Descent
(1995 Interplay)


This game was the first 3D shooter in which you actually played 
in real 3D environment. You can freely move in all three dimensions 
and rotate in any way. You can easily mix up floor with ceiling 
and it wouldn't even matter. It's like Doom and Terminal Velocity in one. 

Story is simple. The gratest mining company PTMC called you, the 
best bad-and-mean pilot, to eliminate a rising threat. Apparently, 
they have lost control of their minig stations on Pluto to an unkown 
enemy force which, naturally, consists of robots and flying crafts. 
They also noticed intelligence in these ships, so this can be a 
threat to Earth itself. Your mission is to go into the mines, rescue 
any hostages you can and destroy the mine and everything else you 
encounter. Deep down on each level you can find a fusion reactor 
which you need to destroy in order to destroy the mine itself. 

Concept of the game is similar to that of Doom. There are 30 levels, 
and on each one you'll have to destroy reactor before escaping through 
the EXIT. It is wise to locate the EXIT before dealing with reactor 
since you will have limited time for your escape. With TAB you can 
access the map wich is indispensable. Since this is real 3D action, 
so is the map, and programmers deserve praises for it. 

You are flying PYRO-GX ship, armed with AV42 Avenger concussion 
missiles and AG435 Industrial argon-cyanide lasers (sounds tough). 
Weapons part is very good, since there are various ones scattered 
all over the mines (company manged to hide it inside the mine?!) 
and if you pick up laser that you already have, it will upgrade 
its level which will make it recharge faster and deliver more powerful 
blasts. Also, you always use two different weapons at the same time, 
primary and secondary (read: lasers or cannons and rockets or missles). 
You change them with nubmer digits 1-5 and 6-0. Lasers "travel" 
towards target (faster then rockets, naturally) and cannons hit 
almost immediatly. AI varies with enemy types. Some will just fly 
towards you, and some will shoot from distance avoiding your shots. 
Every single enemy aims perfectly, so you need to move fast to avoid 
their fire. Before each mission there is briefing in which you will 
be shown info about new enemy crafts that you will encounter. 

For that time, graphics were above standrads (SVGA was something 
brand new), although you can change the detail level to match your 
comp's speed. Quality of sound effect is good (for that time very 
good) and like in every 3D shooter, without sound you are "blind". 
The only bad thing at the start will be learning how to fly, because 
it is quite complicated to get used to. However, once you get into 
it, this can easily become one of the best 3D games you ever played.