PAX: Aliens: Dark Descent brings sci-fi horror to squad-based strategy
Over the years, we’ve seen a few different takes on the Aliens franchise. The xenomorphs have been tackled in shooters, Pac-Man-style mazes, and of course, raw horror. With Aliens: Dark Descent, the player takes command of a crack squad of commandos, heading into derelict depths of space that may or may not be crawling with the multi-mouthed creepy crawlies.
The question, really, was whether a narrow focus on just a squad of units, with individual talents and a high risk of immediate doom, could incorporate the tension and fear one might look for in an Aliens game. The answer is yes, it is extremely tense, and has some really cool ways of conveying the omnipresent fear of the xenomorphs. But it’s a little complicated.
Sitting down for my demo at PAX East 2023, I was intrigued by the premise. I’ve really enjoyed small, focused takes on the strategy genre. Developer Tindalos Interactive has previously worked on some Battlefleet Gothic games, and that legacy shows here. Right out of the gate, the atmosphere is superb. Even in a top-down, overhead view, corners felt dangerous and the shadows were imposing. Fog of war, a strategy mainstay, works incredibly well here as a tool for tension.
Ticking in the bottom-right corner is a minimap, complete with the Aliens signature heartbeat monitor. Each little pip heightens the mood, and once the xenomorphs are loose and on the hunt, it can really feel like you’re scrambling and hiding from a horde of the nasty hunters.
What starts out as a routine mission quickly descends into chaos as you try to work your way through a ship overtaken by the xenomorphs. So from the outset, Aliens: Dark Descent nails the setting. It’s the combat that adds a few more wrinkles.
Aliens: Dark Descent is a
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