'Alien: Blackout' Trailer: Don't Look Now, But There's A Xenomorph In Your Phone

By the time Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley wakes up at the beginning of James Cameron's Aliens, she's been in cryo-sleep for 57 years. A lot can happen in nearly six decades, and the franchise has begun to explore that era in the form of video games. 2014's Alien: Isolation was a popular survival horror game that featured Ripley's daughter Amanda, and as previously teased, that character is returning in a new game called Alien: Blackout – and the first trailer is here.

The bad news? Whereas the well-reviewed Isolation was a console game, Blackout will be available on mobile devices. So get ready to look foolish screaming on the subway during a jump-scare, because a Xenomorph is going to be crawling around on your phone.

Here's the game's official synopsis:

The terror of Alien is brought to life in Alien: Blackout. Try to stay alive while trapped aboard a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station carrying a deadly Xenomorph as it tirelessly hunts you and the crew. Outsmart the perfect hunter by making perilous choices. Players must rely on the damaged controls of the space station or risk sacrificing crew members to avoid deadly contact, permanently altering the outcome of the game.

Survive seven fear-inducing levels by remotely guiding Amanda Ripley's crew through increasingly challenging tasks using only the station's emergency systems. The uncertainty and unpredictability of both the alien and her crew can impose total defeat for Amanda and the entire station.

Alien: Blackout is a unique fear-inducing horror mobile game experience that will test the inner nerves of both Alien and horror fans alike, where life can end in an instant.

In the wake of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, I'm particularly attuned to the "choose your own adventure" model of storytelling, and it seems like this game is offering a version of that for its players. One of its key features is described like this: "Every decision can lead to a different conclusion. Players can test different strategies and theories to outlast the Xenomorph in pursuit of victory!" While that approach may be somewhat tiresome in the form of a film with a branching narrative, it's far more inherent to the video game medium, so I expect it will work well here.

Still, those who were hoping for a full-fledged console-based sequel may be disappointed with the fact that this is being relegated to mobile. But maybe the ability to jump into the world of Alien at any time will offset that disappointment. Alien: Blackout will be available on January 24, 2019, and is currently available for pre-order in the App Store and Google Play.