Descent

Single-player only. Cheats can turn off achievements and some saves; use them on a spare save.

1. Learn to slide. Moving sideways and up or down while keeping your gun on target is the key skill, so bind slide keys you can reach easily.
2. Open the automap often. Descent mines are mazes in every direction and the map shows where you've been.
3. Drop flares in dark tunnels. They light up hidden robots and side passages.
4. Rescue hostages and fly them out with you. Each one is worth big bonus points.
5. When the reactor blows, the escape timer is short. Note the exit route before you destroy it.
6. Energy centres refill your energy. Fly into the glowing panel to top up for lasers.
7. Homing missiles are great against fast robots. Save Mega missiles for bosses and big crowds.
8. Quad lasers make the standard laser twice as effective. Grab them whenever you see them.

Tap a secret to reveal it.

• Parallax Software was founded by Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog.
• The shareware version released in December 1994 contained the first seven levels.
• Descent II followed in 1996 and Descent 3 in 1999.
• Some of the original team later made the spiritual successor Overload in 2018.