presentation. I'm secretly hoping that this project is an indication that the future of Alien can include a live action 7-12 episode series. Looking forward to the novelization coming out in July.
Ya Waits says he's an android so it'd be easier for him to access Apollo.
I must have completely missed that
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: PsyKore on Mar 03, 2019, 09:48:13 AM
I'm late to watching this, but I have to say this is pretty awful. It's so choppy and messy. Doesn't convert well to a series at all. They say this series is to benefit anyone who didn't play the game, but I'd argue if you haven't played the game, this would be hard to follow on initial viewing.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 03, 2019, 10:08:01 AM
It definitely doesn't stand well on its own and works much better as a recap.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 03, 2019, 10:35:10 AM
Quote from: Ironb4lls on Mar 01, 2019, 04:15:43 PM I'm not sure why they were in such a rush to get this up online. Alien Day would've made a lot more sense, and they could've had more time to polish it.
Impatience on our part. "Where's the #Watch component?!" Then the leak happened, set some expectations that weren't accurate to what they were actually doing.
For what it's worth, Fox actually considers our community to be the most honest and genuine - but more importantly to me, civil - of the Alien/Predator groups out there. Even in our criticism and dislike of this series. So for that, I am proud of everyone who takes part in this community. That's exactly the kind of environment I'm trying to foster with my draconian laws.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Mar 03, 2019, 11:01:57 AM
In the game it's obvious from his comment about "not needing as much sleep" (or something along those lines) as soon as you wake up on the Torrens. The series omitted that conversation entirely.
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Mar 03, 2019, 10:35:10 AMFor what it's worth, Fox actually considers our community to be the most honest and genuine - but more importantly to me, civil - of the Alien/Predator groups out there. Even in our criticism and dislike of this series.
That's nice to hear.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 03, 2019, 11:06:37 AM
Quote from: HuDaFuK on Mar 03, 2019, 11:01:57 AM In the game it's obvious from his comment about "not needing as much sleep" (or something along those lines) as soon as you wake up on the Torrens. The series omitted that conversation entirely.
One of the things I loved about Isolation was how much it didn't focus on Samuels being a 'droid. I wasn't truly sure until later on.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Mar 03, 2019, 11:11:11 AM
Yeah.
I twigged he was a synthetic from that line at the start, and I kept waiting for him to turn out as the villain, especially when he battered that Joe to death. Was pleasantly surprised when they didn't go down that route.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Mar 03, 2019, 11:12:25 AM
Sorry for interfering your private conversation but:
I was really surprised when realised that he was android at moment when Waits was sending player to trap Stompy. I mean, it was not clearly pointed till that.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Mar 03, 2019, 11:13:16 AM
Like I said, in the game it was telegraphed much, much earlier than that, but they omitted it from the series.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Prez on Mar 03, 2019, 11:21:22 AM
So I just finished the series and I enjoyed it quite a bit. As previously stated whilst I'm a big fan of the game I never really had the chops (or time) to play it at length.
Only just realised that Dan Abnett co wrote the original story too.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Mar 03, 2019, 11:32:59 AM
That concept art looks great!
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Still Collating... on Mar 03, 2019, 12:17:37 PM
Quote from: Ironb4lls on Mar 01, 2019, 04:15:43 PM I'm not sure why they were in such a rush to get this up online. Alien Day would've made a lot more sense, and they could've had more time to polish it.
Impatience on our part. "Where's the #Watch component?!" Then the leak happened, set some expectations that weren't accurate to what they were actually doing.
For what it's worth, Fox actually considers our community to be the most honest and genuine - but more importantly to me, civil - of the Alien/Predator groups out there. Even in our criticism and dislike of this series. So for that, I am proud of everyone who takes part in this community. That's exactly the kind of environment I'm trying to foster with my draconian laws.
Really, that's the reason they put it out now? The ReadPlayWatch marketing started in January. Blackout and Resistance came out days apart from each other. People were logically expecting that the watch part comes out soon as well. I thought they delayed the release because of the reaction from Blackout? To keep the rhythm going, they could have announced the series officially at the end of January, keeping the pace consistent from the previous releases, but release the series on Alien Day.
