The Alien franchise meets XCOM in this exceptional real-time strategy game, Aliens: Dark Descent.
The Alien franchise is renowned for its scary, and foreboding set of sci-fi horror films. What the film Jaws did to invoke fear of the ocean, Alien successfully made people wary of space travel. After all, no one can hear you scream in space. Not to say the Alien franchise has had a flawless track record of films, but combined they certainly beat that of video games based in the franchise.
Titles such as Alien: Resurrection for PS1, which was based on the film of the same name, Alien vs. Predator for SNES, and Aliens: Colonial Marines were a mixed bag. It is not hard to see why most fans would be wary of future titles, however, 2014’s Alien: Isolation was a breath of fresh air for the franchise and is now considered to be a modern survival horror classic.
The reveal trailer for Aliens: Dark Descent was unveiled in June 2022. The reception for the announcement was divisive amongst Alien fans, as the game was shown to be a real-time strategy title. This is a bold move, as real-time strategy games do not sell as well as first-person shooters and are niche in comparison.
Aliens: Dark Descent not only succeeds in reproducing tense moments as seen in the 1986 film, Aliens, but features addictive gameplay that compliments the source material. Commanding your squad of colonial marines will make you feel like you are on this important mission alongside them, guiding them through areas ravaged by the hostile xenomorphs.
Aliens: Dark Descent was developed by Tindalos Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment in tandem with 20th Century Fox. Despite the lukewarm initial reaction by fans, the Alien name was in good hands. Aliens: Dark Descent begins in the year 2198 on the Pioneer Station, where a shuttle drops off mysterious cargo with unwelcome visitors inside.
Deputy Administrator Maeko Hayes sees something amiss and warns yet, unaffected crew members of events unfolding. Hayes narrowly escapes the now ruined ship and makes a difficult decision with serious repercussions. Hayes comes face to face with certain doom as she is extracted at the last second by a group of colonial marines led by Sgt. James Harper.
You are brought back to the USS Otago which is in disarray as it crash-landed on the planet-sized moon of Lethe. Hayes serves as Deputy Administrator here as well, where the focus is to find out the source of the xenomorph outbreak and to repair the USS Otago. The Otago acts as a base of operations where you will manage your marines, set up missions, and engage in dialogue with your fellow crewmates as you desperately try to gain a grasp on the situation. From the command deck, Hayes can send out marines on missions, where you will complete a bouquet of objectives to progress the story.
The core gameplay mechanics are centered around moving your marines around as a single unit, so you do not have to worry about micromanaging singular marines amidst the chaos. There are various interactable objects scattered around the game world. A marine will be chosen at random when engaging with said item.
These could be collectables, loot boxes, elevators, etc. It is a nice feature to not have to pick out a marine to carry out these simple tasks when the AI does so for you. In Aliens: Dark Descent, you have to click where you want to go to move and isn’t necessarily a problem until you are in the middle of an intense firefight with xenomorphs.
Once you get a hang of things, the combat is fun and addicting. Taking down the aliens feels so satisfying as you watch their health bar quickly dissipate. Aliens: Dark Descent is not for the faint of heart. Even on easier difficulties, you will quickly meet your end if you do not know how to properly fight back the alien ambush. Luckily, you do not have to worry.
Aliens: Dark Descent features an in-depth codex filled with tutorials, a bestiary, biographies of all characters, and more. You will never be left to flounder on any detail. Combat can become complex rather quickly, so it’s always a good idea to check the codex for help.
As you progress, you will be able to unlock other weapons that longtime fans will surely be pleased with. Flamethrower anyone? What better way to take care of some giant eggs than with the trusty flamethrower. Aliens: Dark Descent features an emotions mechanic for the marines. When the marine engages the enemy, various status effects will trigger. For instance, some marines will suffer from anxiety, stress, and even depression. To mitigate this, you can create shelters in any room as long as every entrance is welded shut. This is a useful mechanic you don’t see too much in real-time strategy games.
These shelters effectively become rest points. You can heal from status effects, restore your health, and replenish command points. Command points are in limited supply, so they must be used sparingly in each run. This is how your marines will use skills. As you progress the story, more skills can be unlocked, tipping the scales in your favor against the onslaught of xenomorphs.
Each time a new skill is unlocked, you will use it in a demonstration wherever the situation fits best. Aliens: Dark Descent features a perma-death system, so if the situation seems dire, it’s best to call an APC and extract you back to the Otago safe and sound.
Once marines make it back to the Otago they will be tired and any status effects they incurred while on an expedition will result in a stay in the medical facility. There, you will spend physician points to expedite them out of there quicker. The faster you get your marines back in the fight, the better. Aliens: Dark Descent features a day system where you will have to make tough calls.
As each day passes, so does the infestation level on the level you are currently in. There will be days that you can use for scientists to gather large amounts of material at the expense of losing a day when marines can go back on an expedition. This adds an extra layer of tension to an already tense situation for those aboard The Otago.
Make sure to explore the other areas of the Otago and check in with each department before you head back out. You will want to make sure your marines are fully capable of tackling hard obstacles that lie ahead of them. Once you level up your marines, you will gradually be able to give them bonuses and even assign classes to them to better strategize how your team will run. Having your classes set up meticulously could be the difference between life and death.
Aliens: Dark Descent captures the essence of Aliens (1986) so faithfully. When the motion tracker starts beeping faster and faster, the tension builds as xenomorphs close in on you. The marines will make quips the whole way through, passing jokes at each other whilst exploring such bleak environments. You feel their anguish as there are moments where they are against impossible odds as they start to panic about the impending danger lurking around them. You hear the sound of raging storms howling outside as you are walking on cold metal floors soaked in the blood of your fellow man.
The sound design is impeccable. The accuracy of the sound of pulse rifles to the aforementioned tracker, and your boots to the ground. When an enemy is close, you hear their sickening growls and death screams that are faithful to the films. It is strongly recommended that you play Aliens: Dark Descent with headphones on to add an extra layer of immersion. The score is not necessarily memorable but applicable to the situation at hand. When xenomorphs home in on you, the music hits heavier, indicating the severity of the situation. I felt like I was in an Alien movie the whole time.
The story isn’t necessarily anything to write home about. Maeko Hayes is not a particularly memorable character, as Amanda Ripley was from Alien: Isolation. Character’s facial expressions can be lifeless, and it took me out of the story at times. It piqued my interest just enough not to completely write it off.
The gameplay is the main hook here and certainly can add a tally mark for good games in the Alien franchise. Real-time strategy happened to work out well for Aliens: Dark Descent and is a breath of fresh air. Upgrading your marines with better abilities was extremely satisfying, as I knew I would be able to have an easier time in my next encounter.
Aliens: Dark Descent is a stellar real-time strategy game that doesn’t necessarily break new ground but excels at being a good Alien game. If you are a fan of the XCOM series, you won’t want to miss out on this one. Game releases for the Alien franchise can be hit or miss, but this one won’t leave you saying, GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!
There is plenty of fan service to sink your xenomorph shaped fangs into, so grab your biggest pulse rifle, squad up, and get ready to strategically take out some alien scum! No Hudson, this is not a standard fight but indeed a bug hunt you will want to lose some hours in. GAME ON MAN, GAME ON!
