Aliens: Dark Descent

[Corporal Hicks]

Well this came out of nowhere! That trailer was brilliant. I wonder if that was something Tindalos created in-house or if another company handled that? I'm still dying to see my feature-length CG Alien/vs/Predator film and these kind of trailers always give me a little hope.

I absolutely loved when the door closed. That gave me a grin and a shock.  Also saw the SMG in there from Colonial Marines! That put a smile on my face.

My first reaction was "must be one of those cheap Isometric shooters," which don't get me wrong, I'd have been okay with. I actually really enjoyed Halo's. But I'm really intrigued by this. "Single player, squad-based action experience." I think this could be really fun!

Definitely has the atmospheric look so far. And it's a nice new genre switch. It is a shame we're not seeing it on Switch though. Seems like something that'd work really well on the handheld mode.

Well this is unexpected but I'm hyped nonetheless! Do I spy something reminiscent of the Bug Men from the old "Colonial Marine"  comic?! Color me intrigued!!!

Yeah, I'm not seeing much commentary on this! I wonder who/what they were supposed to be?!


This is also set towards the end of the 2100s. That puts it a good 20 or so years after the events of Alien 3.

[Kradan]

Also saw the SMG in there from Colonial Marines! That put a smile on my face.

Also saw the SMG in there from Colonial Marines!

That put a smile on my face.

Colonial Marines!

smile on my face.

[Corporal Hicks]

I've said it many times. The game maybe disappointing, but I've always enjoyed the additions to the armoury.

In Aliens: Dark Descent, command a squad of hardened Colonial Marines to stop a terrifying Xenomorph outbreak on Moon Lethe. Lead your soldiers in real-time combat against iconic Xenomorphs, rogue operatives from the insatiable Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and a host of horrifying creatures new to the Alien franchise.

We maybe seeing more than just the Bug Men. I just hope they don't go full Kenner. A little Kenner is fine, but you never go full Kenner.

Official site here which gives some details and screenshots about the game:

https://www.focus-entmt.com/en/games/aliens-dark-descent?fbclid=IwAR3Lmi4JSW44WnDw3ucdOjcpY7okUtANoyc3yuPy2jdXFY5IzqKFyDD_mKQ

In Aliens: Dark Descent, command a squad of hardened Colonial Marines to stop a terrifying Xenomorph outbreak on Moon Lethe. Lead your soldiers in real-time combat against iconic Xenomorphs, rogue operatives from the insatiable Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and a host of horrifying creatures new to the Alien franchise.

You are the commander. They are your weapon.

Infiltrate large open levels and annihilate enemies with your squad, dispatching orders strategically and intuitively at the touch of a button. Tread carefully, as death is permanent and your foes will adapt their tactics to your actions while hunting you down. Forge unique paths for survival, uncovering shortcuts, creating safe zones, and setting up motion trackers in a persistent world where your actions impact levels forever.

Customize your squad with a selection of different classes. Level up and specialize your soldiers with unique abilities and an arsenal of weapons, armor, and perks, for high stakes missions in treacherous territory. Develop your base to research new tech and improve your squad even further.

Manage your resources wisely and take calculated risks to outsmart the deadliest creature mankind has ever faced. Can you and your squad stop the outbreak before it's too late?

Face off in a gripping original Alien story against iconic Xenomorph creatures ranging from Facehuggers to Praetorians, Alien Queens and many more, including rogue human commandos and a brand-new threat unique to this Alien storyline

Lead strategically and change squad tactics from mission to mission, carefully managing your soldiers' health, resources, and sanity, to avoid permanent team losses and mental breakdowns

Forge unique paths for survival in a persistent world, uncovering shortcuts, creating safe zones and setting up motion trackers to stay one step ahead of these creatures

Assemble and level up squads composed of 5 starting Marines classes, with dozens of specializations, unique abilities and weapons.

This actually sounds really in-depth!!


Unit sanity is something to worry about in this too! This sounds really fascinating! Is that a mechanic in any other game like this? Can anyone think of something analogous to this? X-com?

[Kradan]

I've said it many times. The game maybe disappointing, but I've always enjoyed the additions to the armoury.

What is that ? A nuanced opinion ?

[Corporal Hicks]

God forbid we allow them.

