Aliens: Dark Descent – How To Reduce Stress
Quick Links
– What Is Stress In Aliens: Dark Descent?
– Understanding Stress Levels
Aliens: Dark Descent is a survival horror game that features complex game mechanics. The players must conserve ammunition and make wise decisions on which doors to weld shut to survive. However, the threat is not always external. Players must also contend with stress, exhaustion, and negative stat traits on all Colonial Marines over time.
Stress is a central game mechanic in Aliens: Dark Descent. If stress levels grow out of control, the player’s squad of Colonial Marines will ultimately endure a nervous breakdown driven berserk by the Xenomorphs, which can prove detrimental to everyone in the squad. Fortunately, there are a few notable ways to reduce stress without evacuating in the ARC.
There are four stress levels to consider in Aliens: Dark Descent: Relaxed (White), Anxious (Yellow), Panicked (Orange), and Terrified (Red). Each stress level incurs a new status effect which negatively impacts performance and command skills.
There are a handful of ways to manage stress levels in Aliens: Dark Descent, including constructing an on-the-fly shelter by welding a door shut, popping stimulants, or using the Sergeant’s ability to bolster the entire squad. Players can pop Naproleve, a medicinal stimulant designed to remove up to 100 stress points, to bring a Colonial Marine down an entire stress level. Another option is to use the Sergeant’s Reprimand ability to halt any stress accumulation.
Boosting the bravery attribute through upgrades can also reduce susceptibility to stress and minimize stress-related damage in the long term. Finally, players can create a shelter by welding a door shut. Certain locations, marked with green house icons on the map, will work as a shelter. If players find one such spot, they can take advantage of the breathing room.
In conclusion, managing stress levels is crucial to survival in Aliens: Dark Descent. By understanding stress levels and utilizing the various stress management techniques available, players can increase their chances of success.
Aliens: Dark Descent features a few complex game mechanics that firmly places the strategy horror title into survival territory. First and foremost, players will find themselves conserving ammunition and thinking twice about which doors to weld shut, as it requires valuable resources. But, the threat isn’t always external in Aliens: Dark Descent. Sure, a welded door can provide a safe haven against the Xenomorphs, but what about threats from within?
Players must contend with stress, exhaustion, and negative stat traits on all Colonial Marines over time. If the player fails to consider the overall condition of their troops, the mission may ultimately end in failure, with a few marines not making it home to the Otago.
What Is Stress In Aliens: Dark Descent?
In a world rife with danger and zero communication off-world available to those trapped beneath the storms of Lethe, one would expect stress and exhaustion to play a significant role in Aliens: Dark Descent. And lucky us, it does. Stress is a central game mechanic in the latest Aliens strategy title, which players must consider when making tactical decisions.
If stress levels in Aliens: Dark Descent grow out of control, the player’s squad of Colonial Marines will ultimately endure a nervous breakdowndriven berserk by the Xenomorphs, which can prove detrimental to everyone in the squad. If the objective calls for rescuing a civilianthat civilian is now at risk, as is the mission.
Thankfully, a few notable ways to reduce stress do not require the player to evacuate in the ARC.
Understanding Stress Levels
First and foremost, before diving into valuable ways to reduce stress in Colonial Marines, let’s touch upon stress levels and how they affect the squad and gameplay. In total, there are four stress levels to consider:
- Relaxed (White)
- Anxious (Yellow)
- Panicked (Orange)
- Terrified (Red)
Each stress level incurs a new status effect which negatively impacts performance and command skills. These adverse effects can present as debuffs to accuracy and eventually lead to trauma. The entire situation compounds until the affected marines are no longer viable in the field.
How To Reduce Stress
There are a handful of ways to manage stress levels in Aliens: Dark Descent, including constructing an on-the-fly shelter by welding a door shut, popping stimulants, or using the Sergeant’s ability to bolster the entire squad — just to name a few.
Use Stimulants
One of the most effective tools against high stress levels is to pop Naprolevea medicinal stimulant designed to remove up to 100 stress pointsbringing a Colonial Marine down an entire stress level. Here’s the kicker, though: to utilize Naproleve, players must have Medical Supplies readily available. Such supplies are valuable and may mean the difference between life and death after a large fight.
Pop An Ability
If players would rather not risk the Medical Supplies, another option is to use the Sergeant’s Reprimand ability to halt any stress accumulation — no matter the situation. Like Naproleve, using Reprimand does require resources, but in this case, it’s a single Command Point. Furthermore, the ability lasts only 30 secondsthough wise players will pop it during significant encounters with Xenomorphs for the ultimate benefit.
Boost the Bravery Attribute
A Colonial Marine with a high bravery attribute is less likely to succumb to stress. To raise the attribute, players must utilize upgrades, including Honor Ribbons and other attributes, such as Bold, which only randomly appear when leveling up. These attributes reduce susceptibility to stress and can even minimize stress-related damage in the long term.
Create A Shelter
Lastly, and perhaps the safest option, is to create a shelter by welding a door shut. Think of a custom-built shelter as a campsite. The squad of Colonial Marines, safe from the Xenomorph onslaught, can take a moment to reduce stress and relax.
But, creating a shelter is not free. Players require a welding tooland only certain locations — like those marked with green house icons on the map — will work as a shelter. If players find one such spot, take advantage of the breathing room. Even if stress levels remain relatively low, a quick rest can do wonders for the sanity of the entire squad.
