Alien Isolation is not an easy game. The main thing that makes it hard is trying to avoid the main Alien/Xenomorph that lurks around. There are ways to try and avoid it however.
The Alien lurks around in the vents mostly and comes down to stalk you at many times during the game. Only a few times are your encounters “scripted”, because most of the time it comes down its own accord. Some have called the A.I. of the Alien as unpredictable. This is true, but there are ways to avoid it.
Bear in mind, these are tips I used to avoid the Alien. Many gamers are different and will have other strategies, but the advice I’m giving to you now helped me complete this lengthy game. I have to say, avoiding the Alien is easier than killing the stupid Androids in Alien Isolation…
First of all, the Alien in Alien Isolation likes loud noises. The most obvious thing to is crouch and crawl in vents if you think the Alien is near. Never ever sprint when the Alien is around as it will hear you and kill you instantly. I remember sprinting for fun the first time I played the game and I died in seconds.
Also, make sure to hear the Alien when it’s coming down the vents. You can probably hear it growl and hear its footsteps hitting the floor when it’s coming down from the vents. Your motion tracker usually is helpful as it picks up any motion from anything.
During the earlier parts of Alien Isolation, I found it helpful just hiding in lockers or under tables for an extended period of time. When hiding in vents, make sure to hold Amanda Ripley’s breath by pressing the left trigger.
Also, try not to use the motion tracker while you are inside the locker or cupboard. The motion tracker makes a beeping noise that the Alien can hear. Angry Joe had a let’s play video of Alien Isolation showcasing this. His friend held the motion tracker too long which enabled the Alien to find him. It’s near the end of the video if you want to see what I’m talking about.
If you hide long enough, sometimes the Alien gets bored and crawls back inside the vents. If you cannot hear anymore footsteps or its growl, you will know you are clear for now. This doesn’t mean it’s gone forever though. I mostly played the game while crouching which I thought was a good strategy. Crouching may take a long time, but it’s better than dying all of the time.
During a later period of Alien Isolation, you should have been able to procure a flamethrower. The flamethrower should be used sparingly if you want to scare away the Alien if it becomes too much of a nuisance for you. If you find that the Alien isn’t going away, you can use the flamethrower on it. Make sure to douse it in fire for a good amount of time. Using only a little amount of fire on it will still get you killed. If you are successful though, the Alien will crawl back in the vents like a coward.
Speaking of vents, the Alien can sometimes crawl in the same vents as you can. This was a rare event from my playthrough, but keep this in mind. The Alien is a very unpredictable fellow. There is also a moment in the game where you can see its acidic saliva from dropping down from the vents. Avoid this at all costs if you don’t want to get killed. My brother was playing Alien Isolation for the first time and walked underneath the saliva. Needless to say, he died instantly for his mistake.
The last piece of advice I can give to you is that you can sometimes use the Alien to your own advantage to kill off any annoying human enemies. You can either sprint or fire off some bullets from you Revolver to catch the Alien’s attention. If you walk near where the humans are, the Alien should see the other humans can kill them off. During this stage, you should be in a locker or under a table to avoid the massacre…
These are just some of the things I did to stay alive while playing Alien Isolation. I did manage to finish the whole game, but it wasn’t easy. If you want to know how to kill the annoying Androids, you can read my other guide by clicking here.