First impressions

[Xfing]

Holy ★■◆● is this game good.

The graphics are beautiful, the robots immediately memorable, the weapons fun... I already think it has all the hallmarks it needs to become a cult hit like Descent, and I've only played it for like half an hour.

What grabbed my attention the most is how it is finally playable with the keyboard and the mouse - while in Descent I'd opt for keyboard only because of the weird delays and low sensitivity, here using the mouse alongside the keyboard is immediately responsive and very precise. You can do aerial acrobatics in this game like ones you could only dream of in the old games (and would maybe be somewhat possible, but would do you no good in Descent 3). This means the combat against the robots can be more dynamic and fast-paced than it's ever been, while also retaining the leisurely, tactical aspects of the old Descents whenever applicable. A lot more happens on the screen right now than it ever has, and it's great.

I can't speak a lot about the texturing yet, though the textures from the training mission and the first of the currently released levels are beautiful, the cavernous areas look spot-on, and the game feels at the same time more modern and more retro than D3 ever did. Fantastic. As for the geometry - it charms with its simplicity, strongly contrasting the overdetailed design of D3. I already know I'm going to sink many, many hours into this game, and likely try multiplayer too.

Most importantly though - I can say that Overload gave me that particular sort of vibe that I had with Descent when I started first playing it around 20 years ago, but has been missing for me ever since - hard to describe, but illustrated by 80's electronic music and retro space station like locales from space shows of the time. Not ominous, but in fact inviting, fun, bringing to mind retro night-life or something. With Descent 2 this sort of feel was always absent for me due to its colorful textures, while D1 did have it, especially in its lunar levels. This was only when I was very young, though - haven't been able to feel that vibe again for Descent. But in Overload it hit me like a train, again. I had really missed it, and here it is again. It really speaks well of the design team. Though I shouldn't be surprise, who would make a game that feels more like Descent than the creators of Descent?

All I can hope for is that the game sells well enough to warrant many more single-player missions from the designers, so it's a game of longevity rivalling that of Descent's.

[vision]

I'm only on level six and completely blown away by how good Overload is. I can't think of a single thing I would change. Revival took the best parts of all three Descent games and rolled them into something amazing. Last night I actually thought to myself that I would never play Descent again because Overload is so well done. I even tried a round of multi-player but got completely hammered 20-2 because my computer is weak and I have massive input lag (it was still fun!). Also, Challenge Mode is WAY more addictive that I thought it would be.

[taterboat94]

At first I felt that the visual design of this game seemed to lack the same amount of variety as the original Descent, but in all honesty, a lot of that had to do with bright and varying colors in the original game that would probably look goofy with modern graphics. Besides, once you play the game a while, you'll be able to distinguish between them much more easily. It just takes a little getting used to.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the game. The controls handle very well, the weapons are all fun and interesting with unique uses, the enemies have a variety of different patterns and weapons that make them a thrill to fight, the soundtrack is very well done, the atmosphere captures the same kind of tension that I loved in the original game, the upgrade system is a nice way to add variety and customization to your playthrough, and the bosses are pretty neat (I especially like the Tauros). Even the story, while kind of weird, is cool to see unfold as the game progresses. Definitely a big step up from the original plot, which was basically just, "The robots have a virus, so go blow 'em up." I also agree that Challenge mode is a lot of fun. Nothing quite like a few minutes of pure robot-smashing carnage.

I can't wait until people start putting out custom missions for this game. One of my favorite things about Descent was playing through all the fan-made levels, some of which were better than those in the original campaign, and this game is just begging for a whole library of new level sets.

[Sirius]

The environmental variety could be better - if Overload's single-player has a weakness it'd probably be that. I don't think it should have gone as far as D2 either, but a few more different colors of rock would have been nice (brown, beige?), and...
Well, part of it is the segment stuff. It's quick to build with, but it encourages levels that look very much like D1/D2. The environments are just kinda there for you to play through, rather than helping tell the story. There are of course some exceptions, but nonetheless it feels like Overload's "ideas palette" is a bit limited too.
I do think that's a conscious trade-off they were willing to make in order to have a game that would ship on a reasonable budget, look good, and play well. Kinda hard to do a "better" D3 without more artists.

[DarkFlameWolf]

I don't know. I haven't played this in months and haven't been bothered to return to it to finish the main campaign. It just seems to lack the charm the original series had. Like, I can load up any Descent and play any level, fan-made or not, and have a blast. However, here? It just seems like a chore. I love that they tried to recapture the magic, but it just didn't do it for me.

[LightWolf]

There were a couple of levels that did seem a bit tedious I will admit. At least they change up the pace a little around level 13.

[Shoku]

I just heard about this game and got it after I played the demo. Very impressed. This is what D3 should have been - fewer puzzles and better graphics. It does seem a bit tedious at times but I enjoyed the overall impact - everything. Would like a rear view camera - maybe that will be in an update?

[Alter-Fox]

They say that picture-in-picture isn't really a possibility in Unity -- I may be oversimplifying a little but that's the gist of it. I don't think it's going to happen.
For multiplayer at least, the lack of it encourages some naturally more thoughtful and stealthier play styles that weren't really feasible in Descent so it may not be an entirely bad thing.