Descent 2 improves upon the weaknesses of its predecessor to offer more challenge, variety, and replay value

User Rating: 8.8 | Descent II PC
By Bozanimal | Review Date:
Descent 2 will make you feel dizzy, lost, alone, and claustrophobic, but you'll keep coming back for more. The Descent series is an FPS (first-person shooters) trilogy where the player is a mercenary hired to destroy mining robots that have gone out of control due to a computer virus. At the end of the first Descent the mercenary had completed his mission to destroy the mining operations throughout the solar system. The player picks up right where it left off, being outfitted with a warp drive to take care of some mining operations in other systems.

The sequel offers a few new weapons, new enemies, and a visual update including hardware accelerated graphics (he graphics are still dated by 2007 standards). It uses the same interconnected-tube level design that the first offered, though some maps are twice the size of the original. The level designs are often symmetrical, leading to serious vertigo and occasional "I think I passed that sign twice already" moments. The biggest update, however, is to the enemy's artificial intelligence. The computer stalks the player, dodges attacks intelligently, and runs away when damaged. It will hide behind doors, snipe, and otherwise use very "human" tactics, making the second installment far superior to the first.

If you are a fan of first-person shooter or space flight simulators and never played the Descent series, you owe it to yourself to dive into the bargain bin for a copy.

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