Descent 2

I came upon an old Descent 1 disk when I was a kid without knowing what it was while checking out a friends collection of 'junk'. A year later I got my first working PC and tried it out. I was mesmerized. I remember playing it, winning at it and putting it down for awhile but I would ALWAYS come back to play again. I eventually lost the disk and I've gone through a few PC's since then. But now I finally get to play a gem from my past once more. And to top it off I get the sequel as well, which I've never had a chance to try out. Thanks GOG.com you're the best!

Great fun. This is basically a Doom-like FPS, only it's in three dimensions. Recommend fan-made enhancements to really get the most out of this (ie, better graphics). Sadly, later levels of Descent 1 get exponentially, absurdly difficult, and I haven't pushed past them. I'd still recommend this game. They haven't made anything quite like it since. Trying to make your way through the maze to the exit after you've set off the self-destruct is pulse-pounding and thrilling!

I originally played both of these when they were first released on a 486DX2/50. Both of these games are classics and for less than $10 it is a steal. With the descent rebirth mod which was mentioned by another reviewer, which allows increased resolutions and many more options these games have been brought back to life.

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.