A brief "Refcard" accompanies this game, along with a very detailed Instruction Manual. The "Refcard" is for the more experienced player. Instructions are abbreviated and given in list form. The Manual has a detailed Table of Contents and a section in the back for "Troubleshooting and Common Problems" that is done in a Question/Answer format. System requirements, installation instructions, and basic instructions on how to run the software are described in detail. There are five different Menus to explain your Options, Controls, Detail Level and Toggles. The next 27 pages are devoted to explaining the game, how you score, how you choose your weapons, how to use the control panels, etc. This software can be used to network with other players and play with a group.
{Top of Page}The software recommends an audience of Teens, aged 13+. I would agree that this age level is appropriate. Younger children would not have the problem-solving skills needed to play successfully. There is a hintline available on a 1-900 number and the charge is $1.25 for the first minute and $.75 for each additional minute. The publishers advise that callers under the age of 18 get parental permisssion before calling the number. Customer Service can be reached through a multiline BBA, America OnLine, CompuServe, GEnie, PRODIGY(R) and the Internet.
{Top of Page}The purpose of this game is to have fun. You enter alien worlds that are occupied by deranged robots whose mission is to destroy you. Your mission is to destroy these robots and reach the Main Reactor so you can destroy it and escape unharmed. The games does fulfill its stated objective. The objective of this game has no educational value and I would not recommend purchasing it for a library or classroom. This game is only a game and to be used only as a game.
{Top of Page}The use of color depends on the quality of your monitor. If your monitor has only eight colors, you might not enjoy the graphics which are very colorful. Videoclips can be made of your journeys and saved for later viewing. This is a gimmick that will probably hold the viewer's interest. Gifs can also be made from the game and printed onto your printer. At the very end of the game, you have five ways to escape unharmed, all of which are very similar and perhaps a bit disappointing. A few different options might be exciting and more challenging.
A second CD is included in this game so you can build your own alien world and set up robots, etc. This second CD has a complete book of instructions and was very tedious to work out. This second CD would be for the expert- level player.
{Top of Page}The interface is good. The software always keeps you updated as to your amount of power, what weapons are available and in use, and the publishers added a "guidebot" to help you find your way through the maze.
{Top of Page}Along with the "guidebot" to help you travel, there are bookmarks that you can leave along the way so you can map your journey. One of the options is to see the inside "map" of the alien world and that is where you can see your bookmarks and see where you need to go next. Each bookmark is numbered.
{Top of Page}Two 15-year olds tested this game for me and said it was fun and entertaining. You can print graphics from the screen to your monitor in PCX format. Also, as already mentioned, you can make videos and save them for later viewing. This game has constant action with 100's of robots for you to destroy. The screen is full of activity.
{Top of Page}DESCENT II gives you a 360 degree view of all areas and is three-dimensional which adds excitement to the game. It has a missile camera that is connected to the missile and shows where it goes to seek out the enemy. Sometimes you have robots shooting at you from behind and that is when the 360 degree adds action because you have to turn around and go the opposite direction.
{Top of Page}The review was printed in MacWEEK, v. 10, n. 46, p. 34 and was one page long. The review describes the game and its activities. This child picked up more details than I did about the game. It tells about the "guide bot" and the techno music that offers awesome background sounds. This author gave the game a thumbs- up review.
The second review was by Michael E. Ryan and published by PC Magazine, June 11, 1996, v. 15, no. 11, p. 393. One of his comments mirrored my thoughts in that you really needed to have heavy-duty hardware to run the game at its highest setting. Also, he explained that the Joystick was essential and that not just any Joystick would do, it needed to be heavy-duty also. He enjoyed the game and highly recommended it if you had the proper equipment.
{Top of Page}The publisher requires the following:
Windows 95: An IBM/Tandy or compatible Pentium 60 or faster, 16 MB of RAM, Direct X supported sound card, double speed CDROM and 35 MB available hard drive space, Sound Blaster or 100% compatible sound card, VESA compliant 1 MB SVGA/VGA monitor, 1 MB or larger video card, Joystick optional.
DOS 5.0 or later: An IBM/Tandy or 100% compatible 486DX2-66 or faster. 8 MB of RAM, double-speed CDROM, 25 MB available hard drive space, Sound Blaster or 100% compatible sound card, VESA compliant 1 MB SVGA/VGA monitor, 1 MB or larger video card, Joystick optional.
For this project, I used a Pentium 100, 16 RAM, normal installation, 1 MB V- RAM, Joystick, 4 speed CDROM, SVGA monitor.
In my opinion, the joystick is required, not optional. The use of the arrow buttons to move around are not adequate for the quick pace of this game.
I used DOS to install the game. The directions were clearly stated and installation was easy. The sound was realistic.