Aliens: Dark Descent Reviews
Check out Aliens: Dark Descent Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 25 reviews on CriticDB, Aliens: Dark Descent has a score of:
In Aliens: Dark Descent's best moments, it's a rich real-time tactics game that represents the Alien mythos from a refreshing gameplay perspective, revelling in stressing the player out with difficult choice and consequence gameplay. If the game managed to consistently ride this line, it would be in with a shout of dethroning Alien: Isolation as the best adaption in this medium yet.
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Aliens: Dark Descent showcases care and respect for the works that it is based upon. This is the antithesis of a cash-grab – this is a game that tried to deliver something different, something exciting that isn’t a mere rerun of previous offerings. It’s moody, the odds are clearly stacked against your squad but that makes each success even more rewarding, and the tactical scope is extremely enjoyable. Fans of a good real-time squad-based game shouldn’t think twice and just dive into this nightmare, weapons blazing.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a tense real-time strategy shooter that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you prefer not to be stressed out playing video games, it is certainly not for you. On the other hand, if you have the patience and mental fortitude to withstand relentless Xenomorphs, it is a clever take on the RTS genre that can be tough to put down.
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While Aliens: Dark Descent adds an interesting RTS-twist to the typical tactical RPG, and nails the visual aesthetic of the film, the not-quite polished systems and underwhelming plot diminish what could have been one of the best games of the year.
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Ever since the fantastic Alien: Isolation I’ve been waiting for another truly great Alien game to come out, and it’s been a rough wait. We’ve had Aliens: Fireteam Elite, which was competent, but severely flawed as a cooperative shooter. Aliens: Dark Descent came under the motion tracker for me, and what a treat it has been. Whilst far from perfect, it’s a truly faithful Aliens experience.
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Aliens: Dark Descent blends action and strategy fundamentals together with some hit-or-miss results, but with a surprisingly authentic atmosphere throughout
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Aliens: Dark Descent gives off a bad first impression, but I came away from the game impressed by the quality of its gameplay and the great graphics and voice acting. If you like the sound of an XCOM-esque real-time tactics game in the Aliens universe, you should give this a try.
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If you're a fan of the Aliens universe and want a closer approximation of what being boots on the ground during an outbreak would be, Dark Descent is probably your best option on the market. There's something for everyone, whether you are doing this for the strategy aspect or just to enjoy an Aliens story from a fresh perspective.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is at times ambitious, often to delight, but occasionally to indiscretion. While some may desire a more intimate and terrifying Alien Isolation sequel, this isometric tactical challenge is rich in consequence and reward. This may not be the most coherent or exceptional Alien video game we’ve seen, but it’s certainly noteworthy and imaginative.
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Aliens: Dark Descent does a decent job of creating an interesting mashup of tactical action and strategy that suitably translates the tension and aesthetics of the popular movie franchise. Needing to stealth around the xenomorphs is a nerve-wracking experience, and the firefights against the aliens can be intense when they work. However, the plot and dialogue are lackluster, the enemies aren't as terrifying as they could be, and the flow between stealth and boss fights is abrupt. There's just one too many ideas in Aliens: Dark Descent, but it's still nonetheless a worthwhile adventure.
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Although I might seem down on Aliens: Dark Descent, there is a great game here under the inconvenience that is the main systems constantly getting in your way of trying to have fun. Balancing this out so scenarios aren’t piling on top of one another at the same time would definitely alleviate some of the frustrations I had being gated into outlandish fights. With a game where permadeath for characters is such a vital component, having bugs and technical issues that cause you to lose progres...
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a fantastic, robust extension of the Aliens franchise that puts players in the middle of hardcore xenomoroph action. Through purposeful storytelling and fantastic callbacks to the Aliens franchise, this RTS features many tactical opportunities for fans of the genre. Game mechanics, like xenomorph aggression, help to keep pressure on players in horror fashion. Large mission maps that can be returned to again and again provide extra lore collectibles and side objectives that allow you to grow our command for better support. You start with barebones resources, but can level up marines and the technology they use...
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The Alien franchise has had a rocky road in its foray into video game adaptations, from the tense Alien: Isolation, to the hit-or-miss Aliens: Fireteam Elite to the total misfire of Aliens: Colonial Marines. Developed by Tindalos Interactive, Aliens: Dark Descent is an ambitious RTS/survival-horror hybrid take on the Aliens universe which succeeds admirably well. Despite managing a small team of soldiers from above, the game nails the series’ trademark atmosphere and visceral action, all wh...
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A bug hunt that takes a more tactical approach to xenomorph blasting.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a masterful blend of atmosphere, tension, and terror, coming together with dangerous combat and well-paced progression. The end result is a game that keeps you on your heels while making you feel like you’re “state of the badass art”.
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An unsettling stillness permeated the station. Buildings were scrambled on the inside – rooms dotted with bloody streaks and furniture upturned. Guttural sounds echoed from ebony nests; pounding steps grew louder the longer my marines stayed still. While not a survival-horror title, Aliens: Dark Descent masterfully bottles the franchise’s menacing ambiance. It comes packaged as a solid squad-management XCOM-lite puffing a new terrifying style. But while it respects the source material and nails its inspirations rather well, squad coordination and battles can be a bit unruly and frustratingly unfair at times.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a fantastic addition to the iconic Alien franchise's vast and often disappointing collection of video games. The story is seamlessly integrated into the universe, and you'll come face-to-face with the iconic Xenomorphs that have instilled fear in fans for decades. While the game may have flaws, such as limited squad commands, a lack of grandiose music, and poor sound design, it is still one of the best Aliens video games that immerse fans in the beloved universe while providing thrilling action that they'll remember for a long time.
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It feels like an absolute age since I first saw Aliens: Dark Descent at Gamescom last year. It's been ten months, and while I admit the game completely fell off my radar (my initial impressions were mixed-at-best), it's back on it now and with good reason. As I've said before, in that impressions piece I linked just there, the Aliens franchise has a mixed history in the gaming sphere. Aliens: Dark Descent, for me, is one of the highs.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is an amazing RTS horror game that has become one of my favorite Aliens games. And, with some compromises, it runs well on Steam Deck!
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a fresh and fun take on the series, with great tactical action supplemented with unique concepts like stress management. The writing and characters sadly don't amount to anything memorable, and boss battles can feel incredibly jarring to the pacing and tension.
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It’s safe to say that we’re very impressed with Aliens: Dark Descent. Developer Tindalos Interactive is clearly a fan of the franchise, and it’s plain to see that much love has been poured into this title. Aside from its engaging gameplay, the story had us gripped right from the get-go, helped along by excellent voice acting. The only disappointment for some might be that there are no multiplayer offerings, but it is priced accordingly. If you’re an Alien fan after some single-player thrills, this is well worth picking up – even if you don’t usually get on with real-time strategy...
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a fantastic Aliens game. It absolutely nails the feel of the films and brings exactly the kind of tense and thrilling strategy combat you would want. The iconic motion tracker and creature design fit perfectly with the genre and there is even an interesting narrative that introduces some new perspectives to the series. While game over can come far too swiftly at times, there is always something to draw you back in.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is a fun real-time strategy squad game that manages to feel tense and rewarding at the same time. It isn’t a perfect game, the loop can get a bit repetitive, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying every second of it.
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Aliens: Dark Descent is an authentically atmospheric campaign borrowing from both turn-based tactics and survival horror, stymied by a seemingly deep paranoia you might mistake it for one of those strategy games for nerds. It’s not. It’s not for nerds. It’s for cool Aliens fans. You can use a controller. It’s not for nerds.
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