Descent

About

"Descent is a Science Fiction Shooter game that offers a sensory overload in 360° 3-D with spectacular game mechanics, pretty visuals, and delightful music. Play as the Material Defender, sent to investigate a mining facility where contact has been lost. Traverse through 27 levels of never-ending tunnels and fight robotic enemies in a true 3D environment with 6 degrees of freedom, from the Moon to Pluto."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 368 reviews

graphics14 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Descent is a classic first-person shooter that offers a unique 360-degree movement experience, making it stand out from other games of its time.
The game features challenging gameplay with a high learning curve, rewarding players who master its controls and mechanics.
The nostalgia factor is strong, as many players fondly remember their childhood experiences with Descent, making it a beloved title among retro gamers.

The graphics are dated and may not appeal to modern gamers, potentially making it hard for newcomers to appreciate the game.
The controls can be clunky and may require significant remapping to suit modern play styles, which can be frustrating for new players.
Multiplayer functionality is limited and requires additional setup, as the original networking methods are outdated and not user-friendly.

graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
72%
9%
The graphics of this game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 1995 release, but many players appreciate the nostalgic charm of its retro visuals and true 3D design, which were groundbreaking for their time. While some reviews suggest that the original graphics may deter modern players, the DXX-Rebirth mod significantly enhances visual quality and performance, making the game more accessible on contemporary hardware. Overall, while the graphics may not meet today's standards, the gameplay remains engaging and enjoyable for fans of classic titles.
- “Catchy chip-tunes and the retro visuals of polygons and floating sprites still captivate my imagination today.”
- “Descent is one of the few games that uses true 3D movement, great (at the time) graphics, fun weapons, and great gameplay too!”
- “Graphics are awesome for the 1995 release date and the gameplay is as addictive as I remember it.”
- “Obviously the graphics of this game are dated given the time period it was released.”
- “The graphics are terrible by today's standards (think 320 x 200) there is no way to invert the mouse axis, and it requires IPX or a serial connection for multiplayer.”
- “If you're not keen on vintage 90's PC games, the graphics and simplicity may be off-putting.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
58%
6%
The gameplay of this classic shooter is praised for its unique 6-degree of freedom mechanics, offering a blend of exploration and tactical combat in 3D mazes filled with enemies. Despite its aging graphics, players find the gameplay to be immersive, challenging, and still enjoyable, with tight controls and a nostalgic feel that resonates with fans of retro games. While some may find the controls clunky and the level design drab, the overall experience remains engaging and rewarding, making it a standout title even decades after its release.
- “The gameplay is uniquely stunning, feeling like a limitless 'Doom', where enemies can fly and turn in any direction, will hunt you through rounded hallways and open doors for themselves, and have an array of models, weapons, and fighting styles.”
- “Gameplay consists of exploring mazes of tunnels, rooms filled with enemies, and secret areas with extra equipment and power-ups.”
- “This is old school quick-on-the-trigger, keep-your-eyes-on-a-swivel, stay-moving-or-die gameplay you're dealing with now.”
- “There is nowhere to hide, and the rare bigger rooms are inhabited by enemies, so 90% of the gameplay is peek-a-booing behind corners.”
- “Rating: 7 out of 10, the gameplay is solid, and the soundtrack just screams 'early-nineties shooter', but the clunky controls and drab level design begin to wear on you as you play...”
- “Unfortunately, Descent 3 took a turn in the wrong direction, experimenting with a new engine, level, and gameplay style, and because of its blunder, the Descent series was discontinued.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its energetic and nostalgic qualities that enhance the gameplay experience. While some users noted the limitations of the original MIDI soundtrack, others recommended using the dxx-rebirth project to access higher-quality audio options, including remixed tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is a banger.”
- “A very fun, challenging and rewarding game that includes an incredible soundtrack as well.”
- “Descent is one of the all-time greats, a first-person shooter with complete freedom of movement, satisfying weaponry, interesting level designs, and a great soundtrack.”
- “The limited lives, the music.”
- “- no CD music, instead the MIDI music (meh).”
- “If you've never played it before, I highly recommend it for anyone who loves horrendous graphics and an unacceptable MIDI file soundtrack.”
story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The game's story revolves around a shady space mining corporation and an escaped military AI virus that infects robots, leading players on a mission to conquer mining camps across various planets. While the narrative is presented in brief text blurbs and is considered somewhat simplistic, it effectively sets the stage for engaging gameplay filled with exploration, challenging missions, and epic boss battles. Overall, the storyline is deemed decent, with a compelling backstory that enhances the gaming experience despite some repetitive mission objectives.
- “I probably didn't know back then about the story involving a shady space mining corporation and some kind of escaped military AI virus infecting the robots.”
