Introduction

Developer: Outrage
Publisher: Interplay
Release Date: March 1999
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Into (and out of) the Mines!

The original Descent came out in the hey-day of Doom II and all the Doom clones. It attained quite a respectable following by billing itself as the only game with true 3D play. Indeed, the game was ahead of its time - you could fly, strafe, turn, and fire in any direction. The original Descent even featured 3D graphics, directional sound, and of course, 8 player multiplay capability. Pretty good stuff for a game that predated 3D accelerator cards and certainly 3D sound cards. Basically it was like playing indoor Wing Commander. Soon after, a sequel was made, which was basically more of the same, with new weapons, updated graphics, and an AI sidekick called the Guide Bot.

This is just one of 3 ship classes

The story's pretty much the same. You're a mercenary pilot who got screwed over by the big evil corporation (PTMC), and you're out clearing planets before you get your revenge. The problem with the first two games is that all the levels played the same. Find the red key, open red door. Find blue key, open blue door. Blow up reactor. Next level. Tougher enemies, but find the key... It was basically, lather, rinse, repeat. With Descent 3, Outrage is looking to enhance the single player experience. One way they're going to accomplish this is by varying the missions. There will be at least one mission, where absolute stealth is your objective --get spotted and you'll die foolishly. Other missions require problem solving, like using your napalm gun to open up exits in the ice. You'll also be called upon to escort friendlies or protect innocent citizens. Basically the idea is that the game isn't all running and gunning.