Aliens: Dark Descent is a squad-based, real-time strategy single-player game that takes the Alien franchise to new places. Players issue commands to their squad which operates as a single unit, searching locations and fighting for survival against the hunting Xenomorphs as Aliens: Dark Decent's story unravels.
Many Aliens franchise fans may be curious to learn more following Aliens Dark Descent's trailer and gameplay reveal, and may be keen to know how long it takes to beat the game. Aliens: Dark Descent offers players plenty of story and secondary missions to complete, combined with a host of ongoing squad and base management gameplay as Administrator Hayes. The game's squad and weapon upgrades, medical bay management, and more can all pad out the time gamers might expect to play.
How Long Does It Take To Beat Aliens: Dark Descent?
It takes around 13 - 30+ hours to beat Aliens: Dark Descent, depending on players' choice of difficulty and how thoroughly they explore each map location. Aliens: Dark Descent has a mixture of story and optional secondary objectives to complete. It will take completionists much longer if they want to tick off all objectives, like searching for all resource boxes.
Beginners or newcomers to real-time strategy games may find they need time to get used to the game's complex mechanics. Experienced RTS players will likely progress more quickly. The tutorial takes approximately 30 minutes, with individual missions ranging from around 20 minutes to over an hour.
Players may also find they want to dip in and out of missions to care for stressed-out marines. Extracting troops and returning to missions later often makes more sense. Leveling up individual marines also takes time. It is critical to level them all up in unison as much as possible, so players have an evenly matched carousel of soldiers to deploy while others rest up.
How Difficult Is Aliens: Dark Descent?
Aliens: Dark Descent is upfront about being a difficult game with unique gameplay, as a difficulty information screen states this before players even begin, pre-warning players there are a lot of mechanics to learn. That said, Aliens: Dark Descent includes several accessibility features, gameplay options, and tips to help players and gradually introduces its mechanics. Players can also make helpful adjustments to the difficulty.
Adjust Pause & Slow-Mo
Aliens: Dark Descent lets players choose between pause and slow-mo options when enemies attack. If players select slow-mo under Gameplay Settings in the Options menu, the aliens attack at reduced speed, giving players a short window to choose skills-based attacks, like Suppressive Fire. Choosing Pause makes the gameplay a bit easier, as enemies are completely paused when attacking, giving players longer to strategize and issue commands to marines.
Adjust Lighting
There are a lot of dark corridors in Aliens: Dark Descent. Although players can easily adjust the direction of their torch no matter which way the marines are moving, it can be easy to miss helpful resources like med-boxes in the shadows. Turning up the brightness can help players see more in the environment. Just bear in mind that, beyond the radar detector, aliens are only visible according to the marine's field of vision. Players can adjust brightness under Gamma Settings in the Display settings of the Options menu.
Adjust Difficulty
There are 6 difficulty options in Aliens: Dark Descent, including a custom difficulty option. Players can choose between Story, Medium, Hard, Nightmare, and Custom modes. These alter alien health, detection, aggressive gain, campaign death clock, and availability of autosaves. Players looking for an easier or moderate difficulty experience should select Story or Medium, whereas experienced RTS players may be up for the challenge of Hard or Nightmare.
Players select the difficulty mode when starting a new game. Once players choose a difficulty in Aliens: Dark Descent, they cannot change it later unless they start a new game.
Aliens: Dark Descent is available to play now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Xbox One.