Aliens: Dark Descent - Review After 100%

Talking about my experiences with the newly released Aliens: Dark Descent, a trpg with some fresh ideas that make for a compelling game.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:56 Overview
01:35 Technical State
02:40 Difficulty
04:30 Story Set Up & Thoughts
06:17 Progression Systems
11:02 Gameplay & Combat
17:15 Exploration & Atmosphere
20:53 Steam Deck Compatibility
21:40 Positives/Negatives
23:16 Conclusion
24:08 Wrap Up
Intro Music By Juan Andrés Matos, www.juanmatosmusic.com/
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#gaming #gamereviews #trpg #aliens #aliensdarkdescent

[@BloomzMV]

Just wanted to let you know Gameranx gave you a shout out for your review on this game. Called you an underrated review channel and I couldn't agree with them more. You do a great job and thanks for the content. I have purchased many games based on your reviews and have not been disappointed yet.

[@KennethKaniff999]

Also Asmongold has mentioned you at least a couple times, with high praise. Best reviewer on youtube!

[@Bongface.]

I couldn't be happier with this game. It is a hard game but if you're an Alien fan you will absolutely like it.

[@ArariaKAgelessTraveller]

Alien Franchise Fans like it hard way

[@scarymoe4113]

​@@ArariaKAgelessTravellerword up. It is the way....

[@AzgarothCz]

Indeed. I am playing on nightmare, so far just at end of second location, over 10 hours played. It is way better than I expected. I just love it!

[@khal7702]

​@AzgarothCz happy to hear game provides great experience

[@treliq]

I first read "if you are an alien you will love it"

[@Roonlovesfish3874]

This game is an absolute gem. It brings the 1986 film feel effectively. It is tough though.

[@flare242]

It's good, and i'm really glad they went with Aliens movie as the main inspiration, but... the fucking nonstop quotes dude... Listening to it again and again just made me cringe. And i love the movie. There's inspiration, there's respect for the genre, and then there are memberberries. And this is drowning the player in the stuff instead of just sprinkling it throughout. But if i'm supposed to judge it based on the gameplay itself, it was really good. And i'm still not close to finishing it. I'm still trying to get through the damned Olduvai mine without losing people.

[@monkeytrident]

@@flare242 "the fucking nonstop quotes dude" is there no mod to remove that, as it is the only thing preventing me from installing and playing it, "Double Time" ........

[@flare242]

@@monkeytrident It did not occur to me that that's a possibility.

[@jg5117]

Just to note, the game was developed by Tindalos Interactive ( the devs behind the Battlefleet Gothic series as well as the lesser known but fantastic stellar impact) and was only published by Focus Home Interactive. I'm a huge fan of Tindalos as an auteur developer so wanted to make sure they got their due.

[@decado7]

Damn I didn’t know they made it. Reckon might grab

[@TheBall12]

Tindalos nails atmosphere, just there gameplay and programming (bugs) can have some issues. For example they could have done more with the classes and the base but still great to see that they delivered a great product. Not like battlefleet gothic 2 that was way to undercooked.

[@tibielias]

Well lets hope they master facial animations and modeling the next time. Maybe they could pickup Unreal Engine 5 for their next game.

[@ShahbazBokhari]

I love seeing game mechanics like stress management and a dooms day clock, seen in games like darkest dungeon and mechanicus and x-com respectively, be implemented so creatively.

[@sonikz9033]

Honestly sold me when i saw this

[@DutchGuyMike]

At least they gave us the option via a patch to disable the "doomsday clock" (since I, and others, REALLY hate time constraints). This was the main factor that made me purchase it as I just cannot stand timers in any way shape or form, as I want to play games to relax and be immersed, being constrained by time WHILST gaming is something I cannot stand (within reason).

[@Neoyugi]

Captures the feeling of Aliens perfectly, best alien game since isolation.

