Descent
Descent is a 1995 first-person shooter developed by Parallax Software. Unlike its contemporaries, it unfolds in fully three-dimensional, texture-mapped environments as players pilot a small ship through the twisting tunnels and chambers of off-world mines, fighting robots with complete six-degrees-of-freedom movement and firing on enemies above, below, and behind them.
Its true 3D freedom of movement was groundbreaking, allowing players to roll, pitch, yaw, and strafe through claustrophobic labyrinths in ways no shooter had managed before, aided by an automap to combat the genuine risk of disorientation. Completing each mine required finding keys and reaching the reactor, then escaping before a countdown, and this exhilarating design earned it a devoted following and a lasting place in FPS history.
Descent launched a series and inspired later spiritual successors that revived its six-degrees-of-freedom combat, while the original remains available digitally as an innovative landmark of the genre.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Descent, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Sublevel Zero Redux Indie
€ 14,99An indie six-degrees-of-freedom shooter with roguelike runs.
Sublevel Zero Redux runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
DXX-Rebirth
FreeA free, open-source enhanced engine for Descent 1 and 2 (game files required).
DXX-Rebirth runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
Overload
€ 29,99A modern six-degrees-of-freedom shooter from the original Descent creators.
Overload runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Chorus
€ 24,99A modern space shooter with full freedom of movement and tight cave-and-canyon flying.
Chorus runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Descent 1 + 2 (GOG)
€ 9,99The originals bundled and patched for modern Windows, still the benchmark for six-degrees-of-freedom shooting.
Descent 1 + 2 (GOG) runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
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