Slow, difficult and boring. I'm not interested in any of the characters, the setting is ugly, the pace is absolutely glacial, the gameplay sucks. I just don't get why people like this game so much.
The thought that this is the FIFTH game in the series makes me wonder how terrible the first four must have been. This game is a totally forgettable iteration of the roaming space trader/adventurer/pirate genre. It did not grab me at all, and if it ads anything of worth to that genre it's lost beneath the the terrible writing, terrible character art, typos everywhere, UI buttons that don't do anything, and frankly boring gameplay. I got the distinct impression that the designer simply didn't care. You'd do far better to play Sid Meier's Pirates, Wing Commander Privateer, the online game Space Merchant, or maybe even the original Elite. Avoid.
I bought this game back in the day, and did not enjoy it. The destructable terrain is a cool gimmick, but it's irrelevant to the game. The level design doesn't let you take advantage of it. It's full of indestructable walls that just railroad you where the game wants you to go. Enemies have the unerring aim of computers, but dodge side to side frantically like human-controlled opponents would. It doesn't feel like you're a character fighting against humans, it feels like you're a player playing against other players who are cheating. Enemies are incredibly, frustratingly hard to hit. Netcode is terrible, frustrating. You will have to listen to radio messages over and over again after loading your saved game after dying in a boss fight, even though you saved after the message. So frustrating. Seriously, do not get this game. Get the tech demo instead, if you can find it - it's a room with a wood-framed glass structure and a selection of weapons. I had more fun playing with the destructable terrain and glass in that little sandbox than I did in the actual game.
Whenever I load a saved game, my craft has only 26hp and only my machineguns - I lose all my upgrades!
I played and enjoyed the original ROTT, and I still play Doom regularly. I didn't enjoy this game at all. Frustrating, stupid level design that gives you no idea how to proceed, melee attacks that mysteriously teleport you, no way to tell whether a door is one you can open or not, or whether it's going to open later, or what, trial-and-error based foreknowledge of traps and enemy placement necssery coupled with no quicksave. It's stupidly, unfairly hard for no payoff. The voice acting sucks; this seems to be deliberate, as a joke, but in some places it's just annoying rather than funny. Graphics lag, and bizarrely unresponsive controls just round out this turd. Try platforming and dodging traps with unresponsive controls. Fun fun fun. To be fair, it IS worth about $15, but only just.
NB: this is NOT a review of the GOG version; I bough this back in the day. DK2 is ok. Not great, but ok. I loved DK1 to pieces. I played it obsessively, and it was a defining element in my childhood. DK2, I felt, departed from its predecessor. It's its own game. The missions are far more linear. For me, one of the joys of Dungeon Keeper was constructing my ideal dungeon before engaging the enemy. This is largely removed from the campaign maps. They have included a "sandbox" game mode called My Pet Dungeon where you're pretty much free to do as you please, but it loses something due to the lack of driving purpose. Basically, the actual gameplay could have done with more playtesting and tuning. Ostensibly, your different creatures have different combat preferences; front-line, support, or flankers. In practise, none of this matters as you will invariably dump all your troops right near the battle and off they go. Traps have been vastly improved, but once again intervening by dumping all your creatures on the intruder trumps actual trap effectiveness. They've added a stun effect to creatures dropped from the hand, but really it doesn't go far enough. It's not a bad game. It's not as satisfying as its predecessor, however.
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!
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!
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!
Horrible, unresponsive controls. Frustrating level design. I gave up trying to figure out what I had to do next after hours of running around the same level wrestling with the awful controls. Avoid.
