I didn't mind Prometheus design at all, even though I was very attached to the original retro look.
What worries me with each Ridley Scott film is the story.
He has strong visual, both in mis en scène and artistic design.
Always had top noch VFX & SFX for all his film I think.
But the story of most of his recent films are so full of void, I think he never managed to get something out after American Gangster, which I hate to say because the doode made Blade Runner, Alien, Gladiator, Kingdhom of Heaven and American Gangster which are films I love.
I can't blame him though, he was always one of this director who always tried something new, which is something I love about him. He just needs a good script and the way things are being made and windowed by major today probably makes it impossible for him to get above average.
I think it was an error for him to come back to the Alien universe.
Prometheus should have been as far away as possible from it.
I would rather see a new directors (I don't like Neil Blomdkamp but I think he's necessary in restarting the old machine) so after Fox has chased the money they could give it to more independent filmakers who don't have an appétit for huge epic drama / action thing.
There are many smart ways to implement Aliens in the verse without having to tell all the big picture about space jockey / weyland and all that stuff that just dismiss everything in the plot because they take so much space for so little things.
I think Alien Isolation could have been a perfect script.
It's short and it focuses on the atmosphere and the tension rather than the big themes and the mysteries (which frankly, fans care for but never made it into a good film, just see AVP, AVP-R and Prometheus where they tried to spend time on telling what the creatures are rather than telling the story itself).
You get answers relative to the story but not all the ultimate answer. I can't see the first alien movie with 2 hours of exploration in the derelict learning everything + two hours studying the creature. It makes no sense, it's an horror movie, not an archaeology / biology essay with some biblical paraphrase (I think Fincher managed that last one better, it's only good when it's subtle, whatever it is, sexuality, religious references, biology, historical facts/beliefs).