Alien: Isolation Mod Ditches the Alien

Mods allow you to do all sorts of things in PC games--make them prettier, play them with others when you're not meant to, add new areas, and so on. In the case of Alien: Isolation, they can also remove the central threat that stands in your way.

Thanks to the efforts of Steam user Thark (via Eurogamer), you can now play Isolation without encountering the titular alien. Technically speaking, the Xenomorph hasn't actually been removed outright; instead, its behavior patterns can be replaced so that it decides not to do anything. This effectively renders it immobile "in some vent" where it sits harmlessly.

You might think this is pointless--or worse--but while it certainly wouldn't be the way to play if you're trying to experience the game properly, it does afford you the opportunity to navigate the game world without worrying about the alien popping out. And, don't forget, there are other enemies in the game, so it's not as if you'd be able to roam completely safely.

The steps for removing the alien are outlined in this Steam forum post. You'll essentially be tweaking a small part of a BML file, a process that requires a hex editor. (As noted in the post, be sure to make a backup you can restore in case of issues.) Alternatively, you can download the modified file and replace yours with it, though, as always, be wary when downloading files from unknown sources.