The latest issue of PlayStation Magazine includes a report from undisclosed sources that affirm that British studio Creative Assembly would kickstart the development on a new title based on the Alien franchise as soon as they finish their work on Halo Wars 2. This would align with previous speculation that both the studio and Sega would be interested on a sequel to 2014’s Alien Isolation, despite the fact that the original didn’t move as many sales as Sega hoped.
The quote of the PSM article, taken from the issue 135 of the publication, says: ”Our sources tell us that after work is finished on Halo Wars 2, a new Alien game may start development over at Alien Isolation dev Creative Assembly.”
The new project would coincide with the expansion of the studio, which recently finalised the acquisition of Crytek Black Sea, rebranded as Creative Assembly Sofia.
Alien Isolation is a first-person action game which focused on recreating the atmosphere of the original Alien film by focusing gameplay in a more stealth and survival direction rather than face-to-face fights with enemies. Their portrayal of the Alien as an invincible, extremelly intelligent figure granted them the appreciation of critics and fans, who considered the title by far the best recent adaptation of the franchise in a videogame form.
And despite the fact it sold 2.1 million copies worldwide, Sega was not completely satisfied with the results, delaying the decision to greenlight a sequel. However, the wide appreciation for the game and the increasing awareness of the brand due to the upcoming Alien: Covenant film may have inclined the company to take another chance.
At the end of 2015, COO of Sega Europe, Jurgen Post said that Alien Isolation 2 was “not out of the question”, although Sega would require results that not only barely break even, but bring a solid amount of profits. At the time it was considered that the particular direction of the game had not found an audience in North America specifically, although the recent success of Resident Evil 7, a first-person game that also focuses more on terror than action may have open a new market for these productions.
Many have also considered that Resident Evil 7’s success among PlayStation VR owners should mark the way for the financial viability of a future Alien Isolation 2.
