Games where you're alone in an alien world

[Lone Wanderer]

Halo: CE

You are, for a good amount of the game. Sure, you get reinforcements from time to time, but largely you're left on your own. Combined with the huge environments, it does make you feel awfully alone at times.

[Menegrothx]

You are, for a good amount of the game. Sure, you get reinforcements from time to time, but largely you're left on your own. Combined with the huge environments, it does make you feel awfully alone at times.

The game starts on a space station, you're surrounded by humans. I agree that there is nice feel of openness to environments in Halo games but no FPS game I've played has had that feeling of vulnerability and sense of being alone in an alien environment where no one is there to help you or make you understand the world surrounding you any better. The xen levels of Half Life (and few small parts of Thief 1) are the closest thing I've seen in a FPS game that have same kind of feeling as what I'm looking for.

The original Unreal instantly jumps to mind; unfortunately the game has not aged very well.

I actually prefer the way 3D games of that era look to the way many modern shooters look like.

Most of the Metroid games fit this bill.

Don't all metroid games take place inside a space station? The whole "metroidvania" genre is based on level design that consists of confined indoor mazes if I'm not mistaken. Cinematic platformers, despite having portions where you crawl inside a cave, go to a factory or something like that, all take place outdoors. Alien landscapes and nature are a big part of the attraction of those games (to me). To me an ideal game would be one that takes place an area similiar to the one in the beginning of Heart of Darkness or the outdoor night/desert/forest levels of Abe's Oddysee/Exoddus.

I've only played Metroid, Super Metroid and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption very briefly so I don't know how the games are during later stages, I do plan on playing those games from start to finish some day though. I've heard that Metroid Prime has an excellent athmosphere so I'm looking forward to playing the game properly.

[BurningDoom]

Metroid Prime 2, and Metroid: Fusion mostly take place inside of ships. But the others take place on planets. A lot of that is cavernous, but there are some open areas. But they aren't space ships or space stations in most Metroid games. Planet Zebes, Tallon IV, Phaaze, and SR388 are some of the more famous planets they take place on. And they often are complete with their own alien lifeforms and plant-life.

[elmagicochrisg]

L.O.L: Lack of Love (dreamcast)

[MrHealthy]

Most of the Metroid games fit this bill.

Don't all metroid games take place inside a space station? The whole "metroidvania" genre is based on level design that consists of confined indoor mazes if I'm not mistaken. Cinematic platformers, despite having portions where you crawl inside a cave, go to a factory or something like that, all take place outdoors. Alien landscapes and nature are a big part of the attraction of those games (to me). To me an ideal game would be one that takes place an area similiar to the one in the beginning of Heart of Darkness or the outdoor night/desert/forest levels of Abe's Oddysee/Exoddus.

I've only played Metroid, Super Metroid and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption very briefly so I don't know how the games are during later stages, I do plan on playing those games from start to finish some day though. I've heard that Metroid Prime has an excellent athmosphere so I'm looking forward to playing the game properly.

Nope, the mostly take place on/in planets, mostly in caves. Sure they are indoor mazes but that doesn't take away from the beauty of said worlds and the various natural formations (and some ruins). Of the games you have played, Metroid (and by extension the remake Metroid: Zero Mission) fits as its entirely in the planet Zebes, and Super Metroid fits as after the short opening on a space station it is also entirely in the planet Zebes. Metroid 2, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2 also fit takening place in SR388, on Tallon IV and on Aether.

The games that don't fit are Metroid Prime Hunters due to visiting many space stations. Metroid Fusion for being entirely on 1 space station. Metroid Other M for the same reason as Fusion plus the addition of multple NPCs. And lastly Metroid Prime 3 because despite having several lonely surface segments, there are just too many NPCs to truly feel alone.

Metroid Prime 2, and Metroid: Fusion mostly take place inside of ships.

You mean Metroid Other M right? Because Metroid Prime 2 takes place on the planet Aether.

