Descent: Underground is now on Early Access

Descent was a revelation when it originally released in 1994. It was a first-person shooter with full 360 degree movement (cause you're in a spaceship) and the enemies weren't sprites but instead fully 3D models. Quake is usually celebrated for that breakthrough, but in the FPS world, Descent got there first.

It's not as fondly remembered as some of its contemporaries, but maybe Descent: Underground will reverse that. It's a modern reboot of the '90s shooter, and it finally hit Early Access earlier this week after a successful Kickstarter campaign in April. It's far from being complete – the studio expects the full game to ship next year – but for your money you're getting three maps, three ship types, two guns, three missiles, offline free flight and bot combat, and quick-match multiplayer.

As for the eventual final build, that'll feature a bunch more of what's listed above, as well as VR support, leaderboards, singleplayer story missions and modding support. The full rundown of what you can expect is on the Early Access page. Otherwise, check out Bo Moore's conversation with the devs and watch the trailer below.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.