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Videogames set within the Aliens universe tend to be a bit hit-and-miss. WhilstAliens: Dark Descentdoes have a lot of positives going for it, there are still a few bugbears that’ll frustrate some fans, especially those looking to speedrun the game.
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Still, if you’re looking to check out the newest Xenomorph blasting game on the block then worry not, it’s not particularly long and with some skill and luck, you can breeze through it in just a few sessions. If you’re curious about whether you’ll get your money’s worth, here’s how long it takes to beat Aliens: Dark Descent.
How Long Does It Take To Complete Aliens: Dark Descent?
As mentioned already,Aliens: Dark Descent is fairly short. From start to end credits, you’re looking at around amaximum of 20 hoursand aminimum of 12 to 15if you get into a groove with it or aren’t hitting a brick wall with progression
What will work in your favor is thateach level is not randomly generated. Every area you visit through the story campaign is aspecifically designed piece of architecture. So unlike XCOM2 for example whereeach mission setup is different, in Dark Descent you can prep for each situation pretty easily as you’llknow what to expectand from where.
Plus, if you’re revisiting an area,and you will be, anything left behind likeTurretsor dead teammates,will still be there. So if you know you’rereturning after an evac, then you canprep your landing zonea little for when you return.
How Long Does It Take To 100 Percent?
If you’re going for thatfull-tilt completionist runthen you’re looking at a little longer time spent in Aliens: Dark Descent. The levels are very large and sprawling. There are a lot of upgrades,collectibles, and notes squirreled away in spots you might miss. Plus, with how dark some of these areas can be, you’ll often bewandering around double-checkingeach little nook for something youmight have missed.
Throw on top of that theconstant waves of Xenomorphsthat scale in difficulty the more alerted they become and itcan become a bit of a slog. On average, each mission on normal difficulty can take around20 minutes to under an hourto finish. But it may be slightly longer if you’re on a higher difficulty, or your squad has taken so manydebilitating debuffsthat they’re borderline non-functional.
Resting up soldiers in themedical wingdoes remove the debuffs over time. But that’stime lostthat could have been spent burning through the story.
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How Many Chapters Are There?
Youwon’t be in for the long haulon this one as there’s a moderate amount of Chapters to work through. There are13 in total, but each location you visit hasmultiple objectivesto complete, likeDead Hills which has 19. However, this can work in your favor as you’re able tocomplete them all at your leisure.
In one drop you coulddo them all in one goif you’re feeling particularly masochistic, but it’s recommended that you onlyadvance as far as you feel comfortable. Some objectives are simple,others can be multi-layeredor involve holding offwaves of Xenosthat you might not be equipped to handle just yet.Permadeath for your team is a constant threat, so play it by ear anddon’t bite off more than you can chew.
Creatingsafe zonesto take a break in can help with this, especially on thelarger levels, so keep an eye out for rooms your squad canseal themselves intofor a brief rest. It onlytakes a little while for the aliens to settle down, so it won’t eat too much into your overall playtime.
What will take time isrestocking toolsas traps, turrets, and consumable gear willneed to be refilledwith trips back to your base. It’s abalancing act that you’ll have to constantly contend withas you’re blowing through the campaign.
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