Developed and Published By: Revival Productions, LLC
Date of Release: May 31, 2018
Price: $29.99
In the year 1995, 3D gaming was really starting to take off. Though most early 3D games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom used visual trickery to present a 2D playfield as a 3D
environment, that was about to change. Parallax Software exploded onto the scene with Descent, the first true-3D Six Degrees of Freedom game. Causing the more motion sensitive among gamers to reach for the barf bucket, Descent let players pilot their ship in any direction they chose in free-roaming fashion. Followed by two sequels, Descent 2 and 3 respectively, the series was much loved among fans and spawned several copycats over the years. But then Descent disappeared from the gaming world until a lackluster attempt was made to create a new sequel in the arena shooter Descent Underground (which seems to be taken down from sale at the time of writing).
However all that has changed, as many of the original Descent devs have brought out Overload, a spiritual successor which is truly descent in everything but title. The graphics, sounds and music are all brand new and modern, but the gameplay is PURE Descent. Pretty much everything in the original series is present in one form or another, and let me tell you it is GLORIOUS to play. The feeling of playing an oldschool Descent title is present, and the feeling of dread as robots surround you and move in for the kill is present and accounted for. The soundscape rocks with gunfire and explosions, and the particle effects and flying debris are top-notch.
The musical score is also spot-on, and really evokes memories of blazing through the corridors of the original Descent trilogy. The controls are tight and responsive, and can be configured in any way you can imagine. My personal favorite was using a wireless Xbox One controller in front of a big TV. There is also the matter of VR support, but unfortunately as I do not have a VR headset I wasn't able to test the functionality. However playing the game on a television or monitor was perfectly intense, and did not detract from my enjoyment in any way. When it comes right down to it, Overload is the follow up that the Descent series always needed, even if it's not officially counted as such. It certainly is in my books. headcanon counts, right?