So what if there was a leak? Knowing what's coming shouldn't be a problem. Fox should've announced it a lot sooner IMO. We know an Isolation novel is coming and there's no revolt to give us the book this very moment. If they really intended to polish this more, they should've waited.
Oh, well. Appreciate the idea and good will. Wish it had been better executed, but hey, I'm looking on the bright side. At least it's not another A:CM...
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 03, 2019, 12:20:21 PM
Well that's just supposition on my part. I believe it was put back because of the response to Blackout's announcement. I believe it was pulled forward because of impatience and the risk of that leak setting unrealistic expectations (again).
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 03, 2019, 01:32:39 PM
Eh...I don't even think it was telegraphed or obvious by his comment about sleep. Call me dense, but when he first said he didn't need as much sleep, my original reaction was merely, "What?" I felt they were using a cheap tactic there to build tension. But it's tension that doesn't really lead anywhere. There was really nothing gained by the first overt reference to Samuels being an Android not coming until Waits says so. Felt clumsy and unfinished, and it's sure to have something to do with the fact that he originally was a villain.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Rankles75 on Mar 03, 2019, 02:46:27 PM
Just got through watching it. As someone who's never played the game, I enjoyed it for the most part. Yeah, some of the animations left a lot to be desired, and it was tricky to follow at times, but it was definitely better than I was expecting. Would definitely be interested in a movie (or movies) following Amanda's story, though I very much doubt that's in the pipeline.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Ingwar on Mar 03, 2019, 02:48:55 PM
Eh...I don't even think it was telegraphed or obvious by his comment about sleep. Call me dense, but when he first said he didn't need as much sleep, my original reaction was merely, "What?" I felt they were using a cheap tactic there to build tension. But it's tension that doesn't really lead anywhere. There was really nothing gained by the first overt reference to Samuels being an Android not coming until Waits says so. Felt clumsy and unfinished, and it's sure to have something to do with the fact that he originally was a villain.
Actually wasn't there a monitor screen at the start of the game when you wake up and wear clothes that shows how long each person had been in the hypersleep chambers or something like that? I kinda starting thinking "that's a Bishop reference" when it showed that the guy woke up long before the others came out of hypersleep.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 03, 2019, 05:22:26 PM
I was looking online for Amanda Ripley models, to see if they had been ripped from the game when I found this:
I notice that it was posted 2 months ago, so it's fairly recent. The artist says they're not the final renders, because he hasn't got access to the files, but they're better than what was put in the digital series. I wonder why they didn't use these? Or at least ask to use them.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 03, 2019, 06:37:37 PM
Alright, finally got this done. Had a few setbacks and it takes forever to render.
All episodes seamlessly branched together. Sigourney's voice has been restored. The beacon shutdown has been re-inserted.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Still Collating... on Mar 03, 2019, 07:56:19 PM
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Mar 03, 2019, 12:20:21 PM Well that's just supposition on my part. I believe it was put back because of the response to Blackout's announcement. I believe it was pulled forward because of impatience and the risk of that leak setting unrealistic expectations (again).
Oh, I didn't take it like that. Thanks for the clarification.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Roby on Mar 03, 2019, 09:20:39 PM
I'm looking forward to watching it. I don't have equip to play Isolation but I just started Blackout. Nice to catch up on what happened before. I like following Amanda for this though I don't think I'd be interested in a series based around her. I'd rather see some new characters. Wonder what's going to be released for Alien Day!?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 03, 2019, 09:26:22 PM
We're still waiting on those Tongal short films. I won't get much hopes up for anything more than those on Alien Day.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Roby on Mar 03, 2019, 11:04:06 PM
You think we'll have to wait until Alien Day for those Tongal shorts?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nightmare Asylum on Mar 04, 2019, 12:17:21 AM
Maybe throughout April leading to Alien Day if they don't want to drop them all at once, otherwise, yeah.
