Descent 3
- April 15, 2014
- Outrage Entertainment
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Descent 3 retains the classic 360-degree movement and offers a fun and challenging gameplay experience, making it enjoyable for fans of the series.
- The game features improved graphics and level design compared to its predecessors, with a variety of missions and objectives that enhance the gameplay.
- The Steam version includes the Mercenary expansion pack, providing additional content and a more stable experience than the original installation.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including save file corruption on Linux and MacOS, and frequent crashes that hinder gameplay.
- Setting up the game on modern systems can be a frustrating experience, requiring extensive tweaking and configuration to achieve playable performance.
- Many players report that the controls are overly sensitive and difficult to manage, making the game challenging to play effectively.
- graphics15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of nostalgic charm and modern challenges, with many praising the clean and stylish old-school aesthetic that holds up well on contemporary displays. While some users appreciate the improved animations and the unique 360° experience, others note that the graphics have a cartoonish quality due to engine changes and that the game struggles with widescreen support and compatibility issues on newer systems. Overall, despite some technical limitations, the visuals are still regarded as impressive for a game from the late '90s.
“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.”
“There are issues with the graphics implementation of both OpenGL and Direct3D, with only a Glide wrapper offering good, non-glitchy visuals.”
“The game wasn't designed with widescreen displays in mind, meaning that setting it to, say, 1080p is a pain and the graphics will either be squished or parts of the HUD will be cut off.”
“Yeah, graphics became cartoonish because of engine change but the game’s seriousness and difficulty didn’t vanish.”
- story12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story in "Descent 3" is praised for effectively wrapping up the narrative started in the earlier games, providing satisfying cutscenes and a clearer context for the events involving the PTMC robots. While some players found the storyline initially irrelevant and the game itself a mess, many appreciated the structured missions with specific objectives that enhanced the overall experience. Overall, it is seen as a necessary conclusion to the trilogy, offering a more coherent and engaging storyline than its predecessors.
“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.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable and has evolved significantly, with recent updates improving performance, especially on Linux. While some minor bugs and resolution issues persist, they do not detract significantly from the fun experience. Players may need to make adjustments for optimal performance, but the core mechanics remain solid.
“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, but looks a little distorted.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report smooth gameplay and enjoyment, others experience significant bugs and crashes, particularly on the Mac version. Despite these issues, the game retains a classic charm that many find appealing.
“Runs great, and the gameplay still holds up to be quite fun.”
“The game maintains a smooth performance throughout, ensuring an enjoyable experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the game is; I rarely encounter any crashes or bugs.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Very buggy game.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its excellent quality and fitting atmosphere, although some feel that certain elements, like the theremin, are outdated. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gaming experience significantly.
“The soundtrack is great and really enhances the overall experience.”
“The audio fits well and is of excellent quality, contributing to the immersive atmosphere.”
“The music perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an engaging and memorable experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to clunky controls and the need to backtrack extensively for objectives, which can lead to significant time loss. The high maneuverability of the bots adds to the frustration, making the overall experience feel less fluid and 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 a place and then win the level - 15 minutes of your life gone forever.”
“Grinding in this game feels like a never-ending chore, with repetitive tasks that drain the fun out of the experience.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users suggest that the game allows for maximum settings adjustments, but recommend lowering terrain detail and render depth if performance issues arise in outdoor areas.
“The detail tab allows you to crank all settings to max, but if you experience performance issues in outdoor areas, consider lowering the terrain detail and/or render depth.”
“The optimization options are extensive, enabling players to tailor their experience based on their hardware capabilities.”
“I appreciate how the game provides clear guidance on adjusting settings for better performance without sacrificing too much visual quality.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, even on high-end systems, which is frustrating.”
“I expected better optimization; the loading times are excessively long and disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“Despite adjusting the settings, I still encounter frequent stuttering and lag, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
