Alien: Isolation’s Xenomorph reveal is a masterclass in quiet terror

Players do get little glimpses of the Xenomorph before this point — they’ll witness it kill an NPC with its tail, hear it stomping around Sevastopol Station as it hunts for survivors, and see the bloody carnage left in its wake. But for the most part, the creature is largely kept out of view during the game’s opening hours, making its sudden appearance later on even more hair-raising. When it does finally show up, it arrives at the perfect moment. Player-character Amanda Ripley (daughter of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley) is attempting to override a security lockdown when she hears hissing from the ceiling above her.