After a decade-long hiatus,Routinesurprised audiences at this year’s Summer Game Fest with a new trailer providing hope for its future release. The game already had a cult following thanks to its 1980s-inspired sci-fi aesthetic with a horror/thriller vibe, so confirmation that Lunar Software is still at work gave fans some much-needed reassurance.
With the new footage shown atSummer Game Fest 2022,Routineappears to be delivering on the same nail-biting horror thatAlien: Isolationpromised fans upon its own release. However, sinceRoutinecan step beyond the limitations of an established franchise, it might be able to improve itself and succeed whereAlien: Isolationcould not.
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Routine Has Been Around Before Alien: Isolation
WhileAlien: Isolationreleased in 2014,Routinehad been officially announced in 2012 - meaning it arguably could have been the first survival-horror game of this style set in space. However, as is the case with many indie titles,Routinesaw numerous delays over the years, andCreative Assembly was able to publishAlien: Isolationwith Sega’s support.
An easy way of distinguishing between these games is recognizing their different development times and also their different approaches to designs. For instance,Alien: Isolationwas developed as an homage to Ridley Scott’sAlienfrom 1979, epitomized by the protagonist being the daughter of Ellen Ripley, surrounded bytechnology and visual aesthetics inspired byAlien. Its design was a decision prompted by the source material, unlikeRoutine’sdesign that clearly draws inspiration, but has its own creative liberty.
Routine Can Thrive In Isolation
Routineis not going to be constrained by aligning to a legacy of films, games, and more. An example ofAlien: Isolationbeing caught up in its history was the criticism it received for makingpaid DLC with the originalAliencastreprising their roles for missions aboard the Nostromo.Routinecan avoid all the obstacles and challengesAlien: Isolationmight have faced, from limitations in enemy design to navigating the complex lore behind theAlienfranchise. Comparisons are being drawn between the “Working Joe” androids seen inAlien: Isolationand the robots seen in theRoutine’s 2022trailer, so Lunar Software seems to have taken lessons on how to make killer androids more terrifying with its own twist on the idea.
Thanks to early footage, it’s already clear thatRoutinewants to set a different tone, incorporating surrealist elements through bizarre real-life footage. Hopefully the game will continue to uphold this distinction as Lunar Software nears an eventual release. Away from the limitations of a franchise,Routinecan deliver its own storyline, whether it remains true to the original narrative in mind upon first being announced in 2012, or if it will go in a different direction following the re-reveal. Many fans are already hoping thatRoutinecan incorporate elements not just fromAlien: Isolation,but other recent titles likeControlandDoomtoo, giving itself a better chance of success.
In an official statement, Lunar Software confirmed that while it did have a finished game around 2016 - two years afterRoutine’soriginal release date, it was unhappy with the final experience. It made the radical decision to restart at risk ofRoutineremaining indevelopment limbo, and in the process demonstrated it was committed to delivering on the horror experience promised upfront.Routinehas a unique opportunity that, in spite of its development hiatus, can let it still hit the ground running and pick up whereAlien: Isolationleft off while improving upon its design.
Routineis in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
