Editing Descent (video game) (section)

==Gameplay==
===Single-player===
[[File:Descent (1995 video game).png|thumb|250px|left|Screenshot of the player engaging a robot from a cockpit perspective. The yellow number and adjacent bars in the HUD represent the amount of total energy. Also in the HUD, counterclockwise from top left: the available [[Extra life|extra lives]], an enemy missile lock indicator, a colored key inventory, the selected primary weapon, the player ship's shields, the selected secondary weapon, and the score count.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=18}}<ref name="pcplayer-review">{{cite magazine|title=Descent Review|magazine=[[PC Player (German magazine)|PC Player]]|language=de|date=March 1995|pages=46–48, 50–52}}</ref>]]

''Descent'' is a first-person shooter and shoot 'em up<ref name="pcmag"/> game wherein the player pilots a spaceship through labyrinthine mines while fighting [[computer virus|virus]]-infected robots, using the ship's armaments. They must find and destroy each mine's reactor core, triggering a meltdown that will destroy the mine as the player escapes.<ref name="Jan1995-preview"/> For two levels, the reactor core is replaced with a [[boss (video gaming)|boss]]. To obtain access to the reactor, the player must collect one or a combination of the three colored access keys for each level.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=14}}<ref name="GameFan-review"/> As a secondary objective, the player can also choose to rescue PTMC (Post Terran Mining Corporation) workers who were taken hostage by the infected robots.<ref name="Jan1995-preview"/>

''Descent'' features 30 levels, of which three are [[secret level]]s. Each level is based in a mine or military installation<ref name="pcgamerus"/> in various locations in the Solar System. The game demands that players keep their sense of orientation in a fully 3D environment with a flight model featuring six degrees of freedom in zero-gravity.<ref name="Jan1995-preview"/> It also provides a 3-dimensional [[Wire-frame model|wire-frame]] [[automap]] that displays any area of the current mine visited or seen by the player. Variously colored lines indicate locked doors and zones such as energy stations and reactor areas.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=12}} These mines may contain hidden doors{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=16}} or robot generators that spawn enemy robots.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=17}} Flares and lasers light up dark areas of the mine.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=9}}<ref name="pcplayer-review"/>

Items are available as collectible [[power-up]]s. They are either scattered throughout the mines or may be obtained by destroying robots.<ref name="pcgamerus"/> Weapons are split up into primary and secondary weapons. Primary weapons range from lasers to wide-range Spreadfire Cannons to the chargeable Fusion Cannons whose shots can punch through numerous enemies. They all consume energy as their ammunition, except for the Vulcan Cannon, which uses rounds of explosive shells. Secondary weapons include various missiles (both unguided and homing) including the Smart Missile which upon impact released several smaller guided bomblets, as well as Proximity Bombs that are dropped behind the player's craft to slow pursuing enemies.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|pp=14–15}} The player's spacecraft uses shield power as [[Health (gaming)|health]], and can carry a maximum of 200 units of shields and energy each. Energy is replenished from energy power-ups or recharged to 100 units at permanent energy centers. Shields can only be restored by collecting blue shield orbs. There are also power-ups that modify the ship's status and weaponry. For example, Cloaking Devices temporarily render the ship invisible, Invulnerability temporarily inhibits receiving damage, and Quad Lasers modify the ship's laser system to fire four bolts of energy instead of the standard two.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=14}} Points are gained by defeating robots, rescuing hostages, and escaping the mine before its self-destruction.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=23}} If the player ship's shields drop to 0, the ship is destroyed, all acquired weapons are strewn about the area as power-ups,<ref name="prima-guide"/>{{rp|3}} and any rescued hostages aboard are killed.<ref name="ps-book">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DxXbRvOozJIC|title=PlayStation Games Book|publisher=[[Brady Games]]|date=June 1, 1996|volume=2|isbn=9781566865739|access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref>{{rp|20}} The ship respawns at the cost of a [[life (computer and video games)|life]] and the player must navigate the mines to regain the power-ups.<ref name="PCZone"/> Players can record and later view their experiences in the form of demos, both in single-player and multiplayer.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=19}}<ref name="EDGE19"/>

===Multiplayer===
''Descent'' allows online competitive and cooperative multiplayer sessions. The competitive sector consists of "Anarchy", "Team Anarchy", and "Anarchy With Robots", three deathmatch modes whereby players attempt to destroy as many of each other's ships as possible. Team Anarchy assigns players to two opposing teams, and Anarchy With Robots adds hostile robots to the match. In Cooperative, players team up to destroy mines and compete for the highest score. Competitive modes allow a maximum of eight players and cooperative modes allow up to four.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=23}} Players can press a single key to type a message referred to as a taunt, rather than pausing to type in the full message.{{sfn|Instruction Manual|1995|p=27}}<ref name="PCZone"/> They can also [[cross-platform play|join same servers across different platforms]], particularly MS-DOS and Macintosh.<ref name="macworld"/>