Hello, I’m Romain Clavier, Game Director at Tindalos Interactive, the studio developing Aliens: Dark Descent, a team-based real-time strategic tactical action game with rich management systems and twisted horrors. On June 20, you can see the Xenomorphs stalking their prey in a contemporary strategy game. But before you descend into darkness, I want to use this blog post to shed some light on how our development team merged terror and tactics for the intense, lo-fi world of Aliens: Dark Descent. .
Let’s first look at the horror elements of Aliens: Dark Descent. As the title suggests, the game is set in the alien universe, more specifically tinged with James Cameron’s action Aliens (1986) where players take on the role of a group of colonial marines trying to escape of a colony invaded by the holder. aliens. From the beginning, we worked hard to establish a tense and disturbing atmosphere; there are cryptically dark hallways, flickering fluorescent lights, and the constant threat of xenomorph attack, but what really changed Aliens: Dark Descent for the better was when we implemented our unique fog of war mechanic , where areas of the map are hidden to create dreads and let players’ imaginations run wild. This means that you must carefully plan your routes and your movements around every turn, taking into account the risk of running into a Xenomorph or other unknown dangers.
Developing the Xenomorphs has been one of the most rewarding challenges, as we want them to reach the same level of cruelty they are famous for in movies. Our goal is for players to drown in the tension of the potential for a fierce ambush from a conniving pack of Xenomorphs. That said, we wanted to avoid having swarms of Xenomorphs in a way that would dull their individual significance, so we opted to give in-game enemies some nifty strategic impulses to plan on-the-fly maneuvers, flank squads, and each other. remove quickly to collect more numbers.
The sound design is also crucial in eliciting that primal dread; we made sure to add the subtle buzzes of tattered technology and the eerie chirps of creature hisses and rushes as you lead your crew on a variety of crucial missions.
But Aliens: Dark Descent isn’t all suspense and dismay – it also requires strategic thinking and planning to succeed. Players must manage their resources carefully, gathering supplies and weapons while avoiding detection by aliens and other enemies.
While the constant threat of a Xenomorph attack creates a sense of urgency and danger, strategic gameplay elements add depth and complexity to how players must react. Our stress mechanism is a ticking time bomb acting as a constant reminder of how bad things can go if distraught Marines are not supported in this hostile environment. Permadeath will be the unfortunate reality of the unluckiest marines, making every mistake have a lasting impact; and the more the marines have advanced, the more heartbreaking their loss will be. Players must constantly adapt and change their tactics to stay one step ahead of the aliens, making each game personal and exciting. My favorite feature is the slowdown mechanic, as it forces players into unavoidable situations where they have to react in a split second as time passes.
With Aliens: Dark Descent, I can confidently say that we’ve created an air of lingering dread while allowing everyone to explore the secrets of Lethe; so we’ve added a plethora of accessibility options, lower difficulty levels for players who want to focus on the story, and the ability to turn slow down mode into a full break so you can tackle Aliens: Dark Go down your way.
As a longtime fan of the Alien universe, it was a joy and an honor to work on this game with the rest of the team at Tindalos Interactive, Focus Entertainment and 20e Games of the century. We have outdone ourselves and overcome challenges to make Aliens: Dark Descent an unforgettable blend of suspense and strategy. I’m thrilled to see how our tense world keeps players on the edge of their seats.
Aliens: Dark Descent slides onto PS5 and PS4 on June 20.
