Enhanced Gameplay with Simplified Graphics

Alien: Rogue Incursion first made its debut on PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets back in December, marking the ‘Alien’ series’ initial venture into VR-exclusive territory. Recently, the team at Survios has expanded the game’s availability, launching it on the Quest 3.

In our initial review on launch day, we found the Xenomorph encounters thrilling, driven by their intense, predatory behavior reminiscent of raptors. However, the excitement was somewhat dampened by the frequent repetitive encounters. Compounding our frustration was a save system that was unforgiving at times. Ultimately, in our spoiler-free analysis, we rated it a respectable 7 out of 10.

Before its release on the Quest 3, Alien: Rogue Incursion received several patches, which could be found on the Horizon Store for $40. Among the updates, one of the critical improvements rolled out just a few days prior, included changes to Xenomorph spawning. The developers tweaked their hearing and vision so that players wouldn’t feel constantly overwhelmed by enemies that always seemed to know their location. Another welcome change was the save system, allowing players to reload previous saves, rather than being restricted to just the last one.

Though we haven’t yet explored the Quest 3 iteration ourselves, it’s already caught the attention of reviewers. The YouTube channel ‘Gamertag VR’ provided an insightful overview of the game’s latest release, pointing out some graphical oddities.

“Sadly, on the Quest, the dark and tense atmosphere falls flat. The initial half of the game simply isn’t dark enough to necessitate the use of the flashlight affixed to your head,” they remarked about the visual experience during the first few hours of gameplay.

That said, Gamertag VR observed that the Xenomorph encounters now appear more organic, likely thanks to the recent patch before the Quest 3 debut.

For those interested in direct comparisons, ‘The VR Grid’ on YouTube offers a side-by-side analysis of the Quest 3 and PSVR 2 versions (using the standard PS5 setup) to showcase the compromises made to accommodate the Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip.

The VR Grid’s breakdown highlights that while the core gameplay remains similar between the Quest 3 and PSVR 2, the Quest version sacrifices some elements like dynamic lighting and ambient effects, such as steam, and features a reduced draw distance. On the upside, the in-game text on the Quest is easier to read.

While we’re calling it Alien: Rogue Incursion, it’s technically ‘Part One’ of a two-part saga. Survios explained last December that this first installment is a “standalone adventure culminating in a cliffhanger,” with promises of further content.

The studio is actively developing ‘Part Two,’ which is set to advance Zula’s journey, facing her with fiercer foes and tougher challenges along the way.