Alien Deathstorm has what Alien: Isolation 2 is currently missing - Rebellion is on sparkling form

Last year, Rebellion Development launched Atomfall, and despite all of the fantastic games to launch in 2025, it struck a chord with me like no other.

It ended up as my personal Game of the Year, so I went into my hands-on session for Alien Deathstorm with my expectations very high.

While the demo was short-lived, I generally liked what I played. It’s got a few teething problems, but with a 2027 launch date, I can’t say that I’m worried.

Don’t be fooled by the title. The game’s got no affiliation with Ridley Scott’s legendary sci-fi franchise, but the inspiration is clear to see. In layman’s terms, it’s like Alien Isolation but with more guns and aliens.

Alien Deathstorm is nailing its atmosphere

What initially struck me was the intensity of the game’s environment. It’s one to play with headphones as the hostile planet you find yourself on is being battered by a wild, unyielding swarm.

Heading outside, my eardrums were buffeted by howling winds and torrential rain, occasionally broken up by the distant cries of blood-drunk lifeforms.

It’s quite scary. I had a fully-stocked SMG, shotgun, and pistol but still felt ill-equipped for whatever lurked in the shadows. Rebellion has nailed the atmosphere here. The aliens themselves have slender silhouettes and the ongoing storm provides perfect cover for them to sneak up on you. I felt paranoid seeing tarps flapping in the distance, or lashing loose wiring resembling tentacles or tails trailing around corners.

Alien Deathstorm somehow brought out the fear and anxiety Alien: Isolation 2 couldn’t at Summer Game Fest. It sounds harsh, but it’s true.

Alien Deathstorm- Rebellion Development

One feature I particularly loved, which only added to the horror, was your visor occasionally needing a wipe down. Wandering around outside for too long sees your view become clouded with rain and condensation, or alien blood if you’re standing in the splash zone as you shoot. At the press of a button, though, you’ll wipe it clean and can carry on as usual. It’s a simple mechanic but one I grew rather fond of for some reason.

Unfortunately, an instant mood-killer was the music. That’s not to say the music itself wasn’t good. The initial blaring beat when aliens swarmed my location added to the intensity of the situation, but it outstayed its welcome when it’d continue to follow me as I performed mundane tasks like looting. This was probably an audio glitch in retrospect, but it was jarring nonetheless.

The game’s combat at least felt like an improvement over Atomfall, but a small one at best. Atomfall’s fisticuffs and gunplay felt sluggish which often persuaded you to take a stealthier approach, whereas Alien Deathstorm is more run-and-gun.

It was easy to get overwhelmed when the horde descended on my location but with a healthy supply of shotgun ammo and restoratives, I narrowly avoided death during most encounters.

Overall, Alien Deathstorm is very promising, and if I love it even half as much as I loved Atomfall, it’ll be another Rebellion banger in my opinion.

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