Creative Assembly says Alien: Isolation 2's custom tech enabled a 'realistic' atmosphere Unreal Engine 5 couldn't 'We felt that a custom solution would give us that perfect frame response that you want in that kind of really, really dark environment'

Date:
Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:11:06 +0000

Description:
Alien: Isolation 2's custom audio and lighting tech has enabled Creative Assembly to create a more authentic atmosphere that Unreal Engine 5 couldn't achieve.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Principal environment artist Archie Whitehead says Alien: Isolation 2 's custom lighting and audio tech allowed it to create a more "realistic" atmosphere He says just using Unreal Engine 5 wasn't enough, since the engine is "optimized for usually quite bright scenes" Custom lighting allowed the team to design "reactivity" in the environment Alien: Isolation 2 's custom audio and lighting technology has enabled Creative Assembly to create a more authentic atmosphere that it couldn't fully achieve with just Unreal Engine 5.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, Creative Assembly
principal environment artist Archie Whitehead and principal UI artist Laura Mouther shared more about developing the sequel with Unreal Engine 5 and the studio's custom technology, which it previously told us was an "evolution" of what fans are familiar with . "For horror, audio and lighting are the two Powerman things," Whitehead said. "Unreal gave us a great base, but we felt that to do certain things, it [custom tech] really, really helps." Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

One of those things, particularly with lighting, was "reactivity," which
would offer visual effects from things like weather and other environmental assets, creating a more realistic atmosphere.

"We wanted a thunderclap, like fire flickering, sirens spinning, all of that stuff," he continued. "We felt that a custom solution would give us that perfect frame response that you want in that really, really dark environment. You know, Lumens [UE5's global illumination and reflections system] is optimized for usually quite brighter scenes." You may like Players will need to 'think on their feet' in Alien: Isolation 2's new exterior environments, while the 'perfect hunter' xenomorph will also learn and 'adapt' how to track you down in the outdoors 'No old code exists': Tomb Raider: Legacy of
Atlantis experience director confirms the 'reimagining' had to be built totally from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5 but this meant Crystal
Dynamics could add more tech upgrades 'Part of the motive was making the player feel immersed in the experience and exposed' Rebellion says '90s cassette futurism' inspired Alien Deathstorm with an engineer protagonist who 'felt like a natural fit'

The developer explained that the team struggled with showcasing metals in the game's darker exterior environment, saying, "Metals in virtual worlds are really difficult."

He added, "The color of metal is actually just what's being reflected, right? And the problem is all of our scenes are really dark, so for the metal to behave properly, it's quite a tricky balance to strike. So that's one of the things that our lighting system helps us with." Get daily insight,
inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The game's audio system has also improved, with Whitehead reiterating that it's an "evolution" of what the first game offered, but was iterated on again and again.

"Since then, it's been used for other CA projects, so it's quite mature," he said. "And it creates a kind of spatial setup of the world. And what that means is, when a sound happens in a room that is a vent away from you or something that sound is being reverberated around, and you get a really, really realistic response, and hopefully a really, really terrifying version of that sound."

Alien: Isolation 2 is now in development and will launch on PS5 , Xbox
Series X and Series S , Nintendo Switch 2 , and PC. Follow TechRadar on
Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! The best gaming consoles All the best consoles of this generation

Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles 1. Best overall: PlayStation 5 Slim 2. Best budget: Xbox Series S 3. Best handheld: Nintendo Switch 2 4. Most powerful: PlayStation 5 Pro



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/creative-assembly-says-alien-isolation-2s-cus tom-tech-enabled-a-realistic-atmosphere-unreal-engine-5-couldnt-we-felt-that-a -custom-solution-would-give-us-that-perfect-frame-response-that-you-want-in-th at-kind-of-really-really-dark-environment


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)