Aliens: Dark Descent is a tactical squad-based shooter in which players must command a squad of colonial marines as they seek to quell the threat of a Xenomorph invasion on the planet Lethe. This latest game in the iconic franchise takes elements from tactical, turn-based combat games such as XCOM, and amplifies the tension and intensity. Danger lurks around every corner and players do not have the luxury of stopping time in order to plan their reactions (unless playing on the easiest difficulty setting).
Therefore, the experience and weapon load-out of marines, along with their special combat abilities, are of supreme importance in Aliens: Dark Descent. While the weapons themselves cannot be modified in any particular way, such as changing sights and stocks, there is a large enough weapon variety to produce a dynamic and capable squad with a range of combat abilities. The weapons work in a tier system, with players unlocking the more powerful weapons as progress through the game.
Workshop
There are three main types of weapons Marines will be able to equip: Primary , Secondary and Special. Each new weapon will require the player to spend Materials to unlock them. There will also be a base level for Marines required to equip them (for example, level 3 Recon to unlock the Sniper Rifle). Once a weapon is purchased, it can be equipped by as many marines as possible and is not limited to a single use. For this reason, upgrading weapons will often cost several hundred materials to unlock.
Primary Weapons will be equipped at the start of each mission and will be the most common weapon used by Marines. The available primary weapons include:
- Pulse Rifle
- Smart Gun
- Heavy Pulse Rifle
- Plasma Rifle
Secondary Weapons can be equipped at the player's command, but will also be used whenever the marine is carrying a downed ally. Secondary weapons are limited to the following:
- Service Pistol
- Revolver
- Submachine Gun
Special Weapons are deployed using Command Points during the slow-down phase of combat and have unique abilities compared to the straightforward firearms. The Special Weapons available from the Workshop are:
- Shotgun
- Incinerator Unit
- Mine
- RPG Launcher
- Sniper Rifle
Barracks
Having spent the materials to unlock new weapons, players will then need to equip their squad with them to make use of the upgrades. This is done via the Barracks tab, where "Advanced Info" will be displayed about each of the marines. From here, players can assign the marines new perks, customize their appearances, and upgrade their weapons. Simply select the soldier to be upgraded, and then choose the new weapon from the Gear tab at the bottom of the unit's details panel.
Keep in mind that every marine's load-out will need to be customized individually to effectively deploy any new upgrades. However, it is well worth this extra bit of micromanagement to ensure that the squad has a diverse range of abilities as well as being equipped with the most powerful gear possible.
Aliens: Dark Descent is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.