Descent
-
Descent: Levels of the World
(1995)
- Beyond the Meltdown (1997)
-
Dimensions for Descent
(1995) -
Game Levels & Co.
(1996) -
Scenariomania
(1996) -
Stellar Combat: Mission Pack
(1997) - Superdead (1996)
-
Ultimate Add-On's: Tournament Edition
(1995) -
Ultra Level Add-On
(1997)
-
Descent + Descent 2
(2008) -
Descent I and II: The Definitive Collection
(1997) -
Descent: Venture Pack
(2001) - Interplay's Family Favorites (1998)
-
Interplay: 15th Anniversary
(1999) -
MacPack Sneak Attack
(1997)
- Descent (1979 on TRS-80)
Description official descriptions
The Post-Terran Minerals Corporation (PTMC) digs up minerals on all nine planets of the solar system, employing humans and robots to do its job. Unfortunately, the mining robots are now being controlled by a hacker, and have taken the human workers hostage. The PTMC has tried to get the robots back under their control, but communication with the mining stations has been lost. In desperation, the PTMC modifies a Pyro-GX ship for combat and hires a mercenary, codenamed "Material Defender", to fly it. The mission is to destroy the infected mines and rescue human hostages, destroying any hostile robot that gets in the way.
Descent is a 3D first-person game that puts the player at the controls of the Pyro-GX spaceship. Descent is notable in that the player travels through various interior locations (mines) but can do so in 720 degrees of movement. The ship however only moves forward and backward in any of the directions it is facing. The ship is able to use a variety of weapons scattered as power-ups throughout each level. They include: standard lasers, the Vulcan Cannon (a chaingun-like weapon), the Spreadfire Cannon (a rapidly firing, shotgun-like energy weapon), the Plasma Cannon (a rapidly firing energy weapon more suited for medium-range combat), and the Fusion Cannon (fires a ball of energy that's more powerful the longer it is charged it up, but could destroy the ship). All of these weapons, except for the Vulcan Cannon, use the ship's energy supply. The Pyro-PX is also capable of firing regular concussion missiles, homing missiles, proximity bombs (positioned midair, then explodes when something gets close to it), smart missiles (more powerful homing missiles that fire out homing energy balls upon impact with their target), and Mega Missiles (the ultimate weapons of mass destruction).
The goal of each level is to locate and destroy the mine's reactor. Once completed, there is a countdown to find the escape hatch to get out of the mine before it explodes. As progress is made through the game, the AI will adapt to player's strategies and attempt to prevent the player from reaching the goals.
Spellings
- ディセント - Japanese spelling
Groups +
- 3D Engine: Descent
- Console Generation Exclusives: PlayStation
- Descent series
- Game feature: In-game screenshot capture
- Gameplay feature: Auto-mapping
- Gameplay feature: Recordable replays
- Games made into books
- Games with officially released source code
- Genre: Six degrees of freedom
- Interplay's BlackMarket releases
- Setting: Earth's Moon
- Setting: Mars
- Setting: Venus
Screenshots
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Credits (DOS version)
70 People (58 developers, 12 thanks) · View all
| Original Concept | |
| Programming | |
| Graphics / 3D Programming | |
| Level / Scenario Design | |
| Music | |
| Sound | |
| [ full credits ] | |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 85% (based on 44 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 131 ratings with 12 reviews)
A game I'm rather indifferent to.
The Good
As a programmer, I have to appreciate the amazingly fast and complex game engine, which utilizes portals (a la Unreal engine). The game ran smooth on my 386 and perfect on my 486, and looks damn good with relatively high detail level, texture mapping and gouraud shading. I'm impressed.
The Bad
But as a game, I don't like it a great deal. The controls are needlessly complex (too many keys to control, and it's not really necessary), the level design is simply not very interesting and the sound effects are horrible.
Most importantly, gameplay - it seems like a decent game and a lot of people like it (for reasons I can understand), but since I never liked freespace games I don't like this particular one any more than the others.
The Bottom Line
Again, technically impressive but other than this a fairly boring game.
DOS · by Tomer Gabel (4534) · 2000
The Good
Well first of all the fact that you can really turn 360 degrees. There are many kinds and types of enemy's in this game and i loved everyone of them. And i also loved the sound effects in this game, especially the idle sounds of the robots.
The Bad
Nothing.....
The Bottom Line
I first played this game when i was 10 years old and i can still remember that time when i play this game. This game is a true classic. Maybe not such a hit like Doom, but this game gets very close.