Or I guess maybe they could go the opposite, do the first on Alien Day and then scatter them until the October US theatrical release of Alien.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Jordie on Mar 04, 2019, 03:20:58 AM
Wow, what a lazy POS. Slap together some cutscenes, add some animation that's worse than the game, and just post it on IGN's janky site. Disney must really be dropping the Aliens franchise as fast as possible.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Mr.Turok on Mar 04, 2019, 04:01:17 AM
So basically the game but in a tv-series-sort-of format? Honestly looking at how excellent quality the game engine is, it actually make sense to package it in that format. Like a pseudo-animated series form. In a way it would be a great testing ground to see if people would be interested in a Alien animated series of sorts. Its about time that there are mature animated series that don't have to be all about rough comedy like Family Guy or Rick and Morty.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 04, 2019, 04:18:31 AM
David> Lovely work! <3 Thank you so much! And it's so good to see the beacon shutdown again.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Mr.Turok on Mar 04, 2019, 04:30:46 AM
Quote from: Mr.Turok on Mar 04, 2019, 04:01:17 AM So basically the game but in a tv-series-sort-of format? Honestly looking at how excellent quality the game engine is, it actually make sense to package it in that format. Like a pseudo-animated series form. In a way it would be a great testing ground to see if people would be interested in a Alien animated series of sorts. Its about time that there are mature animated series that don't have to be all about rough comedy like Family Guy or Rick and Morty.
f**kin hell the teaser intro reeled me in but once we see Amanda and Samuel's intro.....f**kin hell son who wiped away the smooth 60fps into a choppy 30-24fps low resolution with a downgraded color and missing dynamic lighting? This bugs me so much, the f**k?!?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 04, 2019, 05:37:18 AM
Quote from: Mr.Turok on Mar 04, 2019, 04:01:17 AM So basically the game but in a tv-series-sort-of format? Honestly looking at how excellent quality the game engine is, it actually make sense to package it in that format. Like a pseudo-animated series form. In a way it would be a great testing ground to see if people would be interested in a Alien animated series of sorts. Its about time that there are mature animated series that don't have to be all about rough comedy like Family Guy or Rick and Morty.
f**kin hell the teaser intro reeled me in but once we see Amanda and Samuel's intro.....f**kin hell son who wiped away the smooth 60fps into a choppy 30-24fps low resolution with a downgraded color and missing dynamic lighting? This bugs me so much, the f**k?!?
I was waiting for your reaction. I saw your first post and was going to say something, but there's nothing that can be said, is there?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: CainsSon on Mar 04, 2019, 06:30:40 AM
I think the Tongal shorts were a means for FOX to try and generate ideas for the franchise. I'm still upset I missed the deadline because I failed to factor in the time zone differences and hope to one day release my short script for fans to read, but as of now Im glad that I didn't just blindly share my ideas because in the fine print it read that Fox owns any ideas you submitted. Standard or not, not my speed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 04, 2019, 10:05:29 AM
I notice that it was posted 2 months ago, so it's fairly recent. The artist says they're not the final renders, because he hasn't got access to the files, but they're better than what was put in the digital series. I wonder why they didn't use these? Or at least ask to use them.
It's possible that they did for the new scenes of Amanda in spacesuit floating among debris. The model and textures and lighting look a lot better here than in the new in-game scenes. I guess they had to create all new assets for these scenes so it suited them to go the extra effort.
But the new 3rd person scene angles (e.g. Amanda talks to Taylor in the Torrens commissary) used the in-game assets supplied by Creative Assembly, and their workflow required that they be rendered mechanima style (i.e. in realtime with their game engine). So in these cases either they had to create their own low-poly Amanda model because it wasn't a pre-existing CA asset, or if it did come from CA then it came from the early prototype builds when Isolation was still a 3rd person game.
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 04, 2019, 10:28:30 AM
I notice that it was posted 2 months ago, so it's fairly recent. The artist says they're not the final renders, because he hasn't got access to the files, but they're better than what was put in the digital series. I wonder why they didn't use these? Or at least ask to use them.
It's possible that they did for the new scenes of Amanda in spacesuit floating among debris. The model and textures and lighting look a lot better here than in the new in-game scenes. I guess they had to create all new assets for these scenes so it suited them to go the extra effort.
