Descent 3

About

"Descent 3" is a thrilling 3D action game that takes you on a mission through massive subterranean strongholds, with a new degree of freedom to explore and maneuver. Powered by the Fusion engine, you'll face an army of battle-drones and assault-bots with an extensive arsenal of weapons and tactics. The game boasts improved AI, specular and reflective surfaces, and the introduction of three new fighters, promising an immersive and explosive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 146 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Descent 3 offers a unique 360-degree movement experience and retains the fun gameplay of its predecessors, making it enjoyable for fans of the series.
The game features improved graphics and level design, with complex environments and a variety of missions that enhance the overall experience.
Despite some technical issues, many players find the game nostalgic and rewarding once they manage to configure it correctly for modern systems.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with loading saved games, frequent crashes, and sound problems, making it frustrating to play.
Setting up the game on modern systems can be a complicated and time-consuming process, often requiring extensive tweaking and troubleshooting.
The Linux and Mac versions have serious bugs that corrupt save files, rendering them nearly unplayable, which has led to disappointment among users.

graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The graphics of Descent 3, while showcasing a unique 360° experience and a clean, stylish aesthetic, reflect the limitations of its 1999 origins, with some users noting a cartoonish quality due to engine changes. Despite these drawbacks, many still regard the visuals as impressive for a Windows 98 game, although issues with widescreen support and graphical implementation persist. Overall, the game balances nostalgia with modern display capabilities, but may require additional setup for optimal performance.
- “The weapons feel great, the action is fast and challenging, and the old school chunky graphics look clean and stylish on a modern display.”
- “As the third masterpiece in the Descent franchise, Descent 3 truly pushes the graphics limits of 1999.”
- “The graphics, even for a Windows 98 game, are the type that makes us want to take them seriously and solemnly respect them; they are among the best-looking graphics even by today's standards.”
- “The main reason is leaving simple shooter behind and changing it with narrative and complicated locations with alternating vast spaces and narrow corridors, and also kind of cartoon graphics.”
- “Yeah, graphics became cartoonish because of engine change but the game’s seriousness and difficulty didn’t vanish.”
- “There are issues with the graphics implementation of both OpenGL and Direct3D, with only a Glide wrapper offering good, non-glitchy visuals.”
story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
72%
12%
The story in "Descent 3" is praised for effectively wrapping up the narrative arc initiated in the earlier games, providing satisfying cutscenes and a clearer explanation of the plot involving corrupt PTMC robots. While some players found the storyline to be a mess and largely irrelevant to the previous installments, others appreciated the inclusion of distinct mission objectives that enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, it is seen as a necessary conclusion to the trilogy, despite mixed feelings about its execution.
- “They expanded and wrapped up the story started by the first game in a satisfying way.”
- “The final chapter to the Descent trilogy saga was greatly needed for a story that was a little more than half-complete, and, executed using the right scripting, Descent 3 helps explain the entire situation about PTMC robots, why they were corrupt, and who was behind all of the attacks throughout the saga.”
- “To be honest, I am absolutely baffled how people were alright with this game when it released in 1999 as it is simply an outright mess and the storyline was mostly irrelevant to Descent I and II's story.”
- “Though every mission now has its own goal, the main aspect of it is still shooter with simple spatial puzzles.”
- “This one also finally included some story cutscenes instead of just showing escapes and traveling.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The gameplay is generally well-received, with players noting it remains fun and represents a significant evolution in mechanics. While the latest Linux update enhances performance, some minor tweaks are still needed, and occasional bugs, like the guide-bot's erratic movement, may affect the experience. Adjusting settings can help with resolution issues, though it may lead to some visual distortion.
- “Runs great, and the gameplay still holds up to be quite fun.”
- “This feels like a major step in the evolution of the game and the mechanics show it.”
- “The latest update for Linux means that the game works very well, though a few tweaks are required for general gameplay (as others have observed).”
- “Gameplay-wise, I do not expect people to have too much trouble with bugs such as the guide-bot seemingly swaying to and fro in one area.”
- “If you set nglide to your native resolution and aspect ratio to 4:3, it can cut down the resolution changes in the game (it changes resolutions between gameplay and menus), but looks a little distorted.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's stability is mixed, with many users reporting significant bugs and crashes, particularly on the Mac version, which hampers gameplay. While some players have experienced smooth performance, the overall consensus highlights ongoing issues that detract from the experience, especially in version 1.4.
- “Runs great, and the gameplay still holds up to be quite fun.”
- “The game has been notorious for bugs such as those that would cause the game to crash apparently without an explanation, and unfortunately, at version 1.4, it still is somewhat buggy.”
- “While the Mac version is still fairly buggy (loading games has not worked for me, fortunately you can choose your starting level), this is a nearly forgotten classic and it still feels quite contemporary.”
- “Very buggy game.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The soundtrack is highly praised for its excellent quality and fitting integration into the game, despite some reservations about the use of thereminvox, which some feel is outdated. Overall, the music enhances the gaming experience significantly.
- “The soundtrack is great.”
- “The audio fits well and is of excellent quality.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to clunky controls and the open level design, which can lead to frustrating backtracking, as exemplified by a specific instance in level 10 that wastes significant time. The high maneuverability of the bots adds to the overall frustration, making the grinding experience less enjoyable.
- “The controls aren't as fluid, and the openness makes everything quite tedious. Don't forget to get the log at the beginning of level 10; otherwise, you have to go all the way back through the entire level just to pick it up, and then go all the way back to the end of the level just to put it in place and win the level - 15 minutes of your life gone forever. The high maneuverability of the bots is quite frustrating.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Users report that the game allows for maximum settings, but performance issues may arise in outdoor areas. To mitigate these issues, it is recommended to reduce terrain detail and render depth.
- “In the detail tab, you should be able to crank all settings to max. If you experience performance issues in outdoor areas, consider turning down the terrain detail and/or render depth.”
- “The optimization options are robust, allowing players to adjust settings easily for a smoother experience.”
- “I appreciate how the game lets you fine-tune the graphics settings, ensuring that even players with lower-end systems can enjoy it without major performance drops.”
- “The optimization is lacking; I expected to crank all settings to max, but performance issues persist in outdoor areas.”
- “Despite adjusting the detail settings, I still experience significant performance drops in open environments.”
- “The game struggles with optimization, making it frustrating to enjoy at higher settings without encountering lag.”