9.9/10
DOS · by Goteki45 (323) · 2001
A decent flight combat sim, but could've been better.
The Good
I personally liked the 3D engine. This game looked awesome!!! The look and feel of Descent was original, and the enemy AI was good. And you could ram into them! Descent was the title that brought Parallax Software to fame.
The Bad
My only gripe with Descent is that sometimes it's hard to orientate yourself in the tunnels. I mean, you go upside down (or downside up) and you go the opposite way a minute later! It was hard to control! Other than this minor little detail, the game was excellent.
The Bottom Line
I would buy it if you like space combat flight sims in tunnels. It may not shape up to Doom, but Descent is a winner on originality, but the controls need a little work. Highly recommended!
DOS · by James1 (240) · 2001
Discussion
| Subject | By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Early Moby Shenanagins. | GAMEBOY COLOR! (1990) | Jul 30, 2008 |
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Descent appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Cheats
When a cheat code is entered, a female voice will call the player a "Cheater" in a mocking tone.
Commercials
Commercials for the PlayStation version of the game featured the celebrities Rodney Dangerfield and Jenny McCarthy.
Covermount release
A complete version of Descent is available on Classic Games Collection CD featured with the July 2000 issue of PC Gamer Magazine.
Development
The game was originally titled Inferno and was to take place in space stations rather than mines.
Enhanced edition
In the readme file included with the registered version of Descent, a "CD-Enhanced" version was promised to be released in the summer of 1995. Descent had already been released on CD-ROM, but the "CD-Enhanced" version was to contain new levels and enemies, a Redbook (CD audio) version of the game's soundtrack, and 3D-rendered cinematics. Unfortunately, this version was never released. However, Descent II was suggested to have been the CD-Enhanced version of Descent that they were talking about: it contains all of the features promised for the CD-Enhanced version, and retains most of the original Descent's gameplay (along with some new features like an afterburner, energy-to-shields converter, and headlights).
Kali
The popular Kali online matchmaking program, which emulated IPX over the Internet was created in the sole purpose of bringing online play to Descent. It eventually grew larger and supported a large number of other games.
Release
Descent was to be a shareware game, and Apogee Software (one of the most famous names in shareware games) was going to distribute it for Parallax. However, the deal fell through, as Apogee did not have the finances to distribute the game, and Interplay came in to save the game from being canceled fully.
The game was still released as shareware, with the free version containing first seven stages and the rest purchasable from Interplay directly or in stores. As a token of their appreciation, Parallax added a thank-you message to "Scott Miller and Apogee Software" in the credits for the game.
Novels
A trilogy of novels inspired by the game was published by Avon Books. They were all written by Peter Telep and first published in 1999:
- Descent
- Stealing Thunder
- Equinox
Awards
- GameStar (Germany)
- Issue 12/1999 - #50 in the "100 Most Important PC Games of the Nineties" ranking
- PC Gamer
- April 2000 - #45 in the "All-Time Top 50 Games" poll
Information also contributed by Cochonou, jnik, PCGamer77, Pseudo_Intellectual, Satoshi Kunsai, Scott Monster and Spartan_234
Analytics
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Related Sites +
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The Descent-Network
Site Description: "The Descent Network hosts the biggest websites for Descent-related information and download since mid of 97. Since mid of 1998 we are extending our web to cover all other games released or about-to-be released by Volition, Inc. and Outrage Entertainment. This URL, descent-network.com, is there to combine the sites and to serve as a gateway to the Descent Network sites, as well as offering shared resources." My Opionion: Its the largest collection of stuff for the Descent Series that I have ever seen, thousands of levels for Descent 1,2,3 and Freespace 1,2. Numerous contests going on, like level building contests and robot building contests. Also has a whole arsonal of Descent robot and level editing tools for download. If you like descent, you will LOVE this site. -
The Official D1_3dfx Site
There is a patch here that will let you run Descent hardware accelerated, as long as you've got a 3dfx card. Patch never went beyond beta, so no mouse support and a few bugs. -
The Official DESCENT Page
official game page at Interplay's website from 1997, preserved by the Wayback Machine
Identifiers +
Contribute
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Accatone.
Linux added by Plok. Macintosh added by Kabushi. PlayStation added by Adam Baratz. Windows added by lights out party. PC-98 added by Terok Nor.
Additional contributors: rstevenson, Kalirion, Zaroba, Jeanne, Frenkel, Charles Lippert, Alaka, Patrick Bregger, Plok, MrFlibble, FatherJack, Zhuzha.
Game added January 8, 2000. Last modified November 20, 2024.