Aliens: Dark Descent - Review After 100%

[@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!

[@treliq]

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

[@TheWolfSharp]

Even on easy? Oh man... I just want to have fun, I realize it might not be a popular opinion, but I don't like when I hit difficulty walls in video games.

[@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!

[@Subject28-ou6fp]

Niice

[@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.

[@Subject28-ou6fp]

Not really the point of the game but it’s got some tidy cut scenes too.

[@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.

[@Neoyugi]

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

[@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.

[@OctoKrool]

I usually don't play through games entirely, but I easily committed to this and beat it; the difficulty adds so much fun to the overall game and I had so much fun strategizing how to handle scenarios.

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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!!!

[@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

[@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.

[@-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 !

[@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.

[@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.

[@Mynameizzz]

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.

[@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.

[@Homiloko2]

Alien games SHOULD be hard, otherwise they're not living up to the franchise.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@amirawan3592]

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

[@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.

[@htpclivingroom8785]

I want this game as warhammer 40k

[@DualDexx]

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

[@pvt.prinny759]

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

[@kaitoukid2729]

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

[@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.

[@Lord_ESL]

Challenging RTS with the alien franchise. Count me in

[@KamalSingh-cu5ie]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@RoseKindred]

I am glad you said it was difficult. Honestly. I have been looking for harder games and passed this one because I thought it would be too easy.

[@noelienoelie8425]

It's not easy, but it's far from hard. Tbh I'm finding it a tad relaxing for some reasons. I think (whilst I can't speak for mort) reviews who mentioned it being too hard had "bad gameplay" showing in the background. By bad gameplay I mean "Trying to singlehandedly kill a zenomorph with a handgun". Just my 2cents.

[@Viruxous1]

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

[@matthewsilva9975]

Jake sent me with high regards!!

[@Azturus]

Watched some twitch streamer play thisa and really after trying it out myself for some time on normal i just had to make fresh start due many bad choises i have made thus far as really not good player in this type of genre. Really needs quite some time to invest to think what you need to do and what you must do to get somewhat nice playing experience. But after all this really is solid game and keeps you interested throughout the missions even as casual player.

[@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

[@Jcarroz]

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

[@drgonzo123]

Hello, Jake from Gameranx sent me.

[@jrddoubleu514]

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

[@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)

[@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 !!

[@FlawedFabrications]

The squad voices are my one major complaint about this game. I'll give an order to cautiously and stealthily move down a corridor and the moment I hit that click one of my guys screams "MOVING" with the vigor of a man trying to surf a beach held by the Viet Cong.

[@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

[@patshaf902]

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

[@Subject28-ou6fp]

Top tip i’d say is put motion trackers wherever you can. You can trigger them from your map to kite patrols and hunts away from you. And use up all your command points doing that or laying mines before you rest cause you get them all back.

[@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 .

[@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.

[@thecleverink]

I would like to understand one thing about this game. How long exactly is the campaign if I want to do everything? What is there to do after the campaign ends? Is there some kind of NG+? Longevity scares me a lot.

[@rajahava]

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

[@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.🤟

[@filnisius2153]

Looks great. Will probably get it this weekend!

[@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!

[@rudyosuna2344]

Gameranx sent me here great video love this game so far

[@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.

[@Maidiac]

Just picked up in the sale after watching your review. These sales are killing my backlog 😅

[@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!

[@leonkenedy4616]

Jake Baldino recommended the channel for this specific review so here I´m.

[@ethanbradley2796]

Red Solstice 2 is very similar and pretty good

[@joelociraptorgaming80]

I've been playing this and Alien Isolation simultaneously. I love the horror type between the two games. Isolation gives me the Alien movie horror, Dark Descent gives me the Aliens movie horror. Both are great games and I enjoy playing Isolation every fall and Dark Descent will be added to that fall horror game list.

[@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

[@RamiTestsGames]

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

[@Zeromus]

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

[@FraterPerdurabo]

This one seems like right up my alley and potentially a 100% candidate. Been waiting for a while for a true successor to XCOM - thanks for the review!

[@FraterPerdurabo]

@@sujimayne yes and no. I followed the development but, upon release, the reviews seemed to suggest that it was mediocre. Has that changed and is it worth playing now?