[@NurkePL]

Love seeing Jonesy on the Command Deck, I watched the first Alien movie when it came out and spent half of it worrying about that bloody cat! :)

[@Gallasl666]

@Mrslothymacaroony Know if its unlockable?

[@MelindaKiss1983]

Yep me too😅

[@heliveruscalion9124]

​@@mrslothymacaroony4643not a pre order bonus only, if you pre-ordered you just got the single DLC that came out day one for free

[@heliveruscalion9124]

​@@Gallasl666^

[@NurkePL]

@@hubnhinhi8232 lol, indeed - you can kill as many humans as you like beasty, just leave the cat alone

[@TaucelinkR]

The dedication is insane! Your videos are always so high quality, one of the few KZbinrs whose videos I watch each and every new release for.

[@thechristopherous789]

I honestly dont care about the majority of games covered here, i just like listening to the reviews and being informed

[@Draycoe]

How the hell are you 100% already, you crazy man!

[@mwday1978]

Dude for real

[@zenosaracino8678]

It was a review copy, though

[@justinholtman]

He got the game early he even said that.

[@bezka91]

💀

[@showcase0525]

​@@justinholtmanstill feels like he doesn't sleep

[@vinniecorleone62]

Even though others were able to get their reviews out earlier, it's games like this one that is well worth waiting for the best reviewer who understands these types of games better than anyone! Anxious to pick my copy up later today!

[@teeheehee4494]

Well said

[@fubar395]

As someone that grew up on the movies, this game looks like the first in the Alien series that I want to play. The gameplay looks suspenseful and action packed. Kind of like the 2nd movie.

[@TheBall12]

If that is what you seek it will deliver. But it will get hard and i dont know if it will get to frustrating for you.

[@fubar395]

@@TheBall12 yeah, everything I’ve seen about the game mentions the difficulty. I enjoy a challenge though.

[@TheSGBrown]

Play Alien Isolation.

[@kythian]

I started playing it yesterday and I wasn't quite sure about it. But after just a single hour I was ALL IN. So effing good. The atmosphere is spot on. Great lighting. The character shadows on the walls really wowed me.

[@He4Fr]

How tough is it? I suck at strat games, but I love the atmosphere and universe.

[@kythian]

@@He4Fr I only got a couple hours in, but I found that I need to be aware of all the tools I have available and make use of them intelligently. Easier said than done. 😁 If you use the pause option (as opposed to just slowing down time), then you will have time to process chaotic situations. There is also a "story" difficulty available. I haven't tried that, but I'd bet it makes the game much more approachable. But at default difficulty it seems to be a step tougher than I would expect.

[@KamalSingh-cu5ie]

You got a shoutout from gameranx. That is amazing, your reviews are perfect.

[@Baraz_Red]

Your review is much more fun than other reviews. I think some players have a hard time accepting that aliens can kick your ass or that you can almost fail the game. It must be stressful. // I have not played yet.

[@armelior4610]

That's the third review I watch mentioning the one-liners as a major downside, so it's not just a Mort thing :D Still, nice to see this Xenomorph : enemy unknown in the Darkest Space Station is good

[@Shoelessjoe78]

Some of the writing is Jr high level with a crayon..I ended up shutting off the speaking. The rest is a lot of fun though.

[@hutchy5407]

I really hope the modular difficulty settings becomes a trend.

[@MegaTommy129]

what an all-encompassing review, so informative. Game looks dope, keen to start. Subscribed.

[@bobjones6154]

Ah Mortym, you never disappoint. I've been a fan since your earliest videos, since your fantastic long form videos on baldurs gate etc. Dude, way to go. I'm a dad, pretty sure our kids are around the same age. I know how hard it is and all I can say is kudos.

[@amirawan3592]

Finally a good reviewer. Just subscribed dude keep up the good work. Some of us gamers actually like the details before purchasing.

[@-drey]

You are probably my main influence(r) when it comes to game buying decisions at the moment ! Thank you for all your hard work !