But the new 3rd person scene angles (e.g. Amanda talks to Taylor in the Torrens commissary) used the in-game assets supplied by Creative Assembly, and their workflow required that they be rendered mechanima style (i.e. in realtime with their game engine). So in these cases either they had to create their own low-poly Amanda model because it wasn't a pre-existing CA asset, or if it did come from CA then it came from the early prototype builds when Isolation was still a 3rd person game.
As far as I read in the IGN creators interview, there was no machinima. The third person scenes were made using the first person view from the game to capture the background, and then a new model of Amanda was inserted into the scene, which is why the lighting for Amanda looks off in these scenes. I was just wondering why they didn't use the models on the artstation page, since it seems the artist worked on A:I.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 04, 2019, 11:45:18 AM
Probably because the model featured in that artist's Artstation page was too high-res for use in the game engine, because it was made for offline rendering of the cutscene cinematics. It's also likely that this high-res model had incompatible shaders applied to it, such as a "sub-surface scattering" shader for realistic skin, and a special hair shader (which seems to be missing), that were also incompatible with the game engine.
Here's a reel by one of the Isolation animators who worked on both the in-game animations (for playback in realtime inside CA's custom game engine) and the cinematic cutscenes which were pre-rendered. If you look carefully you'll see the low-poly nature of some of the in-game scenes (e.g. cylinders that are faceted instead of rounded - look at the explosive bolts scene.)
https://vimeo.com/205282438
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 05, 2019, 01:20:48 AM
Probably because the model featured in that artist's Artstation page was too high-res for use in the game engine, because it was made for offline rendering of the cutscene cinematics. It's also likely that this high-res model had incompatible shaders applied to it, such as a "sub-surface scattering" shader for realistic skin, and a special hair shader (which seems to be missing), that were also incompatible with the game engine.
Here's a reel by one of the Isolation animators who worked on both the in-game animations (for playback in realtime inside CA's custom game engine) and the cinematic cutscenes which were pre-rendered. If you look carefully you'll see the low-poly nature of some of the in-game scenes (e.g. cylinders that are faceted instead of rounded - look at the explosive bolts scene.)
https://vimeo.com/205282438
TC
Right, but what I'm saying is that the third person shots aren't rendered in game. The background is, but Amanda is rendered separately and then composited into the shot.
Given that info, there's no reason they couldn't have used a higher quality model.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: maron on Mar 05, 2019, 10:59:50 AM
Taylor has more character depth than Fifield. Congratulations. ;D
Sure, there's more you could have done (The Hive, i.e.), but I enjoyed this more than Prometheus and Covenant. :P
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 05, 2019, 05:00:27 PM
Quote from: Stitch on Mar 05, 2019, 01:20:48 AM ... Right, but what I'm saying is that the third person shots aren't rendered in game. The background is, but Amanda is rendered separately and then composited into the shot. ...
I guess we'll never know for sure what went on, but continuing to speculate for the curiosity value...
I had another look, and I'm not sure they are composited. Are you thinking this is the case from this quote from the makers?:
QuoteThe final series is comprised of three types of scenes: brand-new scenes that are rendered from scratch, cinematics taken directly from the game, and first-person scenes from the game we re-shot, edited and inserted a CG model of Amanda Ripley.
I think this is a rather ambiguous statement, and could just as easily mean they converted the 1st-person scenes into 3rd-person scenes by going back into the game engine but his time including the (low-poly) Amanda model.
ON THE OTHER HAND some of the shots DO look very odd (as though composited on top):
In this top down angle of Amanda walking past Ricardo, look at the dodgy shadow she's casting on the floor. Not only is it very low res and lacking in density, it also sits on top of the existing shadows being cast in the room. Surely a sign that she is comped on top, yes?