[@repskillian1313]

real time with pause isn't very xcom like

[@FraterPerdurabo]

@@repskillian1313 No, but the base and resource management is, and these are the components I miss the most in other TRPGs. I do not really consider real-time with pause vs turn-based to be determinative of the genre: happy to play either.

[@michimatsch5862]

@@repskillian1313 The game is clearly trying to emulate xcom with the risk/reward, escalating enemy encounters, and timers in and out of a mission. Also...have you seen the mission select and mission finish screens? It screams XCOM. But the cool music is missing :/

[@philsc6028]

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

[@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.

[@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...

[@RamssesPharaoh]

Great review 👏 one thing for players to remember is the difficulty customization options. It helped me managed the learning curve, and understand the mechanics before attempting to play in higher difficulty.

[@ihorbilyk7406]

Wow I am not a fan of RTS genre but after your detailed review I kinda would like to check this game out 😅

[@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.

[@TheRottenHand.]

Thanks for such a great content sir.

[@Ultr4l0f]

This looks quite interesting and fresh. Not exactly my cup of tea, but pretty cool. I will wishlist this and wait for a few patches and a decent sale.

[@djahjeband7249]

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

[@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

[@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!

[@antongoykhman]

I hate the countdown system in the games. It has to be done only for a certain mission or 3 missions max. Better use is to build up the pressure by releasing xenos of different types.

[@RaymLovesEggs]

Jake sent me 👋

[@meltingskeleton2082]

This game felt like what Phoenix point should have been when it came to managing your personnel. This game made me just more upset at how Phoenix point came out. Solid Alien game and a solid tactic game.

[@taomahNEGEV]

Phoenix Point is so much more superior and deeper with its turn base combat and both strategic and tactical approach.

[@meltingskeleton2082]

@@taomahNEGEV I fail to see the depth in the game. I put 120ish hours into it and beat it with the military alliance and the xeno alliance. While combat was somewhat deep. The interaction with your squad and base between maps felt lack luster. Felt like original xcom had more depth in the 90s

[@Black-Cipher-6]

That's why I trust you, man. Only review after 100%. When I'm in doubt about a game, I come here. Keep up the good work!

[@YogonKalisto]

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

[@nothing3065]

I played it on hard right away and ended up playing stealth most of the time. Mines and suppressor snipers were my most used tools. I loved the game, but I don't wanna play it again. Easier modes will be boring, and harder settings will force me to play even more stealth which I'm tired of by now

[@marshalls951]

how did you even manage to 100% it so fast? incredible work

[@5000Seabass]

He had it longer than us

[@marshalls951]

@@5000Seabass well yeah, he mentioned he has had it for about a week, but still incredible to 100% a game in that time frame

[@BB-ce5ev]

​@@marshalls951well when its your job.

[@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!

[@carlosmelendez8317]

I'm glad I watched your review before buying on Steam Deck. I want this game but not gonna play on low settings just to run it on Steam Deck so I'll just buy on PS5. Thanks

[@paulh8243]

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

[@fnggaming89]

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

[@Eevolved32]

Congrats on the 100%

[@OnwardToMail]

Basically this is X-Com: Aliens Edition

[@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 👌

[@ksteenkamp2466]

Excellent review. I'm loving this game. I've played the XCOM games and the Jagged Alliance games, but this one really grabbed me. I finished the first 2 missions, but am thinking of starting over again now that I understand the mechanics. One of those games that you want to take your time with and it doesn't help if you have a OCD when it comes to making mistakes, hah!

[@pgaven9396]

This game is best on a console for the controls. I have it on the Ps5...the mechanics are much better. I have to agree with both your positives and negatives. Some reviewers are just not patient enough to understand it or never/rarely play Trpgs.

[@axelo5011]

I’m so glad someone’s talking about the voice callouts from the marines. They’re awful! Very few of them so they’re repetitive, they’re extremely loud, and you can’t turn them off. By the end of the first mission I was so sick of hearing ‘MOVE AHHHP.’ I hope they fix this.

[@Williamjacob7789]

Jake sent me. 😂 Love the Review man.