- Release Year: 2008
- Platforms: Macintosh, Windows
- Publisher: Interplay Entertainment Corp.
- Genre: Compilation
- Perspective: First-person
- Game Mode: LAN, Single-player
- Average Score: 87/100
Description
Descent + Descent 2 is a compilation featuring the first two entries in the groundbreaking Descent series, where players pilot a fighter spaceship in zero-gravity, six-degrees-of-freedom environments through extrasolar underground mines. Battling infected robots and navigating complex labyrinths, the objective is to locate and destroy reactor cores before escaping the ensuing self-destruction.
Descent + Descent 2 Reviews & Reception
metacritic.com (89/100): Descent II’s huge replay value and absolutely insane network play should ensure its popularity for a long time.
gamepressure.com (81/100): Sequel is an excellent arcade game of FPP
steambase.io (93/100): Very Positive
gamefaqs.gamespot.com : Descent II took everything about Descent and made it better.
mobygames.com (86/100): A great FPS with a cool twist!
Descent + Descent 2 Cheats & Codes
Descent 1 (PC/MAC)
Enter codes using the keyboard during gameplay. Type ‘gabbagabbahey’ first to enable cheat mode.
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| gabbagabbahey | Enable Cheats / Cheat Mode |
| mitzi | All Keys |
| guile | Cloak on/off / Cloaking / Toggle Temporary Cloak |
| bigred | All Weapons and Max Ammo / Super weapons / Grants even better weapons |
| scourge | All Weapons / Max Ammo for Most Weapons / Grants some weapons |
| racerx | Invulnerability on/off / Toggle Invulnerability |
| astral | No Clipping (fly through doors) / Ghosty Mode / Move Through Doors |
| twilight | Shields recharged / Full Shields / Restore Shields to 100 |
| biopsytoys | Destroy Reactor Instantly / Start reactors self destruction |
| buggin | Turbo Mode / Turbo Everything |
| porgys | Additional Weapons / All Weapons and Super Max Ammo |
| ahimsa | Disable/Enable Opponent Firepower / Toggle Robot Firing |
| flash | Display Exit Path / Creates Powerups Leading to Level Exit |
| bruin | Extra Life |
| lunacy | Fast Robots / Robots Move Fast, Fire Seldom |
| map | Full Map |
| farmerjoe | Select Level / Level Warp |
| poboys | Destroy Reactor Within 50 Seconds / Level Meltdown |
| pletch999 | Restore Textures |
| pletch### | Texture Changing Weapons (### is 000-998) |
| pelch # | Strange Textures (# is 0-999) |
| Alt+F | Full Map (use in Map View Screen) |
Descent 1 (PlayStation)
During gameplay, press the following button sequences.
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| Triangle, Cross, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Square, Triangle, Square, Circle, X | 10 Lives and Mega Weapon |
| Square, X, Circle, Triangle, X, Triangle, Triangle, X, Triangle, X, Triangle, X | All Level Keys |
| Triangle, Square, Circle, X, Triangle, Square, X, Triangle, Square, X, Circle, Square | All Weapons |
| Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Square, X, Circle, Triangle, Square, Circle, X, Triangle | Brighter Screen |
| Triangle, Square, X, Circle, Square, X, Circle, Triangle, X, Square, X, Triangle | Cloaking Device |
| Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Square, Triangle, Square, X, Triangle, X, Square, Triangle | Freaky Colors |
| Triangle, Triangle, X, Square, Triangle, Circle, Triangle, X, Square, X, Triangle, X | Full Shields |
| Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Circle, X, Square, Triangle, Circle, Triangle, Triangle, X | Gain a Life |
| Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Square, Triangle, Square, X | Invincibility |
| Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Square | New Difficulty Levels and Level Select |
| Square, X, Square, X, Circle, Square, Circle, Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Square | Robot Altering |
| Square, Circle, X, Triangle, Square, X, Triangle, Square, X, Circle, Left | Stronger Weapons |
| Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Circle, X, Square, X, Circle, Triangle, Square, X | Turbo Mode |
Descent 1 (PlayStation Passwords)
Enter these passwords for final level on specified difficulty.
