"Down, down, deeper and down," sang eternal pub-rockers Status Quo. "That sounds like a good idea," replied some programmers.
Kieron Gillen


There was never any compromise wiith Descent. Its absolutely hard-edged belief in itself completely divided gamers into the archetypal love/hate brigades. There's literally no-one in the entire videogame pantheon who just shrugs and says, "S'alright, I suppose," when Descent comes up in conversation.

All this has changed in the extremely long-awaited third instalment in the series. While the basic premise is the same (fly a spaceship
through a series of knotted underground caverns and bases, open doors, kill robots and then fly out), and its plot neatly resolves the
cliffhanger ending of Descent 2, this is very much an attempt to seduce those to whom Descent was an anathema.

The first change is that confusion has been minimised. The cortex bomb that disorientated most in Descent was how you could never quite tell where you were supposed to be going, or, indeed, which direction was up or down anyway. Now the ship auto-rights itself when you continue moving in a plane for a few seconds, reducing the surreality of the situation. Secondly, you're given a sterling little guidebot to assist you through the levels, making sure you're never completely bamboozled about where to go or what to do next.

While the guidebot was present in Descent 2, its uses have been expanded manifold. As well as leading you to your next destination, it can locate the nearest foe, power-up or energy pack. It can find where you last died, allowing you to salvage your weaponry. It can even fight by your side if it picks up the correct power-ups. Best of all, you can name it whatever you choose, making you feel like a hi-tech Batman and Robin.