Can You Control Each Unit Individually in Aliens: Dark Descent?

Are you wondering if you can control each unit individually in Aliens: Dark Descent after watching gameplay trailers? One of the most iconic parts of the Aliens franchise is its Colonial Marines and now you get to assume command over them in Aliens: Dark Descent. However, you may be wondering just exactly how much control you get over them. This is a valid question because you are more than likely trying to decide if this game matches your play style or not.

Can You Control Individual Marines in Aliens: Dark Descent?

No, you cannot control each unit individually in Aliens: Dark Descent. More specifically, you can give individuals a task outside combat but can’t deploy your squad around a room and focus on a choke point from multiple angles. This is because each unit makes up a piece of your squad, and they must move and attack as a group while in formation. You will also be rewarded or penalized by the game for how well (or not well) your squad does as a whole.

As mentioned above, you can command each marine to perform specific actions outside of combat. For instance, you can instruct one marine to loot a chest, one to heal a civilian, one to lay suppressing fire, and another to set up a turret. Each marine can go a certain distance from the squad, but be careful. They are exceptionally vulnerable when by themselves. So while you can’t control individual units, you still have some freedom to command your marines as you see fit. The screenshot above shows how I commanded three marines to loot three chests simultaneously while one was idle in case a Xenomorph attacked.

Related: How to Save in Aliens: Dark Descent

While this may seem disappointing, it fits perfectly with the franchise where you assume the command role, just like Lt. Gorman from the Aliens movie, where the developers took inspiration when designing that game mechanics that require you to control the squad as a whole. This is very similar to a game called Full Spectrum Warrior if you are looking for an example of a game with similar mechanics to see if it fits your playstyle.