It will be possible to run through Alien: Isolation without killing anybody, lead designer Gary Napper has said.

Speaking to Gamestm, he noted that some fans had expressed concerns about the inclusion of human enemies, fearing that the game would turn into a straight up shooter.

This won't be a problem, he promised.

You can get through the entire game without killing someone. It’s something that was, not so much a challenge, but something I felt was what the character would do. We’re talking about a member of the Ripley family – they’re not like characters in games that gun down civilians because they’re in the way to get to the switch.

Napper also emphasised the importance of the radar device in creating atmosphere for the player. The fact that it gives so little information is key, he said.

It’s those kinds of things that give you a lot of gameplay – you’re tracking the alien or a human or whatever, they could be on the floor below you, they could be in the ducts above you, they could be behind the wall – you’re never totally sure where these things are.

Alien Isolation is set to release October 7 on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.