Disney is so massive now that if you are tuning in to the 2022 D23 Expo, there is bound to be something interesting for you. Yesterday, the Disney & Marvel Games Showcase was short but jam packed with game trailers and info. The Aliens: Dark Descent clip was a very brief moment in an already brief showcase, but it did reveal some important aspects of the game for fans of the franchise.
Aliens: Dark Descent is described as “tactical, squad-based action” as players command their squad of Colonial Marines while they infiltrate the Xenomorph-infested Moon Lethe base. In the gameplay clip, we got a good look at the overhead perspective and chaotic action as players position their team to take on the hoard of Xenomorphs coming from all directions. It will be up to the player to give commands with the touch of a button. Players will also have to set up safe zones and set up motion trackers as they move through the open levels. Death is permanent in this game, so players will have to be constantly vigilant. Check out the mini Xenomorphs and Marines in the clip below.
The reveal trailer for this upcoming addition to the Alien franchise ended up feeling a little misleading for some fans. It was a cinematic trailer, with a seargent of the Colonial Marines giving his account of the tragic events he had just experienced. He described entering the base in order to find a device, and while that part went smoothly, the team discovered that they were not alone. They tried to flee, firing back as they retreated, but it turns out the seargent narrating the events had also closed the door on his colleague, leaving her to die. He then turns off his tape recorder as a Xenomorph tail hangs down behind him and admits that he still dreams of the monsters. At this point, we see that the two bodies in the chairs he had been speaking to are mostly eaten, and he is all alone with the alien monsters.
Right at the end of that trailer, we then got to see very brief gameplay, and many hopes were dashed. The majority of the trailer made it seem like the game would be more story-driven and intense, like Alien: Isolation. That game, more than any other so far, best captured the intensity of the movie that started it all. Fans of both the movies and the first game were then disappointed to realize that it is another hoard and shooting game. Maybe that’s why Disney decided to expand on the gameplay specifically for this event. It’s best to set expectations from the beginning.
It still looks like a fun game, especially if you enjoy strategy games. There will also be a lot of references to the movies, so even though it isn’t an Alien: Isolation 2, Aliens: Dark Descent will at least be worth a try for fans of the franchise. It will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S sometime next year!