But then again, in this shot, the shadow from the clamp laying on the floor seems to fall on her foot, which would be very difficult to achieve if she was comped:
Plus, sometimes she crosses behind other objects in the scene. Not a problem if you were willing to rotoscope an animated matte around (in this case) the chair backs, but I don't think they had the budget for that kind of messing around:
But then, going back to the scene where she converses with Taylor early on in the movie (and probably the most egregious shot of all), look how horrible Amanda's close-up is integrated into the background, exactly like she was poorly comped (you can even see a dark edge around her highlighted hair):
There are also many shots where they have added a random jiggle to the camera to simulate a hand-held effect. When Amanda is in the foreground, it creates a disturbing "swimming" effect, which is normally a giveaway of an imprecise 3D match move. IOW, they had a background (without Amanda) which had lots of camera movement, and tried to add a new Amanda to the foreground, having to duplicate the camera movement in her element too, but not quite getting it right.
BUT, this same swimming effect can also occur if you don't use the right sort of jiggle on your camera; namely, you want to make your camera jiggle through rotations, not translations.
What does this all mean? Danged if I know...
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Oasis Nadrama on Mar 05, 2019, 10:39:39 PM
Actually the shadow-on-foot thing can be accomplished in multiple ways, it's a simple effect. You could even do that with Photoshop, frame after frame, if you're patient. But After Effect (an old and very easy to get for free program) can do this kind of thing on the move.
And sure, the behind-object part is a little more complicated, but 15 years ago, in movie school, a friend of mine told me about a program which could select and follow a specific part of the shot. Surely if it was doable 15 years ago, you'd have no trouble to do this now. Otherwise personally, if I had to do this simply, I'd just add back the chair or other elements in the shot after integrating Amanda. A little quicker than to always erase a precise part of her frame after frame.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Stitch on Mar 06, 2019, 02:21:31 AM
Quote from: TC on Mar 05, 2019, 05:00:27 PM I think this is a rather ambiguous statement, and could just as easily mean they converted the 1st-person scenes into 3rd-person scenes by going back into the game engine but his time including the (low-poly) Amanda model.
Firstly, kudos on the extensive investigative post!
Secondly, regarding the low poly Amanda model, I don't think one actually exists in the game. I have 2 reasons for thinking this.
The first is that when I was looking for Amanda models, I found a forum where the members were saying that they were having trouble ripping the model from the game. They were getting parts but not a full 3D model. I'd look for the site again, but this evidence is backed up in my next reason...
...which is this:
Interesting, eh?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: TC on Mar 06, 2019, 05:06:54 AM
The first is that when I was looking for Amanda models, I found a forum where the members were saying that they were having trouble ripping the model from the game. They were getting parts but not a full 3D model. ...
That's right. The complete Amanda model didn't exist in the released game, because in the process of optimising the 3D assets they culled all unnecessary polygons from the models, which included parts of Amanda that would never be seen by the player.
However, If you go to one of my earlier posts, you'll see an earlier stage of development during which Isolation was a 3rd person game, and the complete Amanda model did exist. (But she looked a little rough.) Presumably the Digital Series producer got a hold of that.
Actually, the biggest lesson out of all this (for me, anyway) has nothing to do with the technical curiosities.
In reviewing the 70 minute show again I could see that this movie serves as the perfect demonstration of what story structure is all about; or rather, what a story is like when it suffers from the lack of structure. They tried to enforce their own kind of structure with the Amanda-floating-in-space scenes, but it was a flimsy artifice that didn't really work. The story was just as episodic and paceless as it ever was.
In fact, calling it a "movie" is probably the best way of sabotaging it. Marketing it as a cutscene compilation is a better way of positioning the audience's expectations; which is kind of what they did do, but unfortunately I, like most people, just didn't pay enough attention to what they were announcing. So I have to accept some of the blame for my own disappointment.
TC
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 06, 2019, 01:59:42 PM
Podcast discussion/review is up. :) https://www.avpgalaxy.net/2019/03/06/alien-isolation-the-digital-series-discussion-avp-galaxy-podcast-82/
And YouTube:
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 06, 2019, 03:16:46 PM
Thanks! I will listen this morning.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 06, 2019, 05:15:25 PM
Thank you AP.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 06, 2019, 10:48:11 PM
w/r/t the podcast:
I think it was just Amanda's voice reading Ripley's dialogue because they would've had to pay Sigourney Weaver to use her likeness. Same thing with Michael Biehn and Hicks in Alien 3.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: XenoHunter99 on Mar 07, 2019, 05:12:28 AM
Podcast: complete. Good job, as usual.