[Mike]

Is there any confirmation on the type of gameplay?
Some sites state it's RTS, or like XCOM, others say it's action...

I hope it's action, but you can give orders to your squad and switch between the soldiers.

[Corporal Hicks]

Is there any confirmation on the type of gameplay?
Some sites state it's RTS, or like XCOM, others say it's action...

I hope it's action, but you can give orders to your squad and switch between the soldiers.

The official information describes the game as an "enthralling single player squad-based action game" where gamers "lead a squad of marines in real-time combat."



So I've been reading through the official FAQ and there's a lot more in here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AliensDarkDescent/comments/v8nd3e/aliens_dark_descent_faq/

Q: How is the game played?

A: In Aliens: Dark Descent, you control a squad of 4 Colonial Marines, issuing orders in real time. You will infiltrate large open levels filled with wonders from the Alien franchise, while annihilating enemies with your squad. Strategically plan out your raids to complete as many objectives as possible in each run before extracting your team to return back to your base. Slow down time with the press of a button to make strategic decisions during combat. Extract your Marines safely at the end of long missions and watch them gain experience and level up, unlocking precious advanced skills and specialties. Make sure to monitor your Marines' health and stress levels on the field however, because death is permanent in the game and losing your units forever, a real possibility.

The Otago ship, which has suffered serious damage after crashing on Moon Lethe, acts like your base of operations. Over the course of the game, you will rescue specialists and salvage repair materials, unlocking many perks and improvements that will directly impact the performance of your marines. Expand the armory to unlock weapons, the medbay for faster recovery times between missions, the workshop to unlock specializations and perks and more.

Q: Can you play with a pad?

A: The game has been developed from the ground up with pad accessibility in mind. Controlling your marines is highly intuitive on both keyboard and pad.

Q: What happens between missions?

A: The Otago ship, which has suffered serious damage after crashing on planet Lethe, acts like your base of operations. Over the course of the game, you will rescue specialists and salvage repair materials, unlocking many perks and improvements that will directly impact the performance of your marines. Expand the armory to unlock weapons, the medbay for faster recovery times between missions, the workshop to unlock specializations and perks and more.

Q: What does 'persistent world' mean?

A: With its objective-based mission structure and the many ways a run can spiral out of control, the player will likely not be able to clear all of a level's objectives in one go. The persistent nature of Aliens: Dark Descent's world means that any door welded, sentry gun positioned, motion tracker set or shortcut unlocked persists in-between runs, providing massive benefits to players who take the time to plan ahead for future missions.

Q: How long is the campaign?

A: The campaign is about 30h. It may be more if you wish to complete all secondary objectives.

Q: How is the development going? Will there be a Beta?

A: The teams are fully focused on game development and it's still too early to talk about a Beta. Make sure to create a Focus account to be the first to be notified if a Beta is planned!

Just some select ones from it.

[Mike]

There was this game called Fear Effect, 3rd person, in which stressful situations affected your character. Also, I think some Dinasty Warriors games have it so that your victories, defeats, fulfilling objectives or not, affect the morale of your army, but I'm not sure of it.

[Corporal Hicks]

Q: Who are the protagonists of Aliens: Dark Descent?

A: During your playthrough, you will follow the journey of the resourceful Maeko Hayes - fresh Deputy Administrator of the Weyland-Yutani Pioneer station, and Sergeant Jonas Harper - hardened Colonial Marine of the U.S.S. Otago's USCM response team.

[Russ840]

Mildly interested in this. But I'll echos others in saying that this would be great on the Switch. I'd rather play this type of game handheld.

[Predatorium]

Xcom....sigh. Yet another developer that doesn't get it. It's been 8 years since the last good installment.

[Kradan]

It's been 8 years since the last good installment.

Damn

[BlueMarsalis79]

Sounds stressful, I'm in!

[GreybackElder]

This sounds like StarCraft campaign missions. An RTS were you complete missions controlling an army with a hero character. In between missions you're given a skill tree(tech upgrade/creature evolution) to better suit your playing style and prepare for challenges of the next mission. This could be interesting. I'd love to see it take the established lore and go crazy with it. It would awesome if you had a marine campaign and an Alien campaign.

[BlueMarsalis79]

It's more like X-COM meets RUINER meets This War Of Mine I think.