Alien: Rogue Incursion is out now on PS VR2 and PS5, nevertheless it’s simply Half One of a two-part story. Half Two might be out someday later, although this Half One/Half Two cut up shouldn’t be what gamers thought they have been getting once they hit pre-order.
In reality, you’d have solely identified this was Half Certainly one of a two-part story getting in when you purchased the sport proper at launch – as a result of developer Survios didn’t change the branding across the recreation till launch day. In reality, probably the most the studio has acknowledged the change (at time of writing) remains to be simply on the sport’s digital storefront pages throughout platforms, and in its Discord server. Gamers haven’t taken the information effectively, notably on Steam.
Now although, in an announcement despatched to PSU from Survios’ chief product officer, TQ Jefferson, we lastly hear a extra official phrase, and an apology.
Jefferson apologizes for deceptive gamers concerning the cut up, and places the choice round making it a Half One/Half Two cut up into context from the studio’s perspective a bit of bit extra. You’ll be able to see the complete assertion, beneath.
“We’re excited to inform a narrative with Alien: Rogue Incursion that may stretch past this primary standalone recreation. It was by no means our intention to mislead the followers by revealing that the story would proceed, and for that, we apologize.
We all the time thought we had a compelling recreation, however after preliminary early gameplay suggestions, our confidence grew. We went from ‘we expect there’s extra to inform right here,’ to ‘we all know there’s extra to inform.’ Half One is a standalone journey which ends with a cliffhanger, and we needed followers to know that there could be extra on the horizon, so we determined to substantiate Half Two alongside the launch.
We’re all large followers of Alien, and Zula particularly. Work is already underway for Half Two, and we sit up for sharing extra with you in 2025!”
Even with this assertion, it’s nonetheless troublesome to establish why the Half One/Half Two cut up was introduced on this means. Followers have been mislead not as a result of they have been launched to the notion that Survios’ story with Zula may proceed, they have been mislead as a result of it was revealed extra like how Ubisoft launches its NFT video games – hoping nobody notices.
In fact it’s thrilling for gamers who’re having fun with Alien: Rogue Incursion to study that there might be extra to this story, and certain new gameplay options in a coming Half Two.
So why wasn’t the information not shared earlier? Or maybe even months after launch, after gamers have been left with this cliffhanger, considering ‘Effectively certainly there might be a Half Two based mostly on how that ended,’ solely to be delighted when it’s lastly introduced?
Both would have been higher than importing the brand new banner photograph on the sport’s numerous retailer pages throughout digital storefronts after which solely responding to the barrage of questions from gamers in a Discord server, and saying nothing on the studio’s socials, weblog, or in one other extra public venue.
Now, that lack of communication and close to silence is what has mislead and upset gamers. Even with probably the most beneficiant learn of why the Half One/Half Two announcement unfolded like this, it’s essentially a failure of communication on Survios’ half.
For one thing that’s fairly mundane, no much less. Loads of studios have found out that they wish to get occurring a sequel earlier than the primary recreation releases. A lot begin to work on that sequel effectively earlier than the primary recreation will launch.
Jefferson’s assertion makes it sound like that quite common, very mundane observe occurred right here. It’s puzzling as to why Survios couldn’t work out learn how to talk it then, when studios have been capable of announce sequels, with out apologizing for them present, for years.
Supply – [Survios]