[@sircdrom]

Wow, that's a great review! Detailed and informative without spoilers. Impressive! Great game too! Hope it gets all the credit it deserves and that they manage to sort out some of the technical issues in a very near future.

[@joshcunningham3952]

Happy 30th birthday, so much of your life left to live, really admirable to hear about your life and your solace in games and how now it has created this channel, being able to bring joy to peoples lives, glad to know you got through that time and bringing up a son also. Your doing great.

[@Viruxous1]

I was sent here by Jake Baldino (Gameranx). He mentioned your review, and wow, you rock. I was wondering about this game.

[@battlericky17]

Was watching gameranx and had to come back to the video even though you already sold me on this game. You got a shout out from the goats, you deserve it man. Much love

[@rajahava]

That game kinda seems like Red Solstice 2: Survivors (2021) just fitted into Alien franchise with a hint of Darkest Dungeon/X-Com.

[@trashasaurus]

My man 100% a game that came out 7 hours ago, you're an absolute mad lad sir.

[@trashasaurus]

@petah I figured he got a review copy lol. I didn't think he literally finished it and made a video in less than 8 hours. Still some intense dedication, review copy or not

[@grkpektis]

I only played this game for an hour so far, I was expecting an all action game I didn't expect the beginning of this game to be so creepy and dark. It was a great surprise

[@jinmark9453]

Shooting and combat sucks, seems very undeveloped, weapons strength, weapons projectiles behavior, combat distance, general physics all seem off and are absolutelynot fun after short playtime.

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

​​@@jinmark9453 Yeah i haven't even played it yet but i can easily see it's got those problems you said Imma wait till it's super cheap to get it 5 bucks or less baby!!!

[@fnggaming89]

There's a deathclock? Cmon i don't like that, I dont wanna feel rushed playing

[@paulh8243]

Great video,earned a subscriber. Jake Baldino sent me btw :P

[@Scarygomez]

Thanks for the video Morty son. I bought the game to support the devs for trying to bring fresh ideas and trying something a bit different. I know there's a few bugs (other than the aliiens 😇) but for me it plays well. Looking forward to more awesome content from you in the coming months!

[@scarymoe4113]

Hey a fellow scary. 👊

[@Scarygomez]

@@scarymoe4113 Woah ,you're scary too!! Awesome!! 💪

[@Taranchule]

I might have to pick this one up. Looks intriguing. As an aside, it's interesting to note that Stress was also a mechanic in the Alien tabletop RPG from a few years ago. It's been a while since I've cracked open the rulebook, but based on what Mortym said, it works similarly too.

[@pvt.prinny759]

Man you’re effective with these reviews just don’t burn yourself out man because you’re good at this !

[@domman2882]

Mortismal just wanted to let you know your voice is soothing as all hell and you could definitely make it as a game caster or a audio book reader. All of that aside you're excellent at what you do and thanks to you i'm finding and enjoying all sorts of games I wouldn't usually touch or would usually be hesitant about purchasing. Whenever I heard stuff about game journalism or reviews being dead or extremely biased you're one of the first people I think of that approaches it all with self-awareness and a critical mind. Keep doing what you're doing you're bloody brilliant at it.

[@Cha05typhoon]

Just starting the review but just got to say it's crazy impressive how you manage to not only get these 100% completions done but also a script written and recorded so soon after release!

[@timkeithveillon3489]

I've commented this before, but it deserves repeating: you are the best reviewer on the internet. I watched the IGN review for this title and learned nothing. Then i watch your video review and I feel like I have a good understanding of what this game is. Thank you for what you do, and I hope you can grow your subs by leaps and bounds. You deserve more recognition.

[@Spidi__PL]

I appreciate Steamdeck section, because it helps me to make decision If I buy on ps5 or PC - mouse vs controller, so little reviewers gives this info. Kinda surprised they didnt decide to give option to move whole squad with left analog ie since you are always moving as a one unit.

