I can’t tell you when I first saw Ridley Scott’s Alien, though I was certainly too young to watch a horror movie of its kind. Perhaps that’s why the franchise stuck with me and why H.R. Giger remains one of my favorite artists to this day. So, when we finally receive a video game worthy of the long-running science-fiction franchise, I’m ecstatic. Take a moment to enjoy our Aliens: Dark Descent review; you might find a new tactics game worth your time!
Feelings of Dread and Terror
It’s uncommon for a strategy game, a genre known for its pulled-back camera angles, to instill dread and terror in anyone. But there’s something creeping and looming about the horror in Aliens: Dark Descent. You know what’s in store for your Colonial Marines. You’ve likely seen the movies, and you understand the Xenomorph as a threat to all humanity. And yet, it’s still terrifying.
As you send your squad down a lengthy hallway, bathed in darkness, with a flickering fire and their over-the-shoulder mounted lamps to cut through the bleak atmosphere, you’re constantly being hunted by an enemy twice your size and far more deadly. A Xenomorph can pop out of a vent, nabbing one of your squad members, planting a Facehugger on their ugly mugs before slinking away into the dark. If you don’t have the technology to remove said Facehugger, well, congratulations because you just lost a Marine.
Your squad members are a resource like any other. There are only so many trained men and women on the planet, and once you’re out of a fighting force, it’s game over. You can’t take on an enemy without soldiers of your own. That’s why every step counts. Every corner, every dark hallway, and each of the abandoned rooms you sift through may all hide enemies or resources.
Of the many good things Aliens: Dark Descent does right, it’s the atmosphere I must praise the most. The environments are bleak and highly detailed, with a lot of thought into the layout of each room and the clutter mucking up the place. There are bodies strewn about from the mayhem you just missed. The tables have datapads and paperwork scattered across their surfaces. You might wind up lucky enough to score a few useful resources, like ammunition or medical aid, just enough to keep your Marines in the fight until you can evac from the mission.
The Minute Details
When you play a strategy game, or even any movie-licensed video game, you expect certain gameplay mechanics to matter more than others. For instance, the story isn’t usually a high point in the real-time strategy genre; it’s the gameplay. But here, in Aliens: Dark Descent, the story, the voice acting, the atmosphere, sound design, resource management, traits, and the addition of New Game Plus make for such an exciting and exceptionally well-designed package. I can’t help but gush.
Every Marine, every cutscene, all feature professional voice acting by folks who seem to genuinely have put in some effort. It’s refreshing! The characters are totally believable as Colonial Marines, as they curse and joke around in their downtime, but lose their cool against an overwhelming enemy.
As for sound design, do I need to mention the one key component we all were hoping for? Yes, the iconic ping of the motion tracker is back, and it’s absolutely glorious. As you place down a motion tracker to keep watch over certain hallways or a hive, you’ll hear the telltale ping bounce off the environment as it indicates a Xenomorph threat moving in your direction.
It’s the little things!
Minor Negative Aspects
As this is a review, and I consider myself a professional, I must also discuss a few negative aspects of the game. Aliens: Dark Descent is by no means a perfect strategy game. It’s not a perfect movie-based video game, though it’s certainly up there amongst the greatest.
My biggest gripe with the game is that some of the missions feel rather similar. There is a lot of seemingly copy/paste to the flow of missions, with a bit of variation to help break up the monotony, but it’s noticeable after working through the entire campaign and diving into a New Game Plus run, obviously.
Secondly, despite the quality of the voice acting, some of the ambient lines tend to repeat frequently. It can become grating. “Double Time,” is a common phrase that has become stuck in my head in recent days since playing through the campaign a second time. A few more recording sessions could alleviate this issue and eliminate one minor issue from the game.
The Guide Hall Verdict
Now, let’s talk about the final verdict. Is Aliens: Dark Descent worth your time? Is it a fantastic game despite the minor flaws I mentioned previously? Absolutely!
Aliens: Dark Descent is one of the better movie-related video games, and I highly recommend anyone who is a fan of the franchise or the genre to pick this one up and play through it at least once!