Hicks, glad to know I'm not the only one who picked up a 2001: A Space Odyssey vibe about the dream sequence. Yes, the heads were odd and surreal. I'm sure that was the point.
Xenomorphine, I agree the function of the web series was to bring casual fans and people who did not play Isolation into the fold, and it worked. And you're right, it was no doubt a lot of work on no budget.
Personally, I'm completely repulsed by the idea of sitting through the further adventures of Amanda Ripley, but I guess other people like it.
Ridgetop, you really like AVPR?! That's great! I enjoyed it in the theater. It was a hoot and a good popcorn movie. It's a shame the TV commercial gave away everything including the end. I watched it again recently and it still wasn't horrible. It's got some good points, some really disgusting ideas brought to life, a couple of darkly humorous sight gags, and some bad points, but OK!
I agree Alien/Aliens stories could work as animated features. Deadspace:Downfall, anyone? That's a festival of blood! And a guilty pleasire. Dead Space:Aftermath is interesting and brutal, too.
It's a shame 4K doesn't reveal more detail in the film, but I guess the source has resolution limits. It was shot 40 years ago, so maybe the greater wonder is that it's still important enough to receive special treatment.
Anyway, thanks for the discussion.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Prez on Mar 07, 2019, 05:48:33 AM
Hicks, glad to know I'm not the only one who picked up a 2001: A Space Odyssey vibe about the dream sequence. Yes, the heads were odd and surreal. I'm sure that was the point.
Xenomorphine, I agree the function of the web series was to bring casual fans and people who did not play Isolation into the fold, and it worked. And you're right, it was no doubt a lot of work on no budget.
Personally, I'm completely repulsed by the idea of sitting through the further adventures of Amanda Ripley, but I guess other people like it.
Ridgetop, you really like AVPR?! That's great! I enjoyed it in the theater. It was a hoot and a good popcorn movie. It's a shame the TV commercial gave away everything including the end. I watched it again recently and it still wasn't horrible. It's got some good points, some really disgusting ideas brought to life, a couple of darkly humorous sight gags, and some bad points, but OK!
I agree Alien/Aliens stories could work as animated features. Deadspace:Downfall, anyone? That's a festival of blood! And a guilty pleasire. Dead Space:Aftermath is interesting and brutal, too.
It's a shame 4K doesn't reveal more detail in the film, but I guess the source has resolution limits. It was shot 40 years ago, so maybe the greater wonder is that it's still important enough to receive special treatment.
Anyway, thanks for the discussion.
I concur. Enjoyable podcast as usual. Even as someone who hasn't played the game a whole lot (but is a big admirer) I took Xenomorphine's line in that it was free, enjoyable for what it was and didn't kill any buzz for me. That said I totally appreciate those who have lived and breathed the game being disappointed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 07, 2019, 09:16:32 AM
Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Mar 07, 2019, 05:12:28 AM Hicks, glad to know I'm not the only one who picked up a 2001: A Space Odyssey vibe about the dream sequence. Yes, the heads were odd and surreal. I'm sure that was the point.
I haven't seen anyone else mention that. Glad it wasn't just me!
QuoteXenomorphine, I agree the function of the web series was to bring casual fans and people who did not play Isolation into the fold, and it worked. And you're right, it was no doubt a lot of work on no budget.
It does seem to be doing pretty well with the people who never got to experience the game so it seems to have done the job in that respect!
QuoteI agree Alien/Aliens stories could work as animated features. Deadspace:Downfall, anyone? That's a festival of blood! And a guilty pleasire. Dead Space:Aftermath is interesting and brutal, too.
Another Deadspace fan! The Old One will be pleased! I've still not played it myself but it's installed and waiting for the time.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Mar 07, 2019, 09:18:34 AM
I absolutely loved the first Dead Space, so I'm still not entirely sure why I never got around to any of the sequels.
