Several movie franchises have games based on them. Some follow the story we saw on the big screen, while others try to make something more original. For the latter, it can be a hit or miss depending on the fans. Many argue that the story should stay the same, while others love game developers when they experiment on existing universes. Tindalos Interactive and Focus Entertainment tried their hand at making a new Alien game, and the result was fantastic. Our time spent doing with Aliens: Dark Descent review proves this franchise still has much to offer regarding gameplay and story because this new game shines in the right ways.
Aliens: Dark Descent Review: Addictive Gameplay, Engaging Story, and a Few Bugs
Story: Good for New and Old Fans
Many people following the Aliens franchise know that some things shouldn’t be touched. When it comes to lore and certain characters, it is better to leave it as the movies and not change too much. The developers of the latest Aliens: Dark Descent game dared to create something original in an already great universe, and the story was one of the highlights of our review.
The story follows Deputy Administrator Hayes and Sergeant Harper as they try to repel the infestation of the Xenomorphs. It all starts in Pioneer, a ship that serves as the setting for the tutorial and checks every box from the iconic ships we’ve seen in the films. After the Xenomorphs invade it, Hayes makes a difficult decision, setting several events in motion that you’ll see during your playthrough. While Hayes is inexperienced in the military, Harper has the big guns and the Colonial Marines. Both characters complement each other and justify the gameplay part of Aliens: Dark Descent which we’ll mention further down.
It is fun and engaging enough to keep players entertained, even if it isn’t the best story. Character interactions are better than we thought, making us immerse ourselves more in everything happening in and outside of the Command Deck.
Gameplay: Tactical Fun That Takes a While To Kick Off
The game is broken down into two parts, the tactical part of moving a squad, and the other is managing your base. Both are great but aren’t the best of the genre. The tactical part begins with a lengthy but organic tutorial, while the latter kicks off as soon as you finish the tutorial. The base management part isn’t huge, but it does its job by providing upgrades, recruits, and even therapy for your Marines. The gameplay of Aliens: Dark Descent is fun and engaging, and many fans of the genre will find a good balance between both.
While the gameplay is fun, it takes a while to kick off and shine. The first missions are slow, but the game gets fun after that. Speaking of missions, we felt all of them were different, which made the time during our Aliens: Dark Descent review even better. From defending your base to extracting several civilians, you’ll need a different approach to all missions. And speaking of approach, the level design is so well made that you’ll find several ways to reach places. You can blow up walls or hack doors to reach a place. For a linear game, this one offers a lot of freedom, and that’s quite refreshing.
There is a variety of enemies that your Colonial Marines will face. You have the normal Xenomorphs called Drones, and you have Juggernauts, which will charge at your Marines, doing a lot of damage. If they weren’t enough, some human enemies blast at you or run toward your squad to hit them hard. Even if you have the big guns, planning an approach is one of the game’s biggest gimmicks, and you’ll notice firing your gun isn’t the best in certain situations.
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When it comes to the squad, we’re a bit conflicted. Making your ideal squad is easy, thanks to the many classes in the game. Besides giving them a specific role, you can customize them with many hairstyles and clothes. And while this is fantastic, a few bugs that got our Marines stuck made us reload the game from a faraway save, which was a bit annoying. One thing we loved about managing our squad was the stress mechanic. The longer your squad spends fighting, the more stressed it’ll get. Reaching certain stress levels will give debuffs, and you’ll need to extract your Marines before making the mission more challenging.
Graphics and Audio: A Master Class for Future Alien Games
The Alien films brought many iconic things that fans will recognize and won’t forgive developers if they forget about them—the ships, the corridors, and the hives. The team behind this game nailed every aspect, and that’s another reason why playing the story of Aliens: Dark Descent is better. The environmental narrative is done flawlessly thanks to the fantastic level design and the information you find while exploring.
Regarding audio, we strongly recommend you play this game with headphones. Exploring the tight corridors or the exterior areas is a marvel, thanks to the people behind the audio design. Even if the story or gameplay of Aliens: Dark Descent isn’t the best, the visual and audio design of the game is superb. Besides Alien: Isolation, the atmosphere of this game is one of the best we’ve seen, and the team in charge of this knocked it out of the park.
Conclusion: One of the Best Alien Games in Recent Years
We enjoyed doing a review for Aliens: Dark Descent because it is truly one of the best Alien games in years. The combination of tactical gameplay with a brand-new story and base management makes this a must-buy. While it is rough around some edges, it isn’t so bad, and we’re sure the developers will polish its issues.
Still, it is a great game that immerses you in the Alien universe. The atmosphere is one of the best we’ve seen, and the feeling of managing a squad of Colonial Marines keeps improving as the story progresses. We hope to see more of this game and maybe the beginning of a new franchise. If the developers have plans for this game, sign us up because we can’t wait to board the Odago again and take our squad for some Xenomorph hunting.
Aliens: Dark Descent launches today, June 20, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
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