Aliens Dark Descent: How to die less often? Aliens Dark Descent guide, walkthrough

Our guide to Aliens Dark Descent explains the consequences of heavy injuries and death of marines, as well as how to limit the number of deaths in the team and how to take care of the well-being of subordinate soldiers.

Last update: 28 June 2023

In Aliens Dark Descent, the members of your squad can easily die as a result of ensuing wounds, creating a large problem that may hinder or prevent you from completing the mission in one go. On this page of our guide, we explain dying and its consequences in detail, as well as supply tips on how to prevent marines from meeting such a fate. Tips broach subjects like lowering the risk of marines' dying when fighting xenomorphs, how to use the available equipment to your advantage, or how to take care of the wellbeing of your subordinates.

• Heavy wounds and death of squad members
• The most common mistakes during xenomorph fights
• How to maintain the good condition of marines?

Heavy wounds and death of squad members

Marines from your squad can receive damage during missions, even to the point of dying. This may have a severely negative impact on the gameplay:

1. Minor injuries can be treated directly during the mission, but nevertheless, after its completion, the soldier may require a visit in Medical Quarters.
2. Serious wounds mean the loss of concioussness of the soldier and the need to deliver the marine to the Dropship. A wounded marine will require more time in the Medical Quarters to recover to full health.
3. Death of marines in the game is permanent and you cannot reverse it in any way.

In case of serious wounds or death, you need to continue the mission with a weakened squad. In such situations, we recommend withdrawing to the ARC and ending the current deployment.

The most common mistakes during xenomorph fights

1. Keep the xenomorphs at a distance any way you can. With creatures in melee range, there is a high risk of soldiers' receiving serious damage or dying, especially on higher difficulty levels. Dying aliens can also spray your soldiers with acid, causing unnecessary damage.
2. Stay undetected for as long as possible. Use Motion Tracker to know where to expect opponents and a Recon-type soldier equipped with a silenced sniper rifle to eliminate them. This will allow staying undetected while slowly progressing forward. Every alarm in the area carries a risk that something will not go as planned, even monster attacks becoming increasingly stronger.

1. Deploy Sentry Guns before the combat begins. They are great in their support role, and even when xenomorphs manage to reach them, the only risk here is damaging the equipment. This is a better alternative than one of the squadmates dying.
2. Use offensive skills as often as possible. Their sheer power can be very helpful in stopping/slowing down the enemy advance and faster killing of creatures. Nevertheless, always maintain a supply of 1-2 command points, but use free ones at a regular basis.

1. Take notice of Alien Aggression levels. If there is a Massive Onslaught imminent, you should retreat to the ARC and use it to mount a defense or barricade in an area with only one access corridor.
2. Place as many mines as possible and use them to protect your rear. On the map, red exclamation marks indicate the places where new monsters are coming from, and this might as well be behind the backs of your soldiers. Planting a mine costs 1 command point, but these can replenish, while already planted mines don't disappear from the map.

1. Avoid large gaps between saves. If you have a possibility to save, do so. Create a shelter (even if you don't need one) if there have been several minutes elapsed from the last save. This will allow you to avoid repeating larger chunks of the mission.
2. In locations with facehuggers, proceed carefully. It is very easy to lose squadmates to facehuggers, especially when the map is zoomed out or if you don't have the Embryo Extraction Device. Destroy facehuggers eggs right after encountering them so they don't get to hatch.

How to maintain the good condition of marines?

1. We recommend rotating the roster that participates in missions, as marines often return from expeditions wounded, fatigued, or with acquired traumas. Send them for treatment/rest and choose others, healthy ones, for the next mission. This will also make it easier for all available marines to accumulate XP evenly.
2. Regularly reduce the stress levels of soldiers during missions. Create shelters often, more so that this move allows you to save your progress in the current mission. If you're in the field with no hope of finding a safe place anytime soon, use Naproleve to manage stress.
3. React to wounds impairing Marines' abilities. The biggest problem here are the injuries to the lower limbs, which can slow down your soldiers. Treating such wounds is a priority, as the game often requires you to move quickly from place to place.
4. Unlock and activate upgrades that add health and/or armor points. This way, you'll improve your soldiers' survivability and increase their resistances to weaker attacks.