Difference between revisions of "The Descent"
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During the early 1990s this game was available for download from GameLynk's [[Frontline BBS]]. | During the early 1990s this game was available for download from GameLynk's [[Frontline BBS]]. | ||
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| + | == Archive history == | ||
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| + | This game was introduced to the archive in c1994, through download from the Frontline BBS. | ||
== Links == | == Links == | ||
Revision as of 19:36, 24 June 2014
Curiously, The Descent has original music and often rather amusing sound effects — yet nearly all the visual elements, from the character to the background tiles, are ripped out of the demo games that came in the Game-Maker box. The hard stuff, David Barras is on top of. The easy stuff, not so much.
Of course what matters is not the materials you have; it’s how you use them -- and Barras is very clever here. The game is droll and odd, and a bit subversive. It features a tall guy wandering through a dungeon, collecting treasure and shooting monsters — mostly floating eyeballs — with a noisy handgun. The level design is often deceptive, and includes a few forced checkpoints to allay the player's need for saving. There are odd touches, like paintings that may be treasures or that may turn into gaping mouths that bite you as you walk past.
And then there’s the spellbook. It's unclear why Barras put it there there, though its presence — as does the presence of many things in this game — feels obscurely ironic. It’s the only inventory item in the game; when collected, it grants the ability to cast a spell. When one casts a spell, the character slowly intones his incantation. With Barras’ slight southern drawl, it comes out like “ALAIYAT SYET ZIT-SIT”. Of course if one reverses the wave file, what it turns out he meant to say is “LLEPS A SI SIHT”.
Contents
Story
Floating eyeballs, pulsating green blobs - these are only a few of the strange sights seen around town lately. The appearances are becoming more frequent and more horrible. The mutilated livestock are now the least of everyone's worries. The hideous monsters terrorizing your town are now attacking human beings.
No one knows what they are but everyone has a good idea where they're from - Devil's Hole, an old mine closed up years ago because it took too many miners' lives. Someone or something has torn through the boards that blocked the mine entrance. From he looks of it, something busted out rather than busted in.
What evil lurks in the pit that has spawned so many monsters?
What could be their purpose?
Who will do something about it?
Unfortunately, you know the answer to the last question as the townspeople have decided that you should investigate. Armed with only a gun and guts of steel you descend to face the terror below.
Instructions
- P Pick up an object
- D Drop an object
- S Spell (With spellbook)
Numeric keypad
- 0 Shoot left
- . Shoot right
Direction Keys
- 7 Jump left
- 9 Jump right
- 8 Up
- 2 Down
- 4 Left
- 6 Right
Joystick
- Up+Right Jump right
- Up+Left Jump left
- Button1+Left or Right Shoot in that direction
- (Be sure to hold the button until after the action is completed)
Credits
THE DESCENT by David Barras
"Eyeball Jam" (The Descent intro theme) by David Barras (copyright 1994)
"Danse Macabre" (game music) by Camille Saint-Saens (arranged by David Barras)
Floating Eyeballs and Red Balls Copyright 1994 David Barras
Resources
- Background blocks, character blocks, and character borrowed from Sample.
Availability
During the early 1990s this game was available for download from GameLynk's Frontline BBS.
Archive history
This game was introduced to the archive in c1994, through download from the Frontline BBS.
Links
Interviews / Articles
Listings
Misc. Links
Downloads
- The Descent (239.3 kB)
- Full game map (373.2 kB)
