Descent 3
| Descent 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Studio | Outrage entertainment | ||
| Publisher |
Interplay Loki software |
||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1999 | ||
| platform | Linux , Mac OS , Windows | ||
| genre | Ego shooter | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse , joystick | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
Pentium 200 MHz, 32 MB RAM, 210 MB free hard disk space, Windows 95 or OSS-compatible sound card, graphics card with 4 MB | ||
| medium | 2 CD-ROM , download | ||
| language | German | ||
| Current version | v1.4 (v1.5 unofficial) | ||
| copy protection | Laser lock | ||
| Age rating |
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Descent 3 ( spelling : Descent³ ) is a first-person shooter released for Windows in 1999 and the third part of the Descent series . The game was created by Outrage Entertainment, one of the two successor studios of the original Parallax Software development team . The game was published by the American publisher Interplay Entertainment . In addition to the Windows version, there are ports for Mac OS and Linux . In 2000 an expansion called Descent 3: Mercenary was released .
action
Descent 3 continues the story where it ends in Descent 2 : After a reactor damage to his ship, which makes it impossible to maneuver and drifts towards a sun, the player is barely saved. It turns out that the damage was deliberately caused by the player's employer, the PTMC. It also becomes clear that the PTMC is abusing the computer virus-infected robots for its own ends - to usurp world domination. The player joins a resistance movement that tries to bring the truth to light and warn the population. The PTMC tries to prevent this by all means.
Gameplay
The game principle of the series remained unchanged. The player controls a mine spaceship from the first person perspective through three-dimensional cave labyrinths. The game allows movement across all six spatial axes. Compared to its predecessor, there are new weapons, new opponents and new, more complex tasks, such as. E.g. stealing secret documents from a research laboratory or freeing a researcher from prison. Descent 3 supports this with scripted processes that were state of the art when the game was released. Another new feature is the availability of three different types of ships, two of which will only be available during the course of the game. The Guide Bot presented in the second part has been upgraded. It is now integrated into the player ship and can be disengaged on command and carry out various commands. There are also so-called “pickups” for the Guide Bot. Different pickups have different effects. For example, the Guide Bot can use the fire extinguisher pickup to extinguish the player's ship if it set itself on fire through a failed napalm attack or was set on fire by an enemy. Another pickup turns the Guide Bot into a fighting machine that supports the player. The antivirus pickup allows the Guide Bot to pull enemy robots to the player's side for a certain period of time, so that the former enemy will fight the enemies side by side with the player.
weapons
Descent 3 contains ten different primary weapons (various laser weapons and cannons), ten secondary weapons (rockets) and, as a new third type, five so-called defense means (automatic weapons, mines, decoys). In addition to the single player mode, repellants are mainly used in tactical multiplayer variants such as CTF and Entropy, where z. B. strategically important areas can be mined.
As in the other games in the series, there is also a flare in Descent 3 that can be used to illuminate the surroundings. Unlike its predecessors, it hardly uses any energy in Descent 3 . If hit, it does practically no damage.
Multiplayer
Descent 3 supports all modes known from Descent and Descent 2 , with the Capture the Flag mode being fully implemented this time.
In addition, Descent 3 offers the Entropy game mode - a very unusual variant of a team game in which each team has to guard some special rooms in which important resources for the game are produced and tries to conquer the corresponding rooms of the opposing team. The exact rules of the game are comparatively complicated, albeit to be mastered. An entropy match requires a high level of tactical discipline and flying skills to be successful.
development
Descent 3 was created after the original developer studio Parallax Software was split into Volition and Outrage Entertainment, which the two studio founders Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog agreed on after Descent 2 was released . Both Volition and Outrage were given a development contract for two games each by their previous publisher Interplay. Outrage was commissioned to develop Descent 3 , while Volition first designed the space simulation Descent: Freespace and then took over Descent 4 .
technology
The completely redeveloped Fusion engine was state-of-the-art with the portal technology used and made it possible to display both indoor and outdoor areas without additional loading times. It allowed a greatly improved physical behavior of objects. In terms of lighting and effects, the Fusion graphics engine, including procedural textures (which would be realized with shaders today ), offered everything that was technically possible - mirror effects, fire, smoke, fog, even weather effects were available. That is why Descent 3 still looked graphically very up-to-date several years after its appearance - and also requires hardware from the GeForce 4 / Radeon 8500 generation in order to really be able to fully exploit all the engine's possibilities.
