Aliens: Dark Descent stood out as a standout entry in the Aliens universe, delivering tense tactical play even though it ships with a handful of bugs that can stop progress. This guide focuses on a pesky issue: elevators that suddenly become non-operational and refuse to respond.
Aliens: Dark Descent unfolds across multiple levels, and moving between floors hinges on functioning elevators. In some moments, players will find the elevator is not interactive. There isn’t always a clear in-game reason for this—sometimes it’s just a bug, other times an odd game convention at work.
As many players have found, straightforward remedies like repeatedly trying to enter the elevator, rebooting the game, or loading a previous save usually fail. Yet there are reliable methods to resolve the error when it occurs:
- Survey the nearby welded doors. If a xenomorph tries to break through, the elevator can be blocked. Take down the intruder and retry.
- Check for drones in the vicinity. If the squad includes a drone operator, scout around to see if a friendly robot is nearby. The game might treat that ally as essential to your team, preventing progression off the current level.
- Approach the elevator from different angles. In some cases the elevator activates only from a specific perspective. Try engaging it from alternate angles—the interaction window may appear at a particular approach.
If none of these strategies work, there may be little that can be done until a patch arrives or a new playthrough is started. Some players have experimented with third‑party storage options, but there is no guarantee this will prevent the bug from reappearing in future sessions.
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Notes and observations reflect reports from gaming publications and community discussions, with ongoing updates to the game’s behavior as patches roll out (VG Times).