Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition - Part I Review (spoiler-free)

The following review covers the rereleased and graphically enhanced non-VR version of Alien Rogue Incursion Part I. Author's opinions are entirely subjective. 

Developer: Survios 

Genre: FPS Survival-horror/Action 

Platform tested on: PS5 Pro

It's been awhile since a really good Alien game in 1st person hit the market, and they're unfortunately not released very often. Rogue Incursion EE might not reach the heights of the masterpiece Alien Isolation but it's definitely one of the better alien games so far when compared to average Aliens: Colonial Marines or AvP 3 (colonial marine campaign) 

This game is the first half of the whole story, with part 2 currently in development (release date unknown at the moment) 

You play as Zula Hendricks, previous colonial marine gone AWOL and now headed towards research facility Castor's Cradle on planet Purdan (basically LV-426 with settlement aesthetics identical to Hadley's Hope) to investigate along with android follower Davis. However, your ship is soon attacked by the facility's defense turrets and you're forced to crash land, leaving you stranded until repairs can be done. 

It is here that the horror begins. You get immediate access to the the iconic M41A Pulse Rifle, with a magnum revolver (very similar to the one in Isolation) as a sidearm, thus covering half of the game's weapon selection. Yes, there are a total of only 4 weapons available at your disposal (3 firearms + 1 sticky mine) and while a few more weapons such as at least a flamethrower or maybe even a smart gun would be appreciated, it's really not necessary as the limited load-out covers your basic needs just fine. You're also equipped with a motion tracker emitting that classic pulsating beeps from Aliens and most alien games every since. 

After a few minutes of exploring the exterior of the facility you're (not so warmly) greeted by the first xenomorph, and yes they're absolutely terrifying in this game, especially on higher difficulties which I can't recommend enough as it only adds to the increased horror factor. 

There are four difficulty levels in the game, ranging from the ridiculously simple story mode, to normal, expert and finally the brutal insane difficulty. Again, I highly advise you to choose from at least expert difficulty, making each encounter with the xenos properly challenging and terrifying as they're harder to kill and can kill Zula with just a couple of lightning quick attacks followed by a brutal close-up death animation similar to the ones in Isolation. 

With above mentioned recommendations lies the game's greatest and true strength, knowing that each encounter (especially when they emerge in numbers) can mean instant game over if you aren't vigilant, focused or prepared. There's a couple of strategies you could (and definitely should) learn to make things a bit more manageable, and this is where your trusty sticky mines takes the spotlight. See, the xenomorphs are often attracted to alarms (which you better get used to hearing as they're frequent) and will sometimes emerge in waves of twos or threes (which is exactly as horrifying as it sounds) and they often just love to sneak up on you from ceiling vents rather than charging towards you in plain sight. Solution? Watch your motion tracker and accordingly throw a couple of bombs in anticipation of the paths they are likely to cross. The blast radius (visualized by a helpful danger-zone holographic sphere upon activation) will take out any xenomorph rushing through it but beware not to get caught in the explosion yourself. 

During an early segment you're accompanied by Davis who'll provide support fire with his shotgun. View this as a learning stage or an unofficial combat tutorial if you will, as he won't be around to help you for the majority of the campaign. 

While the game doesn't offer a particularly big open area, you're free to explore (at your own risk, xenos emerge in uneven intervals) provided that you have unlocked the necessary key card authorization or panel tools.

However, exploration doesn't exactly feel encouraged aside from getting that extra ammo or health stims if you're low on them (although for being a survival-horror the game is surprisingly generous with these)

There are computer panels with emails to read, and tapes with audio recordings to flesh out the story I suppose (or for trophy hunting) but to be frank they aren't very interesting to begin with. A crafting system or weapon mods would definitely increase the fun-factor when exploring and looting. Now, you have to risk getting attacked by aliens just to read one deceased staff members' email complaints. Yay. 

Initially a lot of places are locked, which leads us to one of the game's negative aspects, namely repetitive backtracking to the point where it gets a bit tiresome. Not only will you return to some areas twice, but 3-4 times because your objective requires it. This is bit of a lame game design but fortunately the path straightens out towards the end.

Additionally, there's not much of environmental variety to speak of, with the game mostly taking place in creepy dark corridors and rooms. A little change wouldn't hurt here, maybe an indoor tropical garden between the sterile steel metal walls? Hardly a big issue however, and luckily the sheer horror of constant being under xenomorph threat overshadows both the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the lack of variation. Speaking of the latter and similarly to the lack of weapons, there are only (well 99% of the time) two types of alien enemies to speak of here, standard Aliens '86 version xenomorphs and facehuggers. Yep, that's it. No "Runners", "Spitters", "Boomers", "Rhinos", etc but I'm personally fine with that as a self-declared alien purist in this regard. 

While on the topic of variety, you'll occasionally find yourself solving puzzles, mostly in the form of opening electrical panels and moving around wires to reroute power (think Bioshock) 

Graphically, the game looks fine for a 2025 game. Supposedly it's enhanced for non-VR gameplay but I haven't tried the original version so I can't compare the two. What sticks out though are impressive lighting- and shadow effects and a silky smooth framerate locked at 60fps. Even more impressive is the audio design, from the thumping heavy steps (or crawling in vents) of nearby xenomorphs to echoing alarms, heavy metallic doors opening/closing, deafeningly loud indoor air cycles and so forth, all working in harmony to create a scary atmosphere.

As for the voice acting, Zula's talking leaves a lot to be desired, with an unusually calm and monotone voice given the circumstances. A bit more effort in the delivery certainly wouldn't hurt, as this is not even close to Amanda Ripley's VA in Isolation or Pvt. Winter in Colonial Marines, but rather closer to an androids emotionless chatting. Definitely not a big problem though, don't get me wrong. It doesn't decrease the immersion but it certainly doesn't increase it either, and the criticism isn't necessarily aimed at the voice acting itself but possibly the VA direction as well. 

To conclude, Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition Part 1 is overall a thrilling horror-action experience lasting 5-10 hours that will most definitely send chills down your spine. At the very least an absolute must-play for Alien fans. 

Summary:

+ High horror factor. Make no mistake this is a scary game. Perfect Xenomorph organism encounters. 

+ Fluid, well done animations. Xenomorph do not look stiff. 

+ Thick atmosphere, great lighting and shadow effects

+ Great audio design. Almost up there with Alien Isolation. Headphones strongly recommend.

- Repetitive backtracking.

- Similar environments.

- Little incitement for exploration.

- Few weapons.

Total: 8/10 - Very Good

Review by: Neomorph

(screenshots captured on PS5 Pro)