Alien: Rogue Incursion Review (PC/Console)

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Last December, fans were able to enjoy the sci-fi horror series in a brand new format. The game didn’t just let players control the popular comic book character Zula Hendricks; Alien: Rogue Incursion actually allowed them to come face-to-face with Xenomorphs for the first time ever.

Now that Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is out, players on consoles can enjoy the game without needing a VR headset. This does change how the game plays, but it also makes Alien: Rogue Incursion accessible to a much wider audience. There are some downsides to being available on more platforms – some players will miss the incredibly immersive VR experience – but these don’t outweigh the game’s overall quality and make it a worthwhile purchase.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition Features Some of the Best Franchise Work in Gaming

No matter what you call it, Alien: Rogue Incursion quickly establishes that players are stuck in a dangerous part of the Alien universe. The game’s visuals, characters, and lighting all create the same feeling as the original Alien movies. This isn’t surprising given the development team’s background with the Alien franchise-especially game director T.Q. Jefferson, who previously led game development for both Alien and Predator at 20th Century.

A deep knowledge of the Alien universe is central to almost everything in Alien: Rogue Incursion, and the game doesn’t try to hide it-and that’s a good thing. This isn’t simply a game *about* Alien; it’s a story taking place between the first Alien film, and its 1986 sequel, Aliens. The game features Zula Hendricks, who quickly became a popular character in several novels and comic books. Because of this, Alien: Rogue Incursion is strongly connected to both the original and more recent Alien stories, and it expertly manages to balance them all.

Alien: Rogue Incursion manages to strike a good balance: it doesn’t stray so far from the source material that it harms the story, but it also isn’t so predictable that players become bored. Plus, many of the visual glitches reported at launch have been resolved, and the remaining ones are small, infrequent, and don’t affect how you play the game.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition Digs Deep Into Terror

When it comes to how it plays, Alien: Rogue Incursion offers players a surprising amount. It’s a horror game because terrifying Xenomorphs are almost always hunting you, moving through vents or hiding in walls. But it’s also an action game, letting you fight off groups of Xenomorphs using different weapons and explosives. Just be aware that ammo can be scarce, and spending too much time searching will attract unwanted attention – the kind of attention that can absorb a lot of damage before going down.

Most notably, Alien: Rogue Incursion focuses on investigation. Players will primarily be exploring different locations, carefully reading found documents, and solving the central mystery. This gameplay will likely feel familiar to fans of games like The Sinking City. Alien: Rogue Incursion creates a comparable feeling of both fear and responsibility for players.

In The Sinking City, you play as a detective arriving in a quiet coastal town plagued by both Lovecraftian horrors and criminal activity. Although The Sinking City features less direct action, and Alien: Rogue Incursion has fewer traditional investigation tools, both games share a common goal: to uncover the truth behind the events by finding clues like cassette tapes and private messages, rather than simply surviving or fighting. This focus on investigation can sometimes lessen the feeling of dread, but it doesn’t disrupt the game’s flow or make the player feel completely secure from danger.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Is Arguably Better Without VR

Alien: Rogue Incursion is filled with genuinely frightening moments. A particularly well-known scene involves the player being swarmed by Xenomorphs, ultimately resulting in them being attacked by a facehugger and infected with a Xenomorph parasite. The game’s naturally immersive nature amplifies the horror. While these scenes remain scary on PC and consoles, they don’t have *quite* the same impact. This isn’t a drawback, though, and could actually highlight the biggest benefit of the game being adapted for new platforms.

Playing on console or PC isn’t just better for avoiding motion sickness; it also makes the game less like watching a movie, which actually *improves* how quickly the story moves. Seeing the whole screen instead of through a VR headset reduces the constant feeling of pressure that Alien: Rogue Incursion can create. For most of the game, it’s hard to want to pause and come back later. The Panic Room’s save points are often located during important searches or missions, which makes sense, but it also encourages players to keep playing to maintain momentum rather than going back to a difficult spot.

Naturally, this directly connects to the core ideas and overall mood of the game, as well as those present throughout the Alien series. And while this demonstrates how well the game fits within that franchise, it also makes Alien: Rogue Incursion feel surprisingly lengthy for its actual duration.

Most gamers who are reasonably skilled will likely finish Alien: Rogue Incursion in about eight hours, possibly extending to ten or twelve if they fully explore everything. While it’s not a lengthy game, playing it in VR made it *feel* much longer. Now that Alien: Rogue Incursion is available without a VR headset, the intense pressure that used to dominate the game’s mysterious atmosphere has largely disappeared. This results in a more relaxed and enjoyable experience, though it still manages to create suspense and keep players on the edge of their seats.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC.

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2025-10-01 01:03