Were you one of those people who thought Alien: Isolation went on too long? Would you have preferred the much-loved sci-fi horror to end after 46 seconds? If so, you're in luck: an enterprising modder has released an “impossible” mod that poses a chronological problem so that the game technically ends before it begins.
“In an attempt to please Agency,” wrote modder Matt Filer on YouTube (and if you don't know what that is, everything should be clear here), “this mod substantially shortens the playable length of Alien: Isolation by introducing Xenomorphs into LV -426.”
And here comes the scientific part. What you're seeing in Filer's 46-second video below is a normally xenomorph-free flashback sequence that usually takes place a few hours after Alien: Isolation. It's a scene that sets the main story in motion, in which Amanda Ripley searches for her mother, and would create an incredible paradox if, say, someone pushed a murderous Xenomorph, causing the death of the flashback team. “As a result of the inevitable deaths,” Filer continues, “Marlow's team never discovers Ellen Ripley's flight recorder and subsequently never arrives at Sevastopol to cause the xenomorph outbreak.”
However, the mod does more than just add a Xenomorph; It also changes the flashback sequence at the beginning of the game. That avoids the paradoxical weirdness of him showing up several hours after Amanda is already (now impossible) doing her thing, and means that, depending on how ruthlessly efficient the Xenomorph feels, the entire story is “usually over in less than a minute” . Or in the case of Filer's illustrative video, 46 seconds.
The mod, which can be downloaded at Nexus Mods, is not fair a fun novelty; It also serves as an announcement for Filer's OpenCAGE, an open source modding toolkit for Alien: Isolation capable of “importing/exporting assets, modifying/creating level scripts, editing core settings, behavior and NPC adjustments, weapon mods.” and more.” And if you're curious about what else you can achieve, Filer has released a Thomas the Tank Engine mod, as is now mandatory.
Sega recently confirmed that a sequel to Alien: Isolation is in early development, with the original game's director on board. Unfortunately for everyone, Filer's mod now makes that a temporary impossibility, so expect reality to start collapsing in on itself any time soon.