Aliens Dark Descent is finally out on consoles and PC. This brand-new take on the iconic Aliens franchise features a unique way of experiencing terror. Players will recruit a team of daring Colonial Marines to fight the Xenomorph threat. This makes for an engaging and challenging romp through Planet Lethe, presenting many scenarios to fight through during the campaign.
Players will need to take calculated risks to survive. As such, it begs the question of how long this grueling adventure will last. Modern games are known for relatively long playtimes, especially sandbox titles. Is the same true for Aliens Dark Descent?
How long is the Aliens Dark Descent campaign?
If players beeline through the narrative, they can beat it in about 12-15 hours. That may seem disappointing for many who are expecting more. However, other elements also factor in extending the game’s length. This includes exploration as players scour abandoned facilities and Xenomorph hives to exterminate the creatures.
While venturing through the levels for each mission, they will meet varied challenges and mission objectives. These can be tackled as desired and in any order. The game’s open-ended nature also ensures players are free to explore the sandbox areas freely. This guarantees replayability for future playthroughs.
Apart from that, there are various set-pieces to encounter. These range from alien ambushes to defensive hull-down segments to keep off incoming hordes. Aliens Dark Descent is no pushover when it comes to difficulty, meaning players may struggle to survive the onslaught. This challenge factor can also extend playtime.
Does Aliens Dark Descent have co-op for further replayability?
Unfortunately, the game is a purely single-player adventure. As such, one must face the Xenomorph threat all alone. This is a bit of a shame as tackling the familiar alien menace with friends online or in split-screen could be an engaging experience.
This does diminish the game’s replay value and may even turn off some players. Regardless, this dozen-hour-long mission still relies on a four-man team. Players will create custom squads, each specializing in different tactics. Together, the team must see through the extraction process while searching for answers to the alien infestation.
What exactly is Aliens Dark Descent about?
In an interesting turn of direction, Dark Descent is an RTS (real-time strategy) game based on the legendary sci-fi franchise. Players will command a squad of soldiers in real-time as they trudge through the dark corridors of Planet Lethe. The action is isometric, with players assigning commands using a cursor, as is the norm for the genre.
Assign various skills and roles to ensure maximum survivability and tackle each scenario successfully. However, the crux of the gameplay comes from resource management. As the team faces various horrors across missions, they will gain debuffs that affect their performance on the battlefield. If a squadmate dies, they are gone forever, meaning players must make each decision with extreme caution.
Developed by Tindalos Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment, Aliens Dark Descent was released on PC, PS4, PS5, XB1, and XSX|S on June 20, 2023.
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