Descent

I have very fond memories of sneaking out of bed at 10:00 at night to go watch my older brother play "That violent robot game". I still remember the Christmas that Joseph got Descent 1 and 2: The Definitive Collection. We immediately ran upstairs to the computer and waited for Windows 95 to boot so we could install it. Descent was the first computer game with full 360 degrees of motion, and the graphics at the time were state of the art. I was probably about 9 when I first sat down to play Descent. I stunk! Even on Trainee (the easiest difficulty level) I could only get past about level 3. I stopped playing cause at the time it was just too hard! About 2 years ago I found my old CD of Descent. I pulled it out and started playing it! Man! It's still the best game I've ever played! (Except for the possible exception of Contra for the NES, but that's another story.) Descent's gameplay is still unique, I have yet to find another game that is at all the same. Descent: Freespace (Which is an entirely different game series) is about the closest in terms of controlling I've found, and even that is nothing like Descent. Alot of games like this are loved simply because of their nostalgic value, and if you didn't have the original experiences, you probably won't think much of it. Descent is an exception. I would consider myself an avid gamer, and I still would rather pull out Descent than 90% of modern games. I've let other people play it, and if you can get past the graphics (which aren't that bad if you use DXX-Rebirth or D2X-XL) the gameplay is still something you've got to experience! Many people think that older games are inherently easier than newer ones, not so in this case! I only just recently beat Descent 1 on Trainee, and I still can only get past the 3rd level on Insane. Descent 2 is (in my opinion) overall slightly easier than Descent 1, but I still can't come anywhere near to beating it on Insane. If you've played Descent 3, you've only gotten a tiny taste of the true Descent experience. Many people would say that Descent 3 isn't as good a game as 1 or 2 (I still think it's a great game, but you've got to play the originals first!). If you'd like a better graphics experience than DOSBox will give you, check out DXX-Rebirth (http://www.dxx-rebirth.com/) or D2X-XL (http://www.descent2.de/). They are both modern ports for Descent, you can choose which you like better (I personally am a fan of DXX-Rebirth, but there has already been a whole lot of gas thrown on the fire of which one is better, so go check 'em out, and decide for yourself). So overall I would say that Descent is one of the best games (and probably THE best computer game) of all time, and anyone who considers themselves a true gamer, shouldn't miss the experience!

Descent marks a milestone in the FPS genre as being the first (and remains one of few) 3-dimensional games, in that all three axis can be traversed freely. The game has you traveling through the winding corridors of various mining complexes throughout the solar system, destroying rampaging mining robots. Action is very much like that of other FPS games, but the addition of the third axis allows much greater variation in environments, and the outcome of battles. Though technically a space sim, Descent should not be confused with games like Elite, the X series or even Freespace- the tactical options involved with flying are not present in this game, making it more akin to a twitch shooter than a full fledged space flight sim. The combination of the very simple shoot-em-up game play with the freedom of flight leads to a very unique gaming experience that provides a sense of freedom and exploration tied successfully with the very intense combat. The presentation and overall quality of the game is very high. Enemies are imaginative and easily recognizable in the heat of battle. Destroyed opponents will explode into pieces, that will fly across the room in a pleasing manner. Available weapons are lacking a little in variety but all feel quite visceral and are good fun to use. Again the simplicity of the game play precludes much sophistication but trying to think in three dimensions will be enough to keep you occupied without worrying too much about your armament. Descent is not without it's weaknesses. Environments reuse textures quite a bit, and many of these are unnecessarily garish and clashing. Levels tend to rely too heavily on long winding corridors too much, which doesn't really take advantage of the game play style. The long length of levels later in the game, many of which are exceedingly difficult, combined with the monotony of the level designs and textures can make gamers tire long before the experience is over, which is disappointing. Descent 2 combats the issue of getting lost with the guide bot, that automatically points you in the direction you need to go, but this removes the element of exploration and freedom the 3D game play is so well suited to. Better level design and more interaction with the environments would have solved these issues. A smaller point to make is the music. In my youth I owned the Macintosh version of Descent which had digital audio rather than the midi tunes of the PC version. The digital soundtrack is unquestionably superior, so I recommend downloading this along with the game, and playing it rather than the PC music. I can also recommend using a joystick rather than a game pad or mouse, as it gives the game that retro feel and is significantly more immerse.

Descent 1&2 are a couple of games that I've never played before until now, and boy, am I glad I did. With these two games I experienced harrowing action, tense moments and extreme gratification within 60 immersive environments. And if that isn't enough for you there are a plethora of multiplayer modes for your enjoyment. The 360 degrees of movement really helped me enter these worlds of danger. The gameplay mixes FPS and space combat extremely well. Making the action as hectic as wanted or slow enough to develop a plan before plunging into the next cavernous area. The games have multiple levels of difficulty so players of all skill levels will be as challenged as needed. The number of weapons available add a beautiful amount of variance that definately distinguishes one weapon over another. The graphics are a bit dated in the first game and noticably improved in the second. That said, I did not find the experience lacking at all due to the graphics. In fact I completely forgot about them once I was playing for a short time. However, if you are one of those types of players that don't like the older style there are a couple of outstanding mods available to help modernize the looks. The only 2 real issues I found was in D2, where on occasion the framerate would slow temporarily or the screen color would alter after picking up a weapon or being hit by something. Thankfully, both issues would not occur at the same time and not often at all. I also found that to fix either issue without waiting for the game to sort itself out would be to call up the map of the mine. By the time I went back to the game all issues were resolved. This GOG package provided me with hours of entertainment and for the price I would definately recommend this package to anyone who likes either the FPS or space combat genres. There is tremendous value to be had here. However, if you choose to accept these missions remember in the cold, lonely blackness of space NO ONE can hear you scream.

Descent was one of those great games to play ... until the computers became too fast and the game was unplayable (this happened to a lot of the old DOS games). Another old favourite of mine was Elite, a space trading / fighting game initially for the 6502 based BBC Micro Computers (3 versions - B&W wire frame, color wire frame & colour solid). There was a PC version, but it wasn't as good. Is there any chance of the original being ported?

At a time when first person shooter learned to walk (and shoot in 3 dimension), this game came out of nowhere! Gameplay timeless, Graphics can be updated with a lot of Fanbase work. It was one of my first games, it costed around 3 Joysticks and I still know the sounds like they where never gone in my head. Can`t go wrong with it (please by a joystick!)