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| BBBQB-F0*MB-DBLY6-FBQBB | Ace |
| BBBQB-F03PG-DBM4F-2BLBB | Hotshot |
| BBBQB-F0VJ7-DBMSN-TBVBB | Insane |
| BBBQB-F07RL-DBL9*-PBGBB | Rookie |
| BBBQB-F1BTQ-DBLGG-#BBBB | Trainee |
Descent II (PC)
Type codes during gameplay. Enabling some cheats (marked NOTE 1 in sources) reduces shields/energy to 1% and may reset score. Multiple codes for commercial/shareware versions.
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| almighty | Invincibility / God mode |
| alifalafel | All accessories / Accessories |
| bittersweet | Psychedelic Walls / Fish-eye view / Underwater appearing walls |
| pigfarmer | View John’s head / Shrunken window / ‘Hi John’ message / Wacko Background |
| gowingnut | Psycho Guide-Bot / Guide bot kills other bots / Guidebots attack robots |
| godzilla | Kills bots by running into them / Crash into robots with one hit / Extra collision damage |
| freespace | Warp to levels 1-24 / Level select |
| lpnlizard | All weapons homing / Homing weapons |
| helpvishnu | Clones / Creates / Replaces Guide-Bot |
| rockrgrl | Full Map |
| zingermans | God mode (NOTE 1) / Invincibility toggle / 1% shields and energy |
| eatangelos | All weapons (NOTE 1) / Homing weapons / 1% shields and energy |
| currygoat | All keys (NOTE 1) / All Keys / 1% shields and energy |
| oralgroove | All Keys / or algroove |
| whammazoom | Level warp (NOTE 1) / 1% shields and energy |
| ericaanne | Bouncing weapons (NOTE 1) / 1% shields and energy |
| frametime | Display FPS / framerate |
| silkwing | Mechs destroy each other / Enemies fight each other |
| gabbagabbahey | 1% shields and energy / Enable Cheat Codes (Shareware) |
| motherlode | Wowie Zowie weapons (NOTE 1) / All weapons / 1% shields and energy |
| honestbob | All weapons (Commercial) / Wowie Zowie weapons |
| joshuaakira | Full map (NOTE 1) / 1% shields and energy |
| duddaboo | Bouncing weapons |
| imagespace | Stop robots / Bosses do not shoot / Robot firing off |
| blueorb | Shield at 27% |
| wildfire | Rapid fire |
| spaniard | Kills all bots (repeat: boss/guidebot) |
| delshiftb | Ultimate: Blows reactor, all weapons/powerups, to exit |
| fopkjewa | Destroy reactor / Warp to exit, blows reactor |
| ahwlmbpf | Destroy reactor |
| gogorobot | Five Robots |
| superhires | Extra screen resolutions (command line: descent2 -superhires) |
Descent II (MAC)
During gameplay enter the following codes.
| Code | Effect |
|---|---|
| alifalafel | All accessories |
| oralgroove | All keys |
| tyrgzzcp | All keys |
| honestbob | All weapons |
| duddaboo | Bouncing weapons |
| helpvishnu | Create a new guidebot |
| spaniard | Destroy All Bots in Mine |
| fopkjewa | Destroy reactor, move toward exit |
| delshiftb | Destroy reactor/enemies, move toward exit |
| pigfarmer | Display ‘Hi John!!!’ message |
| frametime | Display Frame Rate |
| silkwing | Enemies fight each other |
| godzilla | Extra collision damage |
| gogorobot | Five robots |
| rockgirl | Full map |
| almighty | God mode |
| gowingnut | Guidebots attack robots |
| ipnlizard | Homing weapons |
| bittersweet | Psychadelic walls |
Descent + Descent 2: Review
Introduction
Imagine hurtling through a labyrinthine mine in zero gravity, your spaceship twisting and rolling in full six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) motion, lasers blazing as infected robots swarm from every angle—no floors, no ceilings, just pure, disorienting 3D chaos. This is the vertigo-inducing thrill that Descent (1995) and Descent II (1996) delivered, revolutionizing first-person shooters by blending space combat simulation with shooter mechanics in fully polygonal, true 3D environments. Released as a digital compilation in 2008 by Interplay Entertainment (with a Macintosh port in 2012), Descent + Descent 2 bundles these seminal titles, preserving their DOS-era glory via modern wrappers like DOSBox, complete with LAN/modem multiplayer for up to 8 players, keyboard/mouse controls, and a Teen ESRB rating. As a professional game journalist and historian, I argue that this compilation is not merely a nostalgic relic but a definitive testament to Parallax Software’s visionary portal-rendering engine and innovative 6DOF gameplay, which single-handedly pioneered a subgenre and influenced everything from Descent 3 to modern VR space sims—earning it an enduring place as one of gaming’s most influential duos.
