Aliens: Dark Descent - Master the Art of Weapon Upgrades for Unstoppable Power

Aliens: Dark Descent is a gripping squad-based shooter where players take control of a group of colonial marines in a desperate battle against a Xenomorph invasion on the planet Lethe. This new addition to the renowned franchise draws inspiration from tactical, turn-based combat games like XCOM, elevating the suspense and intensity. Danger lurks at every turn, leaving no room for players to pause and strategize (unless playing on the easiest difficulty).

In Aliens: Dark Descent, the expertise and armament of the marines, coupled with their unique combat abilities, play a vital role. Although the weapons themselves cannot be customized extensively with optics or attachments, the game offers a wide range of firearms, allowing for the creation of a skilled and versatile squad. These weapons are organized into tiers, with access to more potent armaments unlocking as players progress through the game.

Workshop

There are three main categories of weapons that Marines can wield: Primary, Secondary, and Special. To unlock each new weapon, players must spend Materials. Additionally, Marines must have a certain level of proficiency (e.g. level 3 Recon) to be able to equip specific weapons like the Sniper Rifle. Once a weapon is purchased, it can be used by multiple Marines and is not restricted to a single user. Upgrading weapons often requires a significant amount of Materials, often costing several hundred.

Primary Weapons are the weapons Marines start each mission with and are the most commonly used. 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 utilized by expending Command Points during the slow-down phase of combat. These weapons possess distinct abilities in contrast to conventional firearms. The Workshop offers a selection of Special Weapons, including the Shotgun.

Incinerator Unit

Mine

RPG Launcher

Sniper Rifle

Barracks

After unlocking new weapons, players should equip their squad with them in order to utilize the upgrades. This can be done through the Barracks tab, which provides "Advanced Info" about each marine. In this section, players can assign new perks, customize appearances, and upgrade weapons for each marine. To upgrade a soldier, simply select them and choose the desired new weapon from the Gear tab located at the bottom of the unit's details panel.

It's important to note that each marine's load-out must be individually customized in order to effectively deploy any new upgrades. Although it requires some extra micromanagement, this effort is worthwhile as it ensures that the squad possesses a diverse range of abilities and is equipped with the most powerful gear available.

Aliens: Dark Descent is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.