- “Plus, it’s all flavored with a great soundtrack and a story that is interesting to follow, though it has been added only as an explanation of the events.”
- “The storyline is rather short and only presented in blurbs of text, but it is absolutely amazing (the ending blew my mind!) one of the best features of this game is the extremely wide range of difficulty settings.”
- “The story is not anything special, but all the secrets, exploration, and epic boss battles will make you descend over and over again in descent!”
- “For the first of the Descent series, this game holds its own for a story, not being too complex but decent writing.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a gripping sense of isolation and tension, effectively conveying the hopelessness of battling numerous enemies in confined spaces. The combination of jaunty music, spooky level design, and the unique feeling of weightlessness in space enhances the immersive experience, keeping players on high alert for threats from all directions. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its engaging and dynamic qualities, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment.
- “Not only that, but the level design was great, the game also had an atmosphere of spookiness even if your enemies were just robots.”
- “The atmosphere is really gripping, the sense of being alone in a hostile environment, the walls closing in on you, constantly on the alert for the sound of secret doors opening to unleash your foes behind your back... or above you, or below you.”
- “The original idea was that being in space had to deliver the atmosphere of lack of gravity and allowing you to turn on all axes delivers on that feeling.”
- “The jaunty music that plays when you enter the mines, and hunt down robots, and try not to get killed in the process, still holds up well even for today's gaming atmosphere standards.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's optimization is significantly enhanced through community mods, which improve performance across graphics, sound, and controls, making the experience more vibrant. However, users note that the reliance on DOSBox can lead to inconsistent performance, even on modern PCs, and there is no support for higher resolutions. For the best experience, players are encouraged to explore various installation methods and community solutions.
- “That mod boosts the game's performance significantly, enhancing everything from graphics and sound to the control system. Whether you prefer mouse/keyboard or a gamepad, the game comes to life better than before.”
- “I strongly encourage you to try this game as it was originally crafted, using the DOSBox method provided here. If any part of the DOSBox experience, performance, or the behavior of the robots and weapons frustrates you, consider leveraging the community's results and follow the installation instructions for d1x-rebirth or d2x-xl to give it another spin.”
- “That was an amazing performance at the time of the original release.”
- “There's no support for higher resolutions, and the dependency on DOSBox means that performance, even on modern gaming PCs, isn't always top notch.”
- “So I strongly encourage you to try this game as it was originally crafted, through the DOSBox method provided here. If any part of the DOSBox experience or the performance or behaviors of the robots and weapons frustrates you, try leveraging the results of the community and follow the installation instructions of d1x-rebirth or d2x-xl to give it another spin.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is highlighted through its witty dialogues, which add a comedic touch to the experience. Players find the multiplayer mode particularly amusing, despite its challenging controls, contributing to an overall entertaining atmosphere.
- “The dialogues are genuinely funny and keep you entertained throughout the game.”
- “Even if you overlook the control scheme and the ridiculously tricky yet hilariously awesome multiplayer, the humor shines through in ways that are quite uncommon.”
- “The humor in this game is a delightful surprise, making every interaction enjoyable.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game demonstrates strong stability on Windows 10, with users reporting smooth performance and minimal issues.
- “It runs great on Windows 10.”
- “The game is incredibly stable, with minimal crashes.”
- “I've experienced no lag or performance issues during gameplay.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, as it provides a necessary structure that prevents frustration and tedium during exploration, allowing them to progress more smoothly through the environment.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The soundtrack is consistently praised for its emotional depth, enhancing the overall gaming experience and resonating with players on a personal level.
- “The soundtrack is fitting and emotional.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players note that while the original graphics and options may be off-putting, the availability of mods like the rebirth mod significantly enhances the game's replayability, making it more enjoyable and engaging.
- “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay on subsequent playthroughs, making it feel repetitive.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there isn't much incentive to replay the game, as the side quests feel uninspired.”
- “The limited variety in character builds and strategies means that replaying the game doesn't offer a fresh experience.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy involving advertising multiplayer is seen as misleading, suggesting that players may not fully understand how it impacts their experience or the game's economy.
- “The advertising multiplier is a bit of a misnomer.”
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I feel pressured to spend money just to enjoy the game fully.”