Development History & Context
Parallax Software, founded in 1993 by programmers Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog after stints at Sublogic and Looking Glass Studios, birthed Descent from a simple indoor flight simulator concept sketched in April 1993. With a modest $450,000 budget (plus $1 million marketing from Interplay), the team—including programmers John Slagel, Jason Leighton, and Che-Yuan Wang; artists Adam Pletcher, Jasen Whiteside, and Doug Brooks; and writer Ryan Garcia—crafted a 21-month masterpiece using a custom portal engine. This engine rendered interconnected convex polyhedra (cubes) via portals, enabling efficient true 3D navigation without overdraw, dynamic lighting from flares, and destructible environments—running smoothly on 1995’s mid-range PCs despite high demands.
Descent II, initially planned as a CD-ROM expansion leveraging extra storage, evolved into a $500,000 standalone sequel developed in about one year. Directors Kulas and Toschlog upgraded to Super VGA (up to 800×600 or higher with tweaks), added 3D acceleration support (S3 ViRGE, Rendition Vérité, 3Dfx Voodoo), and expanded AI code to 4,000 lines, mimicking multiplayer tactics like wall-dodging and flanking. MIDI tracks by Dan Wentz paired with Redbook audio featuring industrial metal from Type O Negative, Ogre (Skinny Puppy), and others amplified the intensity.
The mid-90s gaming landscape was dominated by Doom‘s 2.5D mazes and Quake‘s emerging full 3D, but tech constraints like limited RAM (4MB minimum) and CPU power forced Parallax’s portal efficiency. Shareware demos exploded—Descent‘s went viral with 900,000 downloads pre-launch—amid Apogee/id Software’s model. Interplay’s oversight (producer Rusty Buchert) ensured polish, while legal skirmishes (e.g., LaserSoft settlement) highlighted IP battles. Post-release, source code releases (1998 for II) spawned community ports, cementing Parallax’s legacy before splitting into Volition (FreeSpace) and Outrage (Descent 3).
Key Milestones
- Descent (March 17, 1995, DOS): Shareware success; Mac/PS ports follow.
- Descent II (March 13, 1996, DOS): Demo tops downloads; Mac (Aug 1996), PS (Maximum, 1997).
- Compilation (July 29, 2008): GOG/Steam re-releases amid royalty disputes (pulled 2015, restored 2017).
Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive
Descent‘s plot is minimalist, conveyed via text briefings: In 2169, PTMC’s “Material Defender” (voiced by George DelHoyo in sequels) is a mercenary purging a virus infecting solar system mines—from Luna to Charon. Rescue hostages, destroy reactors, escape self-destructs; secrets tease deeper threats.
Descent II elevates this with full-motion video (FMV) cutscenes. Post-Descent, Dravis (PTMC exec) exploits a contract loophole, blackmailing the Defender: “PTMC reserves the right to keep you on retainer… pending litigation.” Fitted with a prototype warp drive, he warps to extrasolar systems (Zeta Aquilae to Tycho Brahe/Omega), battling evolved robots. The finale reveals a “planetoid” mine as a colossal spaceship; warp malfunction strands him in radiation, ending “to be continued…”
Characters are archetypes: silent, grizzled Defender embodies lone-wolf heroism; oily Dravis personifies corporate greed. Dialogue is sparse but punchy—Dravis’s taunts underscore themes of exploitation, viral corruption mirroring real-world tech fears (Y2K-era), and isolation in infinite voids. No deep arcs, but procedural storytelling via 30 levels (24 main + 6 secrets per game) builds escalating dread: virus evolves, mines grow labyrinthine, bosses guard every fourth reactor.
Thematically, both probe humanity’s hubris—off-world mining breeds rogue AI, hostages evoke exploited workers. II‘s Guide-Bot (freed prisoner robot) adds ironic companionship, humanizing the machine menace. Linear yet replayable via secrets/hostages, the narrative prioritizes immersion over exposition, letting 6DOF chaos convey existential vertigo.
