Descent 3

Review

by Chris Couper

Descent 3 is the action-shooter to go down in the record books as one of the fastest, most challenging and insane titles for the PC. In fact, the Descent series has the highest "Make Chris Couper feel sick" rating since the time I spun myself on the merry-go-round for an hour as a child.

Fast. Descent 3 is fast, furious, in-your-face action. 360 degrees, twisty tunnels, and a whole "shipload" of enemies make Descent 3 a harrowing title. While I don't claim to be the fighter ace Descent pilot, I was still able to navigate quickly and use crucial dodging, strafing and circling maneuvers to destroy the 'bots. On my AMD K6-2 350, Descent 3 ran like a dream, fluid and quick.

Challenging. This game had me up late at night more times then I could count. Missions started out innocently enough, but then progressed into multi-goal missions that had me grinding my teeth. I love a game that can immerse me without inducing any sense of monotony. Descent 3 kept me on my toes the whole time I was playing. It looked good, it sounded good, and dog-gone it, it played good.

Insane. Full 360 degree range of motion is in a word: insane. If you've played any of the Descent series, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Descent 3 brings it to an all new level with its spiffy graphics, sounds, and the improved AI. The AI is what makes the game truly challenging. These 'bots are so smart at times, you'd swear there were real humans on the other end moving them. Thank goodness for the 'skill level adjustment' feature which allows you to change your skill level during the game. Trust me, you'll spend some parts of the game in 'rookie' mode.

Being able to go 'outside' is definately a neat feature, and a nice change from just flying underground. Using the "fusion" engine, you seemlessly go from inside to outside and vice versa.

Another welcome addition is the 3 different ships and the wide range of weaponry and power-ups. The ships are the Phoenix, a fast and deftly maneuverable ship, the Magnum, a slower ship which possesses superior strength and weapon power, and finally the Pyro which is a mix of the two.

If you're into flight action shooters, chances are you've played the Descent series. If you liked the previous Descent games, you'll LOVE this (beyond a doubt!). If you haven't played them, check this out. You will not be disappointed!