Nine years ago, Matt Filer officially began work on the OpenCAGE mod tools for Alien: Isolation—following two-and-a-half years of work on prototype versions. During that time the tools have been available for anyone to use, which is part of the reason Creative Assembly's legendarily scary horror game has a variety of mods already. (Though the VR mod works differently, since it's actually enabling an unfinished mode that shipped with the game.)
OpenCAGE has finally made it to version 1.0, which can be downloaded on Steam. Filer proudly told us his mod tools have "now reached the point where you're able to implement full custom maps, missions, modes, characters, weapons, animations, sounds, models, textures, and more!"
As a demonstration of what's possible, Filer is making a Halo-themed custom map. "It features custom cinematics, enemies, weapons, all on a brand new map with a custom HUD," he said. "It has reached a point now of being able to make full total conversion mods, which has always been my end goal, so it's cool to finally be here!"
Alien: Isolation just won our scariest videogame poll, and I consider it a well-earned victory. It's one of the few games I've seen frighten even people who aren't normally bothered by horror thanks to how unpredictable and relentless the xenomorph is when pursuing you. And those dead-eyed Worker Joe robots are no slouches either.
Hopefully some creative mods will give us reason to go back to Alien: Isolation, and help tide over the wait for the upcoming Alien: Isolation 2, which is likely to be available some time in 2027.
