Descent 3 Game

Those who’ve never had the opportunity to float about in weightless conditions–pinging around the interior of an orbiting space shuttle, for example–may find Graphic Simulations’ Descent 3 a bit disorienting. After all, like other gravity-free environments, Descent 3 lets you maneuver on all axes, and it’s often difficult to determine where “down” stops and “up” begins.

Descent 3 by Outrage Entertainment. Publication date 1999 Topics Windows games, Vintage computer games, Action games.

The Great Outdoors Descent 3 breaks from past versions of the action game by allowing you to take your troubles outside.

  • The game's success spawned expansion packs and the sequels Descent II (1996) and Descent 3 (1999). It also led to the crowdfunding of Descent, a prequel to the original due to release in 2019. Descent is a first-person shooter and shoot 'em up game wherein the player pilots a spaceship through labyrinthine mines while fighting virus -infected.
  • For a number of years the game Descent from Outrage has been a meeting place on the internet. The basis for Descent on the Internet is PXO - (ParallaX Online) - where it is possible to chat and find the servers that provides the service of running a Descent multiplayer game.That's all fine - especially after the arrival of other other chat programs than the build-in chat in Descent.

Descent is a name familiar to longtime Mac gamers. Descent I and II–3-D shooters that placed you behind the controls of a laser- and missile-equipped spacecraft sent to battle nefarious robots–were very popular titles on the Mac. At first blush, Descent 3 looks like more of the same. As in the earlier games, you buzz through robot-infested environments, blasting anything that moves and most likely succumbing to the vertigo induced by jinking your craft around in spaces where you have no real sense of direction.

Once that first blush wears off, however, you’ll realize that Descent 3 has more in common with modern shooters such as Quake than with earlier iterations of Descent. In the original Descent, your object was to locate a reactor, blow it to pieces, and then quickly find your way out of a labyrinthine mine before the whole works exploded in your face. Descent 3 is more Quake-like: it asks you to carry out a series of tasks–locate a security key, for example–in order to progress through a mission. Descent 3 also differs from the original in offering outdoor environments.

Descent 3’s modern system requirements include 3-D-acceleration hardware–via either some kind of 3dfx Voodoo card or an ATI Rage Pro or Rage 128–and a 233MHz or faster G3 Mac.

If your Mac meets or–even better–exceeds these requirements, the look of the game won’t disappoint you. Descent has never been more attractive. And the benefits of this lush look are more than skin deep: thanks to Descent 3’s enhanced graphics, you can actually make out enemy robots hovering at a distance.

Regrettably, the OpenGL version of Descent is far from stable. Even after we upgraded the original and very buggy version with the 1.3.1 updater, we had problems in OpenGL mode–blocks of graphics disappeared and the game occasionally locked up. We hope Graphic Simulations will address these problems in another update. In the meantime, if you have a Voodoo card, play the game in the more stable Glide mode.


Macworld’s Buying Advice

Descent 3 is a great game marred by bugs. Those with Voodoo cards, fast Macs, and a love of frenetic action will have a blast. If your ATI-equipped Macintosh lacks a Voodoo card, either add one or wait for the next game update.

Descent 3 pc game

April 2000 page: 66

Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read ouraffiliate link policyfor more details.

Breed
    Related:

Class 1 Drone

First Appears

Level 1

Size

3 meters

Weapon

2 pulse rock cutters

Threat

Low

Points

100

Often Drops

Energy Boost

Doesn't fire very fast except on higher difficulties. Almost always travels in groups. Occasionally seen dropping Proximity Bombs (first seen on Level 11); these are distinguished by their camouflage texture.

Descent 3 Game

Class 2 Drone

First Appears

Level 1

Size

4 meters

Weapon

2 argon welding lasers (LL3)

Threat

Low

Points

200

Often Drops

Shield Boost

Slightly more dangerous.

Small Hulk

First Appears

Level 1

Size

5 meters

Weapon

2 heavy argon lasers (LL4)

Threat

Low

Points

500

Often Drops

Shield Boost

Seems a lower threat than even the C1D's, but there's usually 2-3 of them at one time.

Medium Hulk

First Appears

Level 3

Size

7 meters

Weapon

2 missile launchers (Concussion)

Threat

High

Points

500

Often Drops

Concussion Missiles

Don't let these guys surprise you, or you'll be sorry.

Medium Lifter

First Appears

Level 4

Size

5 meters

Weapon

2 diamond plated swingarms

Threat

Medium

Points

500

Often Drops

Shield Boost

Travel in packs, and screech just like C1D's.

Descent

Cloaked Lifter

First Appears

Level 4

Size

4 meters

Weapon

2 diamond plated swingarms, cloaking device

Threat

Low

Points

1000

Often Drops

Cloaking Device

Annoying, but they often drop Cloaking Devices.

Super (Heavy) Hulk

First Appears

Level 5

Size

7 meters

Weapon

2 missile launchers (Homing)

Threat

Very Very High

Points

1500

Often Drops

Homing Missiles

Your nemesis. DO NOT let one of these get on your blind side! They increase in quantity with every level, and often guard the reactor.

Class 1 (Vulcan) Driller

First Appears

Level 6

Size

5 meters

Weapon

Uranium mass drivers (Vulcan Cannon)

Threat

Very High

Points

1000

Often Drops

Vulcan Cannon / nothing

Their screech will surely send shivers down your spine (or you flinching away from the screen) on higher difficulties. With the Vulcan Cannon (which fires VERY fast), they can take 20-30 of your shields in seconds. You should catch them by surprise if at all possible (preferably with a Homing Missile).