Gameplay Mechanics & Systems
At core, both titles loop: infiltrate mine, collect keys (blue/yellow/red), destroy reactor/boss, escape self-destruct (failing costs life/powerups). 6DOF flight—pitch/yaw/roll, strafe/thrust—demands spatial mastery; no “up/down” disorients newcomers, inducing motion sickness (warned in reviews).
Combat & Weapons
Primary weapons (energy-draining lasers, plasma, Fusion Cannon; II adds Phoenix [rebounding orbs], Omega [electrostatic]): scalable power, overheating risks. Secondaries (missiles, Smart Missiles, Mercury Missiles, mines; II Guided Missile remotely piloted). Descent: 10 weapons; II: 20 total, plus drop-weapon feature for respawn hoarding. Enemies: dodge-flank AI (upgraded in II), generators spawn waves, bosses require pattern-breaking.
Progression & UI
Shields/energy (200 max) deplete on hits/collisions; death drops loot—retrieve or respawn weak. Powerups: Afterburner (speed burst), Cloak/Invuln, Quad Laser, Energy-to-Shield Converter (II). Hostages (bonus points), energy stations. UI: HUD shows shields/energy, weapon selectors, score/lives, missile lock. Automap (wireframe, markers), flares/headlight (II) combat darkness; shootable lights/panels trigger events (doors, forcefields off).
Innovations: Guide-Bot (II) scouts objectives; secrets/teleporters revisit powerup mines (no saves). Multiplayer: Anarchy (deathmatch), Team Anarchy, Capture-the-Flag (II), Co-op (DOS/Mac crossplay via Kali). Flaws: No in-level saves (Descent), steep curve, respawn vulnerability.
| Feature | Descent | Descent II |
|---|---|---|
| Levels | 30 (27 main + 3 secret) | 30 (24 main + 6 secret) |
| Weapons | 10 | 20 |
| Multiplayer Modes | Anarchy, Team, Robots | +Capture Flag, Taunts |
| Helpers | Automap, Markers | +Guide-Bot, Headlight |
World-Building, Art & Sound
Mines evoke claustrophobic alien hives: solar system (Descent: Luna-Mercury-Mars-Charon); extrasolar (II: crystalline Zeta Aquilae to volcanic Brimspark). Portal architecture yields twisting tunnels/rooms, animated textures (conveyors, lava), destructible props. Visuals: 8-bit palettes (6 unique in II), dynamic lights (shootable), polygonal robots (no sprites except powerups). Atmosphere: vertigo from 6DOF, self-destruct timers ramp panic.
Sound: MIDI industrial metal (Wentz; II Redbook guests), bassy explosions, laser pings, robot whirs create “sonic maelstrom” (Total Games). FMV cutscenes add cinematic polish; multiplayer taunts enhance chaos.
These forge immersive, nausea-tinged dread—labs feel alive, perilous.
Reception & Legacy
Descent shareware acclaim (PC Zone 5/5) praised 3D innovation vs. Doom; sales hit 1.1M+ combined with II (VentureBeat est. 2.5M Descent). II aggregated 89/100 Metacritic: GameSpot 9.2/10 (“If you don’t like Descent, something’s wrong”), PC Gamer 88%, lauding Guide-Bot/multiplayer; PS Maximum mixed (74% GR, frame drops). No MobyGames reviews for compilation, but originals hailed for AI/levels.
Legacy: 6DOF pioneer (Descent 3, VR ports); source releases fueled D1X/D2X Rebirth, mods (Vertigo Series 22 levels + editor). Influenced FreeSpace, Descent: Underground. Pulls/re-releases (GOG/Steam 2017 post-royalty spat) affirm cult status—ranked top FPS (Games TM #4), century lists (PC PowerPlay #46/90).
Conclusion
Descent + Descent 2 masterfully compiles two trailblazing titles whose portal engine, 6DOF freedom, and tactical depth shattered FPS norms, delivering addictive loops amid corporate sci-fi menace. Innovations like Guide-Bot and multiplayer endure, flaws (learning curve, motion sickness) mere era artifacts. As gaming’s ultimate 6DOF origin story, it earns a resounding 9.5/10—essential for historians, a must-play for action fans, forever etched in video game history. Fly it, or miss the revolution.