Reading the reviews, there are criticisms that I can definitely look past. I can learn to appreciate the save system, learn to master the obtuse game systems through sheer persistence, etc.

The one thing that is keeping me from wanting to play is the prevailing criticism that once it appears the Alien rarely leaves your side for more than a few seconds. It seems its appearances become annoying and familiar which works against the tension.

The frequent encounters could also be the main reason the game is criticized for being overly long (20+ hours). Many reviewers point to having so much down-time, constantly hiding and waiting for it to go away

I feel like the core of the game is good and its only real issue is pacing. That one issue seems quite fixable. We could have a perfect horror game on our hands as long as the encounters are made more special by being spaced out, somehow. I'm no designer/programmer, so I'm sure there are other factors in game balance, but that seems like the obvious first step.

Anyone hear any rumblings about a mod community forming to "fix" the game's pacing? If so, I might see myself buying it.

The alien won't leave your side unless you throw a distraction like a noisemaker or a flare. Towards the end of the game you have to use the flamethrower and moltovs to chase it off, but this only gives you brief respite to do whatever mission critical action you need before it returns.

I want to see a Jurassic Park mod where the Alien becomes a Velociraptor.

The Alien does leave your side, if you make it.

@mason: Eh... Trust me, the xenomorph isn't around you the entire game, nor are you simply sitting around in a locker for most of that time; it's actually quite a small part compared to the rest of the game, even though you do do it for hours. The game actually changes things up a lot, so you're not going to be constantly stocked for 20 plus hours. The save system is well integrated as well, you just have to save as often as possible when you think is an opportune time. I have never had to go back far because I saved often, nor have I died when I tried saving. I just beat it today, and never once did I think it was cheap. I think everyone here that is playing it will just have to go through the game and see, as it may not be what you're expecting. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting... I loved it. There doesn't need to be any kind of mod fixing, that is drastic.

@drbroel: When you get the flame thrower, I found it to be way less threatening. It was still a bit intense, as you didn't want to accidentally run under a vent and have him get you, and you always wanted to watch your back and listen to where he could possibly be, but the experience of facing a xeno early on is way different than later.

When you first get the flamethrower you can fend it off but towards the end it is only buying you mere seconds before it jumps out of the ceiling again. Mission 17 man. I ended up using a ton of moltovs to fend it off because i didn't have enough flame fuel to fend it off every time during that mission.

I'll give it a shot then, and decide for myself (when I can spare the ca$h).

I remember hearing such belly aching from reviewers about how broken and cheap Demon's Souls was when it was released in the US. They're entitled to their opinions, but I let it scare me off the game for a year. When I actually tried it myself, I instantly loved everything about it, even the weirdly frustrating parts which I found endearing.

So yeah, I still have an open mind. Even so, AI does seem like a game that's full of great modding potential. I'd still like to see what people come up with.