'Spider' Processing Robot

First Appears

Level 6

Size

8 meters

Weapon

3 mass driver rifles (rock cutters)

Threat

Medium

Points

600

Often Drops

Baby Spiders

This unique robot often spawns Baby Spider robots (or even clones of itself!) when it's destroyed.

Baby Spider

First Appears

Level 6

Size

2 meters

Weapon

Laser (LL1)

Threat

Medium

Points

100

Often Drops

nothing

Quite an annoyance if you lose one in your blind spot.

Boss #1 (Level 7)

Size

28 meters

Weapon

Smart Missiles, cloaking device, teleport

Threat

Very Very High

Points

5000

Do not take this boss lightly! Its Smart Missiles are very damaging, and will kill if they hit you directly. See the Level 7 walkthrough.

Advanced Lifter

First Appears

Level 8

Size

5-6 meters

Weapon

4 tungsten swingarms

Threat

Medium

Points

800

Often Drops

Shield Boost

More dangerous than Medium Lifters, as they are nearly silent and have twice as many claws.

Secondary Lifter

First Appears

Level 8

Size

4 meters

Weapon

1 heavy laser (LL1)

Threat

Medium

Points

400

Often Drops

nothing

More dangerous than either of the other Lifters. These Crows always travel in groups of two or three.

Descent 3 Game

Class 2 Supervisor Robot

First Appears

Level 8

Size

4 meters

Weapon

None

Threat

Low

Points

400

Often Drops

Varies

These appear rarely, but if you're lucky, you may get a nice powerup (or some robots, if you're not so lucky) for destroying it. Supposedly, the Supervisors are programmed to increase the awareness of nearby robots, but I don't recall seeing that really happen.

Alien Breed 3 Descent Gameplay

Cloaked Hulk

First Appears

Level 10

Size

7 meters

Weapon

2 missile launchers (Concussion), cloaking device

Threat

Very High

Points

700

Often Drops

Concussion Missiles

Slightly more heavily armored than their visible counterparts, and thus much more dangerous.

Class 1 Heavy (Plasma) Driller

First Appears

Level 10

Size

8 meters

Weapon

Plasma Cannons

Threat

Very High

Points

1000

Often Drops

Plasma Cannon / Energy Boost

Obviously, the Plasma Drillers are very dangerous, and are more heavily armored than Vulcan Drillers. Don't turn your back on them.

Miniboss

First Appears

Secret Level 1 / Level 23

Size

11 meters

Weapon

Fusion Cannons

Threat

Very Very High

Points

2000

Often Drops

Fusion Cannon / Energy Boost

Takes a Mega Missile and another missile (two Megas would be wasteful), two Smarts, or a steady stream of cannon fire to dispose of. Don't let one catch you by surprise—Fusion fire can rob you of 60 shield units per hit!

PTMC Defense Prototype

First Appears

Secret Level 1 / Level 13

Size

3 meters

Weapon

4 argon cannons (Quad LL4s)

Threat

Medium

Points

1500

Often Drops

Quad Laser / Energy Boost

These fire REALLY fast, but for the point value, they certainly aren't as deadly as Super Hulks.

Descent 3 Game Download

Class 2 Platform Robot (Laser)

First Appears

Secret Level 1 / Level 16

Size

5 meters

Weapon

Rapid-fire argon laser (LL3)

Threat

Medium

Points

300

Often Drops

Shield Boost

Piece of cake. Laser Platforms fire faster than C2D's, in 3-bolt bursts.

Class 2 Platform Robot (Missile)

First Appears

Secret Level 1 / Level 16

Size

5 meters

Weapon

Rapid-fire missile launcher (Concussion)

Threat

Very Very High

Points

800

Often Drops

Concussion Missiles

NOT a piece of cake. Missile Platforms fire in 3-missile bursts, and thus are a serious threat if you're not careful.

Class 3 Gopher Robot

First Appears

Level 17

Size

5 meters

Weapon

Proximity Bombs

Threat

Low

Points

200

Often Drops

Energy Boost

They take lots of shots to kill, they drop bombs everywhere, and they occur in large numbers. Needless to say, extremely irritating. Ordinarily, Gophers use the same lasers as C2D's and Laser Platforms, but all of the ones in First Strike are programmed to drop bombs.

Cloaked Vulcan

First Appears

Secret Level 1 / Level 22

Size

5 meters

Weapon

Uranium mass drivers (Vulcan Cannon), cloaking device

Threat

Very Very High

Points

600

Often Drops

Cloaking Device

Pray you have a Cloaking Device or Invulnerability handy when you face one of these.

Boss #2 (Level 27)

Size

32 meters

Weapon

Mega Missiles, cloaking device, teleport

Threat

Insane

Points

10000

Very, Very Bad. Mega Missiles will kill on impact if you have less than 180 shield units! See the Level 27 walkthrough.

Split Pod (Red Triangle)

First Appears

Not in First Strike

Size

5 meters

Weapon

none

Threat

Low

Points

100

Often Drops

nothing

The Red Triangle is included in the DESCENT engine but not used in First Strike. It can be found in many fan-made levels, often as a bomber; in bomber mode, Red Triangles fly very fast—much like the Omega Guppy in DESCENT II, but with weak armor.