Enhanced Gameplay with Simplified Graphics

Alien: Rogue Incursion made its debut on PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets back in December, marking a significant step for the ‘Alien’ franchise as its first VR-native game. Now, the development team at Survios has expanded its reach by bringing the game to the Quest 3 platform.

When we first reviewed the game on launch day, we highlighted the thrilling Xenomorph encounters, which feature an intense, raptor-like hunting style that truly gets your heart racing. However, we couldn’t help but notice the repetitive nature of these encounters, which somewhat dampened the experience. The frustration was further exacerbated by a rather unforgiving save system, leading us to rate the game a [7/10] in our (spoiler-free) review.

Since its initial launch, the game has seen several updates before making its way to Quest 3. You can find it in the Horizon Store, priced at $40.

Arguably, the most significant update rolled out just a few days ago, as Survios adjusted how Xenomorphs spawn. By tweaking their hearing and vision, the developers aimed to avoid overwhelming players with sheer numbers or impeccable tracking abilities. This update also improved the save system, allowing players to load previous saves rather than being stuck with just the latest one.

We haven’t had the opportunity to try the Quest 3 version yet, but early feedback appears mixed. The YouTube channel ‘Gamertag VR’ offers an insightful overview of the Quest launch, though they did point out some graphical inconsistencies.

“Unfortunately, on the Quest, [the dark atmosphere] is compromised as the first half of the game isn’t actually dark. You have a flashlight mounted on your head’s left side, but for the initial four to five hours, you’ll rarely need to turn it on because the game’s environment simply isn’t dim enough,” they mention.

Nevertheless, Gamertag VR does note that Xenomorph encounters seem more natural now, likely due to the recent patch adjustments.

For those interested in a direct comparison between versions, ‘The VR Grid’ on YouTube provides a side-by-side analysis of the Quest 3 and PSVR 2 editions. This comparison highlights some sacrifices made for the Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor.

While core gameplay remains fairly consistent between Quest 3 and PSVR 2, viewers will notice that the Quest version lacks some elements like dynamic lighting, ambient effects like steam, and offers a shorter draw distance. On the plus side, the Quest 3 version does offer easier-to-read in-game text.

While we’ve been referring to the game simply as Alien: Rogue Incursion, it is technically ‘Part One’ of a two-part narrative. In a late December statement, Survios described the first installment as a “standalone adventure with a cliffhanger ending,” but assured fans there’s “more on the horizon.”

Currently, Survios is developing ‘Part Two,’ which promises to advance Zula’s story, throwing her into encounters with even more formidable foes and tougher obstacles.