[@danishkhalid9255]

I love this game! I've been playing it on PS5 and its been so fun. I can however only play it in sessions of 1 hour max as its too scary and stressful haha. I'm so thankful to the devs who just made the most perfect aliens game ever

[@wumborat3669]

Another stellar and articulate review! Keep it up brother (most of the time i just watch your videos rather than commenting on them, but i wanna help with the algorithm in any way i can!)

[@DualDexx]

Jake baldino shouted you out, gott say. Not disappointed. Enjoy your content ^-^

[@PhoenixDragon90]

Enjoyed the video🧡 Keep Up The Good Work!!👍

[@AARon-mx2xj]

It is good to see you getting pre-release codes now. Keep up the great reviews!

[@stoicstranger84]

This one guy, Jake, I know... I was already subscribed here, but as always, great review. I'm a huge Aliens fan and love strategy games. Win!

[@Black-Pill-7411]

Im an old school aliens fan and i wish this game was in first person

[@whatitdo2273]

Me too .

[@lot5953]

Please no. There are too many first person shooting flooding the market.

[@RobVespa]

Nice review. Thank you. This led me to perusing your videos and subscribing. All the best.

[@kaitoukid2729]

Hey, Jake from gameranx recomend this channel and review, so here i am 😊

[@minkster5054]

Really accurate review, summed it up well. Its really atmospheric and planning is so essential. I agree with the issues, hopefully they fix them. I have to admit rage quitting a few times. Recon snipers love to block themselves from taking shots, and even on the easiest settings the game loves to spam hunts forcing you to just start again. They need to give you more time with onslaughts too, loads of map positions where you can't get to a good spot causing a wipe. Overall I'm still enjoying it, just taking my time.

[@Colonel42069]

I just loved that detailed difficulty settings, catering to how hard you wanna play or how easy. Wished more games do this because your guy here ain't that good at gaming anymore and these detailed difficulties setting certainly help a bunch. One game come to mind is Control.

[@TheBall12]

Even story mode is still difficult. What they call "story mode" should have been "normal". What i am trying to say is, If you want to flagalate yourself in nightmare mode be my guest.

[@filnisius2153]

Looks great. Will probably get it this weekend!

[@largepaw8761]

Quote (Funny 1 liner) from Bill Paxton in 1986 Aliens-- "Why don't you put her in charge" (little girl they found upon arrival). Mortim another great review !!

[@scavysaimon2637]

Jake Baldino sent me here, and I also wanted to add how first mission took me 6 hours to complete. For what's worth the only time I felt such stress playing an Alien game was with Alien vs Predator 2000 and I'm absolutely loving it.

[@ixxirecords26]

Give yourself a vacation soon dude. We appreciate the work fr but gaming so much can't be good for your health. Besides that, great work as always!

[@xenon7091]

hey, I saw you got mentioned by Gameranx about the review.... I mean, I have been watching you for a long time already and you really grew, especially on this past year, but damn.... Morty is growing big and I am happy and proud to see it and be a part of it.... keep on going

[@Jasta85]

Glad the game is great, a few reviewers mentioned technical issues at launch (fortunately they should be fast to fix) so I'll probably wait a bit for some patches and then jump in. Glad that this was done well, quite rare to get this type of game, especially in the Alien franchise.

[@_george84]

Thank you for keeping us informed!

[@Lord_ESL]

Challenging RTS with the alien franchise. Count me in

[@marksapp8983]

22 hrs in, so many hard lessons learned, so much fun for forty bucks. Pretty worried I don't have enough days left on my doomsday clock before game over man, but I'm going to give it me best shot! Bugs seem minor, probably easily patched and soon. Annoying marine voice is a big complaint by a lot of folks too and will likely be adjusted. Love the game, love my misfit meat head marines! Thanks for the review and insight Mort!

[@htpclivingroom8785]

I want this game as warhammer 40k

[@stellerpleb.6530]

Love this dudes reviews. Love the timestamps. He always goes over gameplay and or combat. That's the heart of the game and most people review shit like - sound...

