Graphics and Sound

Two for one

We mentioned that Descent 3 features both indoor and outdoor areas for you to explore. In order to do this, Outrage developed the "Fusion Engine" which is actually an amalgam of two different graphics engines: one for indoor areas and one for outdoor areas. Many people don't realize this and that's exactly how the developers intended it. The game gives you a seamless experience as you move into, out of and shoot from one type of area to the other. Why use two different engines when one suffices for a game like Tribes? The answer is that there's no such thing as a general purpose engine that does both very well. With Descent 3 you're getting a first rate graphical experience whether you're inside or outside.

Lights off

Lights on

Descent 3's graphics are very clean and refined, particularly at high resolutions. The levels make use of lots of dark areas and shadows, perhaps a smidge too much for our liking. This forces you to use flares and your headlight (yes your craft has a headlight) to brighten things up in those dark areas. There are a couple of complaints. One is that enemies and objects seem to be somewhat boxy, but considering that this is a futuristic game involving robots, this little complaint can be overlooked because of the colorful graphics. The other little complaint is about the characters in the cutscenes. They have that "claymation" or "porcelain doll" look to them, which didn't sit all that well with us.

Flares give off their own light

Yes you are upside down

Ear candy

Descent 3 can use both Aureal A3D and Creative's EAX to enhance the sound effects in 3D. This helps you determine where you're being attacked from if you stumble into a dark room and you're not sure where to turn. The EAX effects also create a sort of echoing sound when firing your guns inside of a tunnel. As for the sound effects in general, Descent 3 does not disappoint. I was VERY pleased that they replaced the sound effect of the "Vauss Gun" (Gatling gun) with something more intimidating in this final release copy. The Vauss in the beta we played was very wimpy. No complaints on any of the other gun/missile sound effects. The flamethrower and the charge-able fusion cannon sounds were among my favorites aside from the Vauss Gun. One suggestion when you're playing D3 - turn down the music. It's not all that bad, but It's not exactly Mechwarrior 2 or Warcraft 2 quality and it just gets in the way of the sound effects.

Now you're facing properly

A turret takes aim at you