Last year, Survios released Alien: Rogue Incursion on PSVR2 and Steam VR, with a delayed release on Meta Quest 3. The studio set out to develop an Alien game that gave players a true virtual reality experience and leveraged the company’s considerable VR expertise to deliver on that promise.

For many die-hard Alien gamers, the game felt locked away behind VR consoles, leaving many gamers feeling a sense of missing out. When Survios announced a non-VR release designated Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition, many in the community celebrated the opportunity to finally play this first-person survivor shooter. This suped-up version of the game promised better graphics and improved artificial intelligence for the Xenomorphs. Unfortunately, the launch day was marred by bugs (not the kind Zula Hendricks guns down), and for some, disappointment with the supposedly improved AI for the Xenomorphs.

On my third playthrough of the game, I decided to undertake the campaign on the hardest difficulty setting, Insane. I’m here to tell you that if you haven’t played the Evolved Edition on Insane difficulty, you’re missing out and haven’t truly experienced the game as it’s meant to be played. Honestly, I’m not sure why Survios didn’t make this difficulty as the Regular setting, as the gameplay experience is significantly better (for reasons I’ll explain in a moment). Given that Xenomorphs take out 95% of your health with a single swipe (on Insane difficulty), there’s room to bump up the difficult with an instant death upon getting hit if this was the standard difficulty and Survios wanted to make an even harder setting.

But to the topic a hand; Insane difficulty is great for the following reasons:

• Xenomorph combat is DEADLY. Xenomorphs can kill you with just a single hit, but usually do 95% damage with a single swipe. This makes combat truly terrifying, particularly when facing a group of Aliens that attack from all sides.

• Ammo is hard to find and runs out quickly. Xenomorphs take a full Revolver clip to die and nearly half a Pulse Rifle clip. The Shotgun takes two or three rounds depending on the location of impact. This means players should consider stealth and even flee when confronted by the Xenomorph. When standing your ground is the only option, every shot counts.

• The dangerous combat forces players to engage with the environment and utilize the Map and Motion Tracker in order to survive. Choke points, escape routes, planning head: these are all requirements to survive at this difficulty level.

• The lack of ammo makes finding intelligence discs more important as these grant security clearances that give access to rooms with extra ammo and health.

If you felt disappointed by your initial experience with Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition, I highly recommend giving the game another try on Insane difficulty; I believe you’ll find the experience rewarding and feel like you are fully immersed in the experience, with survival odds that match what it might actually be like to face off against the Perfect Organism.

Tell us what you think! Have you tried Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition on Insane difficulty? Share your experiences in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.

Featured Image: Survios