Aliens: Dark Descent is a fun but tricky game with some complex gameplay mechanics. Players are given a set of skills to help their squad battle the iconic alien Xenomorph drones and other iconic aliens from the franchise. However, with a lot of mechanics to learn in Aliens: Dark Descent, some players may need a bit of help and some tips for getting used to the basics, such as skills-based combat.
Fortunately, issuing and managing squad orders isn't too tricky once players know how. After some heavy squad work and tired Marines shipped off to the med bay, players may fund they are soon on their way to leveling up their team and unlocking even more Aliens: Dark Descent skills to reign hellfire on the Hunt.
Issuing Aliens: Dark Descent Squad Skills And Command Points
In Aliens: Dark Descent, players issue orders to their whole squad as a unit, rather than to individual Marines, which could be tricky for RTS game newcomers to get used to at first. The game then automatically assigns a Marine to complete the associated order, which essentially means performing a skill to deal with different circumstances, such as performing a special attack like the Shotgun Blast to deal with an incoming Xenomorph drone or setting up a handy device like a Deployable Motion Tracker. To issue a skill, players must open the skills menu by pressing the right trigger on an Xbox controller, selecting the desired skill using the LB and RB buttons, and tapping A to confirm the skill.
However, skills are not infinite and cost Command Points to perform, with most costing 1 Command Point. Players begin with 3 Command Points that slowly regenerate throughout a mission, so it's crucial to issue orders wisely. Additional Command Points are also possible through some skills. New players may also want to consider Aliens: Dark Descent beginner tips for managing skills-based combat and other complex gameplay mechanics.
Aliens: Dark Descent Squad Skills
Players start with an initial set of skills in Aliens: Dark Descent and can unlock more as they level up their squad and purchase new weapons. The beginning set of skills available across the first two missions are:
- Shotgun Blast - the Marine closest to an alien using the shotgun to dish out moderate damage and stun the enemy within its designated area. Damage inflicted is short (10-20) or medium-range (5-10).
- U1 Grenade Launcher - the closest Marine fires a grenade inflicting 10-20 damage for an inner blast and 6-10 for an outer blast.
- Flare - lasts for 180 seconds and highlights interactable objects within its AoE. It also grants a +10 accuracy to marines located within its radius.
- Suppressive Fire - a Marine covers a player-selected area, doubling their firing point but reducing their accuracy by 20 points and preventing the Marine from running while the skill is active. Enemies within the area move at 70% of their initial speed.
- Deployable Motion Tracker - places motion tracker revealing moving objects within a 60-meter radius. It can also be overloaded, destroying the device but attracting the aliens' attention.
- Sentry Gun - deploys a sentry gun that automatically shoots enemies. Players must place it in the place and direction they want, and it can be reloaded and repaired.
- Retribution - Marines recover 1 HP (or 2 HP with a full gauge), temporarily increasing Bravery and regenerating Command Points faster.
- Tactical Analysis - Instantly adds 2 Command Points.
As players level up their Marines, they can unlock more skills like mines, the overloaded plasma beam, incineration, and more.
Aliens: Dark Descent is available to play now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Xbox One.