Always said the original was the best Alien game ever made until Isolation came around, it just didn't have the Alien in it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 07, 2019, 09:21:45 AM
Downfall is a really rushed mess (pacing wise), doesn't line up with the game it's supposed to explain, and just feels cheap through and through. I like it -- and Dead Space -- but it's not the quality I'd want from an Alien animated film.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Frosty Venom on Mar 07, 2019, 11:15:10 AM
Episode 5 and 7 were my favourites. The conclusion and epilogue were pretty great.
Nothing. The podcast announcement was posted in the Isolation thread. I was replying about the podcast, not the isolation thread. And that pushed the original discussion off-track.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 07, 2019, 02:54:59 PM
Listening to this made me realize that I was focusing entirely on the positives. I mean, I certainly noticed a lot of the negatives (especially the poor animation and horrible editing) but there were things like the "epilogue" and the surreal dream sequencs that I liked so much and have wanted to see in an Alien story for so long, that I think I wasn't judging the thing as a whole. As one of you mentioned that is the only fair way to judge something like that and I'll have to admit that as a whole, its a mess. There is some imagery and art direction in there which rivals some of the best the franchise has to offer, but the framework doesnt really hold together. Too bad the rest of it was so rushed because I feel that there are sequences that really work littered among and otherwise slap-dash presentation. I'd actually prefer to see this story theatrically to most things, and Im not 100% sold on the idea of Amanda continuing on for long. I like the character but at this point it's starting to get absolutely ridiculous to keep assuming all of the stories in the franchise have been covered up by the company.
If they want to keep the franchise going the need to make a theatrical film or TV series, that addresses some degree of what is going on in WY. The suspension of disbelief required to swallow all of this having been swept under a rug is just silly and is just no longer working IMO.
I still would be thrilled to see a proper animated / computer-animated Alien series in the vein of Final Fantasy, as Hicks mentioned. I especially thing this is the only way AVP will ever work theatrically, but they need to go back to the source, and make a film that links WY's perspective to all these events while maintaining the air of mystique ALIEN and A:Isolation managed to embody.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: HuDaFuK on Mar 08, 2019, 12:06:23 PM
I think it's some of the Alien artwork from the Isolation press material. This was just another press material piece too.
Quote from: CainsSon on Mar 08, 2019, 04:37:14 AM I'd actually prefer to see this story theatrically to most things, and Im not 100% sold on the idea of Amanda continuing on for long. I like the character but at this point it's starting to get absolutely ridiculous to keep assuming all of the stories in the franchise have been covered up by the company.
To be fair, we only know her story extends as far as Resistance. We don't know how much further it goes or how far Fox is going to be taking Amanda.
QuoteIf they want to keep the franchise going the need to make a theatrical film or TV series, that addresses some degree of what is going on in WY. The suspension of disbelief required to swallow all of this having been swept under a rug is just silly and is just no longer working IMO.
Or perhaps something that gives a better understanding of the workings of the Company. I know how shit big companies are at internal communication so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see different elements of WY working towards the same ends but without awareness of each other. That's completely in the realms of possibility from my own experiences. Perhaps, it might just be good to see that in more black and white for people.
QuoteI still would be thrilled to see a proper animated / computer-animated Alien series in the vein of Final Fantasy, as Hicks mentioned. I especially thing this is the only way AVP will ever work theatrically, but they need to go back to the source, and make a film that links WY's perspective to all these events while maintaining the air of mystique ALIEN and A:Isolation managed to embody.
I'd be more excited for something like this - especially an animated AvP, whether it gets a theatrical release or not - than a new Ridley Scott film. This has been something I've wanted since that first viewing of Final Fantasy and those early morning showings of Roughneck Chronicles.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 08, 2019, 03:56:43 PM
Leading to the indirect downfall of both Visceral Games and Bioware.
Neither are awful games, they just have awful rushed parts.
I don't think either game is bad, but both trilogies are similar in that Parts 1 & 2 are one thing while Part 3 feels like another thing.