[@dizzypdddizzypdd2252]

I’ve been playing it on medium, I’ve been playing these tactical games most of my life and I must say this is so much fun, at the beginning it was hard I will admit the aliens just don’t stop and when you are worn down it gets stressful but by the end of the game I found medium to be too easy to where I did the last few missions like walking in the park so once you learn how be stealth 100% it gets much easier but to that you must have the right gear unlocked and bought. Great video and review 👌

[@dnakatomiuk]

Reminds me of Cannon Fodder for the Amiga with Xcom style mission sort of system. I'm getting the game when they patch out more bugs I like the idea of the stress system and how it effects your team

[@YogonKalisto]

looking fwd to it after listening to your conclusion. being more stubborn than a mule, i love hard games. thanks for the review!

[@55Karl55]

love the structure of your reviews

[@TheRottenHand.]

Thanks for such a great content sir.

[@matthewsilva9975]

Jake sent me with high regards!!

[@Eevolved32]

Congrats on the 100%

[@ceno10101]

I hadn't even heard of this game!? I came here because of Gameranx's mention. I definitely will grab this one. I love the genre and the Aliens world.

[@jrddoubleu514]

I love these kind of games. Icewind Dale, Planetscape, Baldurs gate, ST Away Team etc. Need more of them IMO.

[@TheLocalDisasterTourGuide]

Thank you for this review! I discovered this game thanks to your review & I recently finished my first play through. Very enjoyable experience.

[@alexandermishev6897]

Tnx man, just bought it on steam and was freaking over the toughness it provides. Now I realize I've just been playing it wrong lol. Very helpful review, tnx again!

[@djahjeband7249]

I'm on the borderline for getting this game! Nice review!!

[@lsporter88]

Very thorough review. Thank you.

[@rifraf09]

I never comment but you are my favourite reviewer! Keep up the good work!

[@Quixotic69]

Dude you are fast man. Awesome review.

[@RazorbackX99]

I don't even think the game is that overly difficult, but rather tends to become stressful in the later levels. You are being pushed more and more towards swift decisions and an overall more aggressive stance of pushing forward (even stealth-wise), as resources and time managment becomes more and more essential. But I feel that this struggle is actually a great way how the game draws you into the tension. You are literally stressing out - just like your marines. :D

[@gopitri128]

Great review as usual. I just had a random thought (fwiw) - if you haven't played Battletech yet, you really should. It's great and I think you'd like it. Lots of strategic depth, good story, and the mechanics around how mechs are built brings something a bit unique to trpgs. It'd be a good candidate for one of your retrospective reviews.

[@rudyosuna2344]

Gameranx sent me here great video love this game so far

[@StellarCosmic1]

Really dig your vids, Mortym! 👏🏻 Great review, this game has my attention, but I'm skeptical of myself cuz Fireteam Elite didn't hook me like I thought it would. EDIT: But then again, I have gamer-ADHD and it takes a lot to make me dedicate a lotta time to a game and be actively looking forward to playing it next. The last "single player" or "story" game which did that was RE4 Remake & RE2 Remake... I played it everyday til I beat it. Other games that hook me are MWII and BF2042, so I guess it's that quick repetitive dopamine hit that I seek. Idk

[@Zeromus]

Great video! Could you please comment on length of play and replayability? Thanks!

[@LandersWorkshop]

Looks good, the acid spray thing might be mitigated if you equip the front few guys with incinerators, in the boardgame lore the flame usually cuts down the acid risk.

[@philsc6028]

What difficulty did you play on for this review? and is there a New game plus mode?

[@Jcarroz]

Aliens + TRPG = my cup of tea so it’s a buy for me 🔥

[@cicero5mk]

It`s sounds like a XCOM mixed with the Alien Franchise and the devolpers got it right this time.👌 Since I love both i will give it a shot. Thanks for your Review.🤟

[@LilFeralGangrel]

The last TRPG I played that had RTWP elements was Satellite Reign and that was just an alternate mode, so this is exciting. (I hope this game runs better than old Satellite Reign because that game was laggy)

[@traviseicher9118]

This game looks really fun. I just bought it on steam. Thanks for the review!

