Aliens Dark Descent is the perfect Xbox Game Pass title for series fans

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Aliens Dark Descent is the perfect Xbox Game Pass title for series fans

Aliens: Dark Descent has dropped into Xbox Game Pass, and if you're a fan of the franchise, this is one real-time strategy game you need to check out.

Opinion by Tom West

Published 28 Nov 2024

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Now that it has dropped into Game Pass, I thought I'd give you my two cents as to why I think Aliens: Dark Descent is the perfect Xbox Game Pass title for Aliens fans — and not just because it's the only one! If you're a Xenomorph fan, I highly recommend diving into the Aliens: Dark Decent achievements as it battles for attention amongst the best Xbox Game Pass games. Tindalos Interactive's real-time strategy game based on Ridley Scott's famed horror franchise is one hell of a tense ride.

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Tom's Take —

Xenomorph fans should check out Xbox Game Pass' Aliens: Dark Decent

  • Aliens: Dark Decent is a real-time strategy game developed by Tindalos Interactive
  • Xbox Game Pass Tiers: Standard, Ultimate, and PC
  • Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC

Developed by Tindalos Interactive, Aliens: Dark Decent tells an original story in the Aliens franchise, set 19 years after the original trilogy, and introduces never-before-seen enemies alongside Xenomorphs and rogue Weyland-Yutani operatives. Following an uprising on Planet Lethe, the Colonial Marines are called in to contain a Xenomorph outbreak that has unleashed hell on the planet as a result.

Dark Descent isn't the first Alien game to make its way into Game Pass since the service, which has seen the fantastic first-person horror game Alien Isolation and third-person co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam Elite both enjoy stints in Xbox Game Pass in years past.

Just as those two games are worlds apart in gameplay and style, Aliens: Dark Decent also treads a fresh path for fans of the legendary franchise. It's a real-time strategy game that puts you in the role of a commander leading a squad of Marines through large open levels to bring order to the planet, or as what regularly happens, die trying — if you enjoyed Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus earlier this year, you'll likely find some joy in exploring Dark Descent.

As I mentioned before, it's a top-down real-time strategy game that sees you commanding a squad of five Colonial Marines through 12 gorgeously detailed levels as you attempt to find out who is behind Planet Lethe's outbreak. From an environmental perspective, Tindalos nails the tones found in the movies, offering a dark foreboding level design that uses minimal lighting throughout.

This results in tense encounters as Xenomorphs with their sleek black frames dart in at your marines from the shadows, and the corridor you're exploring explodes in flashes of light as Pulse Rifles unleash hell on their acidic aggressors and gore sprays across the floor.

It looks — and most definitely sounds — great, but every enemy encounter in Aliens: Dark Descent is a risk, as death is permanent for your Marines. Injuries will lead your Marines to continue on by being carried by their comrades or limping, severely slowing you down.

It's fantastic, leading to a level of immersion that has you weighing up the pros and cons of evacuating your team or risking it all by keeping the battle-hardened grunts in the fight. Even as zoomed out as the camera is, I've found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as I urge my Marines to retreat to safety after biting off a little more than I can chew.

Replayable missions are operated out of the crash-landed USS Otago. When on base, you can train rescued Marines in various classes, upgrade their weapons, and the like. Dark Descent plays out over days, and Marines need to rest between missions, leading you to juggle a company of marines as some are taken out of action for days at a time due to injuries or mental health trauma.

Micromanagement is a major part of the game's strategy elements, and sometimes some of your best Marines can be out of action, meaning you need to take less-tested troops on missions. If the threat of losing your Marines; dealing with their trauma, injuries, and training; and tactically moving through levels filled with deadly adversaries isn't enough, the game all plays out on a timer.

Each day that passes by takes you ever closer to death as Planet Lethe will be nuked — with you on it — if you're unable to complete your objective in time. Efficiency and learning the many mechanics are key to surviving in Aliens: Dark Descent.

If you're looking for a new fantastic Xbox strategy game to dive into, I highly recommend Aliens: Dark Descent — let us know in the comments if you decide to take the elevator to hell and try it for yourself. With that said, my time was cut short due to other commitments when I last played it, so I'm going to hop back in myself!
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Written by Tom West
Tom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.