To be fair, I haven't finished Dead Space 3 yet. But beyond the gameplay itself being quite a departure to the uniform consistency of Dead Space 1 & 2 (think consistency as in Gears of War 1/2/3 consistency), the fact that Spoiler
the core consideration seems to be boyfriend/girlfriend heartbreak is kind of lame when the first two games seem much more focused on commentary regarding organized religion, cults, etc.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 08, 2019, 03:58:54 PM
Agreed.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Bad Replicant on Mar 08, 2019, 07:17:31 PM
I liked it. There were obviously limitations they were working with, but is what it is and didn't ruin it for me. The way a lot of the sequences were put together was beautiful IMO, especially with the music.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: SiL on Mar 08, 2019, 09:42:08 PM
the core consideration seems to be boyfriend/girlfriend heartbreak is kind of lame when the first two games seem much more focused on commentary regarding organized religion, cults, etc.
[close]
Spoiler
Did we play the same games? The entire first game is you trying to find your dead girlfriend while keeping the ship from falling apart. The second game is heavier on the religious aspect, but still features your dead ex girlfriend repeatedly trying to murder you until you can partially lobotomise yourself to get over her. The games were always about the relationships first, with the religion and world building around it.
[close]
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: BlazinBlueReview on Mar 08, 2019, 11:44:50 PM
I tried watching The Digital Series. It was a bit difficult. I've played a small portion of the game. (Got to the part where had to get a key card while avoiding the Alien) It felt jarring seeing the Amanda model. The background plate was off as well. I give them points for having the thought of it. But the way it was handled was a little subpar. Or should I say more whelmed than anything.
However, this has turned my attention to this Youtube gameplay movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbp-01epFmk
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Hudson on Mar 09, 2019, 04:14:58 PM
the core consideration seems to be boyfriend/girlfriend heartbreak is kind of lame when the first two games seem much more focused on commentary regarding organized religion, cults, etc.
[close]
Spoiler
Did we play the same games? The entire first game is you trying to find your dead girlfriend while keeping the ship from falling apart. The second game is heavier on the religious aspect, but still features your dead ex girlfriend repeatedly trying to murder you until you can partially lobotomise yourself to get over her. The games were always about the relationships first, with the religion and world building around it.
[close]
You're not wrong, but I think I'm mostly thinking of the character in 3, the captain (it's been a while since I've played it). His inclusion turns everything into something that feels different and petty. The first two games are more psychological while the 3rd is something else. Still need to finish it.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 10, 2019, 02:30:22 AM
Yeah, Robert Norton's human garbage.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 20, 2019, 06:40:12 PM
Just noticed that they uploaded the series to the official Alien YouTube without the IGN watermark... Going to have to re-render my feature-length edit.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Kradan on Mar 20, 2019, 08:52:30 PM
Good luck.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 22, 2019, 12:39:03 AM
*plop*
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: BlazinBlueReview on Mar 22, 2019, 12:59:26 AM
Gonna be giving this a view soon. It'll be interesting to see the series all in one go. Felt like there were constant breaks that interrupted the flow of the Digital Series.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Nukiemorph on Mar 22, 2019, 05:44:29 AM
Yeah I don't really understand the point of making this a series.
The new Critters series is the same. All episodes add up to 70/80 minutes. Why not just release it as a feature?
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Mar 22, 2019, 10:04:06 AM
I assume it's a marketing thing. Series implies more content so perhaps it's supposed to generate more curiosity views.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Perfect-Organism on Mar 22, 2019, 04:50:46 PM
Thanks for that! Thanks for another great pod-cast. It's fairly accurate. I haven't watched the series since the first time when it was released. I am just watching it again now as I am working on a design project. It's playing on my iPad as I work. Mind you, I am watching the fully linked up version which was recently released here by David's Creation. I have to say, it's very much enjoyable. It works as a unified film. It's certainly not annoying me as I'm working.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: The Old One on Mar 25, 2019, 08:46:20 AM
The Podcast's fantastic, thank you AP.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: iain on Mar 25, 2019, 09:21:22 PM
Ive yet to see the full Isolation series. I literally fell asleep 20 minutes in.
Title: Re: Fox Announces Alien: Isolation Digital Series!
Post by: Russ on Mar 26, 2019, 11:36:11 AM