Christopher Baggett
20th Century Studios | Sega
Alien: Romulus is poised to terrify fans this year, but fans of Alien: Isolation can feel confident that they’re being seen as well.
2014’s Alien: Isolation was a masterpiece in horror gaming. Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, it followed Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, as she explored a derelict spacecraft to find out what led to her mother’s disappearance 15 years earlier.
The upcoming Alien: Romulus will be set in a similar window, taking place five years after Amanda encountered the Xenomorphs in Isolation. As such, fans are curious as to whether or not the hit game will tie into the film somehow.
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While we don’t know for sure how the tense Isolation will directly tie into the horrifying Alien: Romulus, fans can rest assured that the game hasn’t been forgotten by the film’s creators.
Alien: Romulus is clearly inspired by Alien: Isolation
Director Fede Alvarez has confirmed Alien: Isolation was an inspiration for Alien: Romulus. Right off the bat, there are definitive nods to Alien: Isolation in Romulus. A photo shared by director Fede Alverez reveals one of the iconic phone terminals from the game on the set of Romulus.
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Happy #AlienDay everybody! pic.twitter.com/vWyWtThUfj
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) April 26, 2023
The terminal is also present in the background of the first Alien: Romulus trailer. In Alien: Isolation, the phone terminals, called Registration Points, served as save points where players could record their progress.
It’s clear that Isolation has been on Alvarez’s mind throughout filming. In another post on X, he shared a library of books that he used when developing Alien: Romlus, among which is the Alien: Isolation artbook.
He’s also revealed on social media that he’s an avid gamer, telling one fan he had finished all of the Alien tie-ing games except for the then-recent Alien: Dark Descent, which he was playing through at the time.
Related:
Alien: Romulus – Release date, cast, plot rumors & more
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Is Alien: Isolation canon?
Alien: Isolation isn’t clearly canon or non-canon. Because it’s set between films and has no direct impact on the events of the franchise, so it’s easy enough to ignore it, but it also doesn’t contradict the movies in a way that it can’t be canon.
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While the developers have not clarified the canon status one way or another, Alien: Isolation does have connections to the films. Amanda Ripley is first mentioned in deleted scenes from Alien. When Ellen Ripley awakens in Aliens, she’s told that Amanda died of cancer while Ellen was in cryosleep.
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SegaAmanda Ripley is referenced in Aliens, but the canon status of her adventures in Alien: Isolation and beyond isn’t clear.
There is, however, some implication that Amanda Ripley had her own continuing adventures. Alien: Romulus is set just a few years after Isolation’s ending, which sees Amanda eject herself into space to escape a Xenomorph. While the game has yet to receive a follow-up, Amanda’s story is later fleshed out in novels.
2022’s Alien: Colony War reveals that the story of Amanda’s death depicted in Aliens may have been a lie. In the novel, her husband, Chad McLaren, reveals Amanda has been placed in cryosleep while a cure for her cancer is sought, and the story of her death was fabricated to protect her.
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Much like the game, the novels are on the cusp of continuity, not explicitly canon or non-canon yet. If this is canon, it means Amanda is either exploring the galaxy or in cryosleep during Romulus. For eager fans, this is a hint that Amanda’s story is far from done or even a possible set-up for Amanda and Ellen to meet.
It’s still possible Alien: Romulus could connect to Alien: Isolation’s story directly or even set up for Amanda to return down the road. For now, though, her story is in limbo, leaving the character literally in isolation.
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Alien: Romulus is in cinemas starting on August 16, 2024. Before then, you can buy the new Alien popcorn bucket, head here for more new movies releasing this month, or check out the biggest box office hits of 2024 so far.