[BurningDoom]

Metroid: Other M was on a planet. There's plenty of parts running around through jungle areas, jumping around on dirt "steps", and that one cinematic of Samus and her crew taking out that monster on the desert-like landscape.

Metroid Prime 2 I admit I didn't beat, but I did get quite a ways into it transporting between the light and dark worlds. And I remember it being a very sterile and metallic environment like a space station or a ship.

[MrPopo]

Metroid: Other M was on a planet. There's plenty of parts running around through jungle areas, jumping around on dirt "steps", and that one cinematic of Samus and her crew taking out that monster on the desert-like landscape.

...

Please tell me you haven't played Other M. The whole game is on the Bottle Ship, which like the BSL station in Fusion, contains various biomes for the creatures being raised.

[Xeogred]

The original Unreal instantly jumps to mind; unfortunately the game has not aged very well.

I'd beg to differ here. I played it for the first time just two years ago, and it definitely transported me to another realm. Completely amazing game and the first Halo, maybe even Metroid Prime, probably pulled tons of influences from it.

Aside from very scarce journal logs throughout the world, there is absolutely no character interaction at all and yet the game still felt like it told its own narrative with the pacing, the ways the levels evolved, and just how the game in general progressed. By conquering the final bits and the final stage, I felt like I had truly went through quite an adventure and had an amazing experience. I'd take Unreal over the first Half-Life now anyday.

When I stepped out of the crashed ship at the beginning onto an unknown planet and this hit, I knew I was in for something special.

And yeah I'd agree with others that I actually think the first Halo isn't a bad pick here. It's why I'm so critical and picky about all the sequels, despite still enjoying them, they'll just never capture the vibe and atmosphere the original had with its emphasis on subtlety and loneliness. Halo 4 had potential to do this, but still just felt far too scripted and short, with nothing to really explore.

@Menegrothx: Going along with all our PM's, I'm kind of surprised you haven't dove into the Metroid games that much! I've said it a lot on the boards, but I seriously think Super Metroid is one of the most atmospheric games out there... 2D to boot, so that says something. The level design and art direction is completely amazing, it's just so surreal and organic (like Unreal a bit I'd say). Like my pickiness with the Halo sequels, I get picky with some of the Metroid games like Fusion which was all on a ship... just too much metal. The greatness of Super Metroid, Prime, etc is how the futuristic architecture is naturally embedded into the environments or submerged in them like they're ruins that have been there for ages, being sucked in by the overgrowth of the planet itself. I just love stuff like that.

But yeah, Unreal is definitely high on my list and up there with some of my newer favorites I finally got around too over the recent years, like SS2, the Thief games, and Deus Ex (Unreal has the same composer and music format). Definitely the golden age of FPS's for me.

And whenever Another World gets mentioned, I like to throw out Flashback. Am I the only one who likes it more? lol. That game is completely awesome.

[MrHealthy]

Samus arrives on Prime 2's planet, Aether, after the world was ravaged by a long war. The enviroment was designed to be hostile and oppressive. I don't see how that comes off as sterile. Unless you are referring to:

Sanctuary Fortress

Which is a vast technologically advanced city, once home of the Luminoth, before they lost the war and the few surivors retreated into hibernation. That does come off a bit sterile, and rightly so considering nothing lives there any more.

[Ivo]

Although it is not nearly as good as the original, you can try the "unofficial" (in that it wasn't made by Chahi) sequel of Another World, Heart of the Alien (I think it is a Sega CD exclusive). You control the alien friend from Another World.

People interested in this type of setting can try Albion (old-style computer RPG), Outcast (3rd person adventure), although both have interaction with friendly NPCs.

You can try the free games:
K.O.L.M. (lots of atmosphere) and Iji (very good game) are both Metroid style games with some action and a similar setting that should be tried.

1213 (written by the guy that does the "Zero Punctuation" reviews) may be another experience akin to Another World and Flashback, but be warned, the story is a bit depressing.

Ivo.