Call us gluttons for punishment, but we love to scare ourselves silly facing down the mighty Xenomorph. It’s time to terrify ourselves all over again, with Aliens: Dark Descent.
Released on June 19th 2023 to a warm welcome, Aliens: Dark Descent has a gripping storyline to follow with stunning graphics to match. We’ve got five high-performance PCs that we think would be perfect for playing this real time strategy game.
Aliens: Dark Descent Gameplay
Aliens: Dark Descent is a new and original Alien story, where you command a squad of Colonial Marines tasked with stopping a Xenomorph outbreak. Set on the planet Lethe, you lead your soldiers in real time combat against this iconic beast, rogue operatives, and whole bunch of new horrors.
This game is all about strategy. Each level is large and open, with a myriad of creatures and foes to face. You’ll need to co-ordinate your team, dispatching orders and changing up tactics as needed. More than just engaging combat, it’s vital to keep an eye on your team’s resources, health, and sanity. Ignore this and suffer from irreparable loss. Survive and you can level up your squad with dozens of specialisations, weapons, and unique abilities.
Plus, with such open maps, you can forge your own unique paths and safe havens. Employ a range of devices to stay ahead of the threat but know that everything you do permanently impacts a level. This degree of freedom and scope is going to have us coming back for multiple plays, for sure!
Is Aliens: Dark Descent Multiplayer?
Aliens: Dark Descent is a single-player adventure without any multiplayer modes. You can still share gameplay with your friends, however, by streaming!
This game is available to play on PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
Aliens: Dark Descent Official Specifications
With its stunning graphics, what hardware do you need to do the Xenomorph justice? Here are the official specifications for Aliens: Dark Descent.
| Component | Minimum Specs | Recommended Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 / 10 64-bit | Windows 11 / 10 64-bit |
| Processor | AMD FX-6300 Intel Core i3-6100 | AMD Ryzen 7 1800X Intel Core i7-9700K |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon R9 380 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 3GB VRAM | AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB VRAM |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 60GB available space | 60GB available space |
| Additional Notes | 30 FPS, 1920×1080 in low | 60 FPS, 1920×1080 in epic SSD Recommended |
We have plenty of room in our hearts for Alien content. So of course we dug out our favourite Alien games to play on April 26th, aka Alien Day.
Our Top 5 PCs to Play Aliens: Dark Descent
The following are five gaming PCs and laptops from the Overclockers UK website that we think would be fantastic for playing Aliens: Dark Descent. Plus, all your other favourite Alien games, too! Should any of our picks not grip you like a face hugger, then check out the full range below.
Refract Gaming Celeste Pre-Built PC
The Refract Gaming Celeste is part of our pre-built gaming PC range. It has been engineered by our tech team and equipped with cherry-picked hardware to support the best in 1080p and 1440p gameplay. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU boasts six cores for expertly managing your workloads and gaming. Paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, and the Celeste can deliver photo realistic graphics and AI enhanced frame rates. What’s more, there is 32GB DDR5 RAM and there are two high-speed storage drives, so you don’t need to worry about slow load times and lags interrupting your jump scares.
Even better, the Refract Celeste is fully tested before shipping, and it comes with three years parts and labour warranty. Sadly, destruction by Xenomorph is not covered.
OcUK Gaming Radiance Ember Configurable PC
Xenomorphs stand no chance with the OcUK Gaming Radiance Ember on your squad. This gaming PC has an Intel Core i5-13600 CPU, harnessing the power of fourteen cores and twenty threads for impeccable performance in gaming, content creation, and streaming. Utilising RTX Ada Lovelace architecture, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti will bring Aliens: Dark Descent to life with technologies such as AI DLSS. Nothing but buttery smooth frame rates for immersing yourself into the horror!
Once again, the OcUK Gaming Firefly Enthusiast is a configurable gaming PC. You have the option to adjust the braided cables, GPU, storage drives, and operating system. Customisations will affect the price.
Acer Nitro 17 Gaming Laptop
Take on rogue operatives with the Acer Nitro 17. This gaming laptop is armed with an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. A match made in heaven for efficient workflows, beautifully rendered graphics, and high-performance gaming, all rendered on a QHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate. Plus, with 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD, this gaming PC is lightning-fast.
Keeping the Acer Nitro 17 cool is a complete next-gen cooling system. The dual-fan, dual-intake, and quad-exhaust design ensures natural airflow and that all excessive heat is properly drawn away from your vital components.
OcUK Gaming Osprey Configurable PC
Fend off face huggers with the latest generation of tech. The OcUK Gaming Osprey is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU and Radeon RX 7900 XT Series GPU. Zen 4 and RDNA 3 architecture are at your fingertips, facilitating five-star gaming, streaming, and content creation. Paired with high-speed DDR5 RAM, that can be fine-tuned utilising AMD EXPO, this gaming PC delivers nothing but ultra-fast performance so you can stay one step ahead of the Xenomorphs.
You guessed it – the OcUK Gaming Osprey is another gaming PC from our configurable range. Make adjustments to the PC case, CPU, memory, GPU, cooler, storage drives, operating system, and cables. Customising will affect the price.
Infin8 Venomous Water-Cooled PC
Our final choice lets you fight aliens with powerful hardware and stunning style. The Infin8 Venomous is packed with elite-tier components, such as the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU. Displayed beautifully in the HYTE Y70 Touch PC case, I might add. This gaming PC is able to render all your favourite games in stunning detail, with real time ray tracing and AI DLSS to enhance performance.
As an Infin8 gaming PC, the Venomous sports an iconic water-cooling system that is equal parts efficient and beautiful. The acid green coolant is pumped through the system built from a combination of EK Water Blocks and Corsair Hydro X Series components. As a result, this thermal solution can more than keep up with the demands of the high-end hardware as you take on deadly beasts.
What’s more, there are a few configuration options on the Infin8 Venomous. You can customise the PC case, CPU, GPU, memory, storage drives, and operating system.
Have You Picked Up Aliens: Dark Descent?
Have you been playing this latest addition to the Alien universe? Let us know what you think and what PC spec you’ve been playing from in the comments below!
PC specs are subject to change.
- 6 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK since 2020, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
Read More >>