descent 2018

Descent Is Back And Better Than Ever

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Published: June 20, 2018 1:30 PM

Going into the demo for Descent, I was a bit skeptical.  One of my most distinct gaming memories involved the original Descent on the PC.  Back in the '90s before everyone had computers in their pockets or even at home, you could always count on a weekly visit to your school's computer lab.  While we were supposed to be playing Fraction Action or learning to type, a small group of my friends and I were glued to a space-themed shooter called Descent. I'll never forget the seemingly infinite happiness Descent would provide my friends and I every week ... followed by the sounds of a teacher snapping the discs on her knee while making us watch.  Needless to say, Descent left a lasting impact on me and ever since then I've wanted a proper and faithful reboot to show up.  While I'm very aware of the game's successful Kickstarter campaign, I,  like many others, have become a bit skeptical of any reboot that begins with a popular Kickstarter. Fortunately, Descent is shaping up to be a very faithful and fun re imagining of the game I played, instead of learning how to properly type all those years ago.

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This newly re imagined Descent from developer Descent Studios is bringing back what made the popular '90s shooter so revered. Descent is not a remaster of the original shooter that created the "Six Degrees of Freedom" movement system back in the '90s, but instead a re-imagining of what made the game so groundbreaking decades back.  This reboot of sorts will stay faithful to the original title, as well as bring along a modern single-player campaign, customizable class-based units, and a heavy emphasis on online multiplayer gameplay.  Descent will include 20 unique unlockable ships, which will span over four unique combat-oriented classes, as well as fully customizable upgrades to help players further personalize their ship.   The game will feature not only four player online co-op multiplayer, but also free DLC throughout 2019.  In an industry oversaturated with premium passes and loot boxes, the offering of free DLC and expansions throughout the game's release year is a pretty great deal.

As someone who played quite a bit of the game on the PC/PS1 and more recently on an old Mac, Descent plays exactly like it did back in its original form and even controlled well without the need of a joystick.  It's a game that will take some gamers a few moments to adjust to, but once the six degrees movement system clicks, it becomes second nature and is quite fun.

After playing the demo in person, I'm confident that developer Descent Studios is doing everything right with this beloved relic of the 1990s PC gaming scene.  This will be a title to watch out for, whether you were playing the game back in the '90s or you were born a decade later.  Prepare for Descent ... 

Descent will be available on all major platforms sometime in Q4 of 2018 and will feature Xbox One X and PS4 Pro enhancements.  Descent was played at a closed door demo at E3 2018.

What do you think about the 90's shooter brought back for a modern audience?  Did you play the game back on the PC or PS1?  Let us know in the comments below! 

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Nick Maillet TechRaptor
| Former Lead Video Editor

When im not playing games Im working on TV shows as a colorist. You can find me on twitter posting pictures of my rabbit and other useless junk.