A brand-new game in the Alien franchise titled Aliens: Dark Descent has been announced at the Summer Game Fest and it will arrive in 2023.
The first surprise announcement from Summer Game Fest 2022 was none other than a new entry in the Alien franchise. Aliens: Dark Descent is the next game to drop us into the hostile world of Xenomorphs, this time from a new isometric perspective. The trailer was almost completely cinematic, setting the tone for the game as being a mix of action and horror, much like the seminal film, with only a brief look at the game in action in the final moments.
Aside from Xenomorphs, Aliens: Dark Descent also shows a new humanoid enemy described as a “new kind of evil.” The game itself will be played from an isometric perspective, with players controlling a squad of marines, all in real time, who attempt to stop the alien outbreak occurring on Moon Lethe.
Much like an XCOM title, Aliens: Dark Descent will let you customize and kit out your squad of five marines for each mission, all of whom need to be maintained physically and mentally to avoid losing them permanently. You will also manage and upgrade your base, conduct research, and develop new tools to help your squad survive the next mission.
Alien games have been hit-or-miss over the past decade, with Aliens: Colonial Marines being a notable black mark on the franchise. Despite that, Alien: Isolation was a fantastic horror experience that captured the mood and atmosphere of the original film, while Aliens: Fireteam Elite was a decent Left 4 Dead clone.
This will be the first time the franchise has gone for a more tactical-style game, so we can only speculate on which side of the fence it will ultimately fall when it releases in 2023.
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