Perfect Organism - An Alien: Isolation Companion

[SM]

Finished it last night. Enjoyable but I had hoped for a bit more in the cut content section.
The mission guide was good and was more entertaining to read than anything the novelisation did.

What was in the cut content section?

[TheDerelict]

Finished it last night. Enjoyable but I had hoped for a bit more in the cut content section.
The mission guide was good and was more entertaining to read than anything the novelisation did.

What was in the cut content section?

Nothing that you can't already read on xenopedia. I was hoping there might be new information or a full on break down of the original story etc.
But there was nothing I didn't already know.

[HuDaFuK]

Nothing that you can't already read on xenopedia. I was hoping there might be new information or a full on break down of the original story etc.
But there was nothing I didn't already know.

I originally wrote all that stuff based on the defunct code still buried in the game that a guy online managed to dredge up. I don't believe he's the chap who wrote the book (unless he uses an alias as his online handle) but he certainly knew his shit about the game.

That was the only place I ever heard anything about these changes, so unless Andy Kelly managed to actually interview some people from the development team - and, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't believe he did - it's unlikely there'd be anything new, because we already trawled that code for all it was worth

[TheDerelict]

Nothing that you can't already read on xenopedia. I was hoping there might be new information or a full on break down of the original story etc.
But there was nothing I didn't already know.

I originally wrote all that stuff based on the defunct code still buried in the game that a guy online managed to dredge up. I don't believe he's the chap who wrote the book (unless he uses an alias as his online handle) but he certainly knew his shit about the game.

That was the only place I ever heard anything about these changes, so unless Andy Kelly managed to actually interview some people from the development team - and, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't believe he did - it's unlikely there'd be anything new, because we already trawled that code for all it was worth

I figured as much, but I live in hope.
I'm fascinated by its original story and levels that were not used.
On the recent Isolation live stream that's hicks and the author did, they both said that getting any extra info out of developers is like trying to get blood from a stone because they are not allowed to talk about it etc.

Despite the wealth of stuff hidden in the code I still want more.
There were so many cool ideas like the appearance of the station security. Very WY commando vibe. Gutted we didn't get that.
Always liked the original idea of Samuels and Taylor being bad guys and killing the marshals. But never found out what eventually became of them.

It's what keeps me awake at night. 🤓

[HuDaFuK]

There were so many cool ideas like the appearance of the station security. Very WY commando vibe. Gutted we didn't get that.
Always liked the original idea of Samuels and Taylor being bad guys and killing the marshals. But never found out what eventually became of them.

I especially loved the original false opening with the Torrens crew being woken early to investigate a distress signal (á la Alien ) and finding the frozen ship crammed full of dead people who'd desperately tried to escape the station.

I can see why it got dropped, if only for pacing, but at the same time it sounded like it would've been an amazingly creepy set piece and a nice fake-out when an Alien ultimately doesn't appear.

Also liked the later revelation that Ransome had died on that ship. Just a bit more satisfying having the stock corporate greed character wind up freezing to death alongside a bunch of other desperate refugees.

[TheDerelict]

There were so many cool ideas like the appearance of the station security. Very WY commando vibe. Gutted we didn't get that.
Always liked the original idea of Samuels and Taylor being bad guys and killing the marshals. But never found out what eventually became of them.

I especially loved the original false opening with the Torrens crew being woken early to investigate a distress signal (á la Alien ) and finding the frozen ship crammed full of dead people who'd desperately tried to escape the station.

I can see why it got dropped, if only for pacing, but at the same time it sounded like it would've been an amazingly creepy set piece and a nice fake-out when an Alien ultimately doesn't appear.

Also liked the later revelation that Ransome had died on that ship. Just a bit more satisfying having the stock corporate greed character wind up freezing to death alongside a bunch of other desperate refugees.

Yeah, the Solace idea was great, the art for it is fantastic. But yeah, it makes sense why they cut it.

I also loved the idea of Sevastopol getting more hived up as the game progressed. Would have been creepy to see familiar area become more unrecognisable. Would have added to the dread more of wanting to get off station.

If there ever is a sequel, hopefully they can incorporate some of these ideas. The art book just c**k teases me with what could have been.

[TheBATMAN]

We never actually find out what becomes of Ransome do we? I think we can find his ID tag, but never his body?

[SM]

Does it touch on the Youtube series or novelisation?

[TheBATMAN]

From what I've read so far it makes mention of the novel being generally regarded as non-canonical by the fanbase due to some errors.

[Slutty Badger]

From what I've read so far it makes mention of the novel being generally regarded as non-canonical by the fanbase due to some errors.

Andrew Gaska has deemed it Tier II canon.

[BlueMarsalis79]

He can f**k right off with that one.

[TheDerelict]

Blonde Ripley and purple working joes just make me angry.

Reminiscing about uncle Dallas just makes me nauseous.

The novelisation can get in the bin. The bin can go out the nearest airlock and into a gas giant.

That's the end of my ted talk.

[Kradan]

I've read the novelisation exactly once and from what I remember everything that wasn't direct retelling of the game's events was decent while everything else felt like author trying to rush through the bullet points without even trying to inject it with any of the horror or tension that made Isolation the great experience it is

[TheDerelict]

I've read the novelisation exactly once and from what I remember everything that wasn't direct retelling of the game's events was decent while everything else felt like author trying to rush through the bullet points without even trying to inject it with any of the horror or tension that made Isolation the great experience it is

"Decent" is probably a bit of stretch. Far to many of those flashback chapters and f**king hell do they go on and on and on. Very similar to the newly released "uncivil war." If you're hoping for an Alien story (there's one on the front cover after all), you may be a little disappointed. But if you really want a character study about an army man who now thinks army stuff is bad so he left the army but the bad stuff of the army never left him, but it's ok, he loves his daughters...boy are you in for a treat.

But other than that, you are spot on.
Absolutely zero horror or tension.

[Nightmare Asylum]

I've read the novelisation exactly once and from what I remember everything that wasn't direct retelling of the game's events was decent while everything else felt like author trying to rush through the bullet points without even trying to inject it with any of the horror or tension that made Isolation the great experience it is

I can't speak for the Isolation novelization, I've never touched it and don't really have any desire to, but way back when, back when I was actively following Halo as a franchise, I remember having that exact same opinion about The Flood (the novelization of the original game, Combat Evolved). Any time it was straight up adapting the game it read like a bad "how to" guide, but in the moments it broke free of that or changed perspective, there was some stuff I found myself enjoying.