For Descent 3 many new robots were developed in addition to some old friends from Descent and Descent 2 . In Descent 3, thanks to the improved graphics, they look more real and act more intelligently than in their predecessors. With EAX and A3D , sound generation is supported by hardware.
reception
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The game received positive reviews ( Metacritic : 89 out of 100 / Gamerankings : 84.36%)
“Due to such varied missions, I am only rarely allowed to fly, the sometimes great ideas elicited one or the other“ Wow! ”From me. However, this does not apply to the new graphics engine. It is in line with the times - but Unreal still looks a bit better. I really like the robot enemies. I am otherwise no fan of such metal opponents, but the ones in Descent 3 are successful and can keep up with carnal beasts in terms of frightening effect. Nevertheless, Descent 3 still has the problem that plagued its predecessor: The hustle and bustle seems extremely sterile. Many a Descent fan may also lose their joystick in fright given the crisp puzzles. I have no objection to thinking in baller orgies - but in Descent 3 puzzles have been lost that are only possible if you are lucky. The program is a recommendation if you are more into fiddly action than continuous fire. "
The game was one of the nominees for action game of the year by online magazines GameSpy and GameSpot. Despite good ratings, the sales figures remained below expectations. The online magazine Daily Radar therefore presented the game with the System Shock Award, as the critical success, like System Shock, had no positive effect on sales.
Mercenary (add-on)
Descent 3: Mercenary is an add-on for Descent 3 that was released about a year after the main game and covers the history of Descent 3 . The player is an agent of the PTMC and has the task of putting the evil plans of their chairman S. Dravis into practice. In this add-on, the player receives another ship, the Black Pyro GX, which is more similar to the ships from Descent and Descent 2 . It contains a total of seven single player and four multiplayer missions designed by players.
While IGN praised the add-on and made a purchase recommendation, Gamespot criticized the level design as boring and criticized the lack of new game functions. PC Games found the new missions to be more entertaining than the original game.
Descent 3: Mercenary was also included in the Descent: Venture Pack (contains Descent 1-3 + Mercenary ) or bundled with Descent 3 .
Web links
- Official product page of Interplay
- Descent 3 at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ben Hanson: The Secret History of Volition ( English ) In: Game Informer . GameStop . March 30, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- ↑ a b Descent 3 . GameRankings . Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ a b Descent 3 . Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 28, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Erik Wolpaw: Descent 3 Review . GameSpot . June 28, 1999. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Jay Boor: Descent 3 Review . IGN . June 14, 1999. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved on February 28, 2014.
- ^ Carl Reed: Descent 3 Review . GamePro . January 1, 2000. Archived from the original on February 28, 2004. Retrieved on February 28, 2004.
- ↑ Johnny_B: Descent 3 Review . Game revolution . July 1, 1999. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Descent 3 - PC
- ↑ Stephen Poole: Descent 3 . PC gamer . August 2000. Archived from the original on August 6, 2002. Retrieved on August 6, 2002.
- ↑ Jason Cross: Descent 3 Review . Computer Games Magazine . July 3, 1999. Archived from the original on February 28, 2003. Retrieved on February 28, 2003.
- ↑ Victor Lucas: Review . Electric Playground . July 12, 1999. Archived from the original on September 17, 2001. Retrieved September 17, 2001.
- ↑ Josh Norem: Descent 3: Going Down for the Third Time . In: Future US (Ed.): Maximum PC . 4, No. 9, September 1999, p. 86. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ Action Game of the Year . GameSpy . 2000. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved on August 15, 2000.
- ^ Action Game of the Year, Nominees . GameSpot . 2000. Archived from the original on March 1, 2000. Retrieved March 1, 2000.
- ^ Action Game of the Year . GameSpot . 2000. Archived from the original on March 2, 2000. Retrieved March 2, 2000.
- ^ Andrew's Views Presents the First Annual 'System Shocks and Trespassers Awards' . Daily radar . January 3, 2000. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved March 3, 2000.
- ↑ a b Descent 3: Mercenary: Haven't quite achieved that plasma fix yet? Outrage has the answer ....
- ↑ a b Descent 3: Mercenary: Worthwhile add-on
- ^ Descent 3 Mercenary Review