Aliens: Dark Descent Review — Two Campaigns, One Alien War

Aliens: Dark Descent drops players into the middle of a war between humans and the alien Xenomorph, and it mostly earns its place as one of the year’s best action games. The game splits its time between two campaigns, one following a squad of Colonial Marines and the other tracking a lone soldier named Private Drake. Both paths move through the same ruined city, but they deliver the story in very different ways.

Trailer, via Focus Entertainment.

Drake’s Campaign

Drake’s path is the quieter of the two. He moves through the city alone, gathering information about the attack on his unit. The pacing slows down in places, but the moments of quiet reflection pay off when the Xenomorphs arrive.

The Marine Campaign

The Marine campaign is where the game hits its stride. Players command a full squad, giving orders to soldiers under fire while the aliens close in. The level design rewards careful positioning, and the game’s cover system keeps players alive during some of the game’s most intense sequences.

Combat and Pace

The combat leans on quick reactions and steady movement. Players can’t just stand still and trade blows with the Xenomorphs. The game forces players to move, dodge and fire in short bursts, which keeps the action feeling fresh across long play sessions.

Sound and Setting

The setting is a broken, wet city, and the sound design sells the scale of the fight. Alien shrieks cut through the air, and the game’s score swells during the big set pieces without ever drowning out the action.

Technical Performance

The game runs at a solid frame rate on all four platforms, though the PS4 version sacrifices some visual detail to keep the pace smooth.

Comparison of Two Campaigns

The two campaigns sit side by side, each offering a different way into the same story.

Aliens: Dark Descent doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it executes the parts it borrows from well. The squad command adds depth that few other shooters attempt, and the Xenomorph encounters remain genuinely frightening. The game stumbles a little in Drake’s campaign, where the pacing drags, but the Marine campaign picks up the slack with tight, satisfying gunplay.

action game · Aliens · Dark Descent · game review · xenomorph