[@BurnPoi]

Great review like always, now I will defenitly buy this game! Cheers buddy!

[@sQu1ggl3G1ggl3]

Great looking game. I enjoy your review style too. I'll be looking forward to more content, brother

[@TheTrickyShow1]

i really love the game and im happy its getting some love!!! i really like maeko's character and enjoy how its story focused

[@patshaf902]

Was kinda dissapointed with the final alien. Figured were getting a hybrid like in the comics

[@Adeller1231]

Hey Mortismal, Newer follower here and I apologize if this information has been covered in the past, but I was curious how you go about 100% all these games? Do you play the game through normally first and then tackle the achievements left over or do you plan out a strategy before you even start the game? Was just curious about the process and wanted to pick your mind a little bit. Thanks for the wonderful review as always!

[@MortismalGaming]

You can find some videos where I talk about this a good bit in the Channel FAQs playlist

[@amc2005]

Liked and Subscribed. Great take. I just finished the game and LOVED it. My only gripes being the Alien Aggressiveness mechanic and the inability to control individual marines vs. the entire group in tactical scenarios and landscapes. You said you play the TRPG genre often, care to name some of your favorites from the genre?

[@MortismalGaming]

Real time stuff is few and far between, most of it is turn based but Tactics Ogre and Expeditions: Rome off the top of my head

[@peterbaini8752]

Will there be co-op online or any multiplayer features added?

[@chriscarrete5303]

I'm definitely looking forward to future updates.

[@Williamjacob7789]

Jake sent me. 😂 Love the Review man.

[@markquavertune2003]

Some things that could improve the game for me .The ability to move injured marines or general personel into the APC .Have the main enviroment view with an option to default to the north .Have the abilty to order troop movement from the map screen .Have a negociation option with the planet's human inhabitants before combat .The posibility to lure the queen out with the face huggers joining her .Have a Bishop android.Have the ability to arrange the proximity and spread ,distance , of the soldiers .Move soldiers back and forward in relation to each other .Have an audio option to dissable profanity .A future expansion that introduces the predator .A predator would want the the planetary infestation to be more intense .So a dynamic would be around the predator doing things to promote the Alien expansion .

[@RamiTestsGames]

Great game so far. I was testing it yesterday using low budget rig and it plays so good.

[@shawngillogly6873]

Seen several reviews mentioning the one-liners. Sounds like a setting to adjust feedback is required.

[@WunnSEN]

8:06 I see you try too back out from there too with the ESC key 😆 I do it so much man

[@danieldouglasclemens]

This is EXACTLY my kind of genre, game and franchise. Add to this the refreshing changes and ESPECIALLY the challenging difficulty level I like and it is an instant buy for anyone! Thanks 4 the review! 🙏

[@yaaakuzzzapsn5532]

Do u recommend xcom 2 for me?

[@Silas-Inservio-Pax]

Why did you shorten "for" into 4 but no other word in your whole comment. I am deeply shocked.

[@danieldouglasclemens]

Must be getting old and I am definitely out of practice ;-p

[@danieldouglasclemens]

I only had XCOM 1 on PlayStation and I loved it.

[@Ericboy114558]

@@yaaakuzzzapsn5532 XCOM 2 is awesome, pick it up if you haven't allready. It's on sale regularly! Might wanna watch some guides first tho, because the game doesn't always do a great job at explaining it's systems.

[@biobomb1976]

The Game is perfect @mortismal gaming - I wrote to the Developers with a positive review, i just requested very politely more cosmetics, game modes such as horde and just so much more. Cant wait for the DLC

[@drgonzo123]

Hello, Jake from Gameranx sent me.