10 Critically-Acclaimed Video Games NO ONE Played

10. Descent 3

The story of Descent 3 is a sad one.

The original Descent was something of a revolution. It popularized the six-degrees-of-freedom control scheme and was the first title to feature true-3D graphics. Add a maze of claustrophobic tunnels filled with mining robots gone rogue, and you had a game that was genuinely original.

Accordingly critical reception was glowing, citing not only its originality and graphics, but also its intelligent enemies and stellar sound design. Players also loved it: released in 1995, it, combined with Descent II, sold 1.1 million copies within three years.

Descent 3, released in 1999, expanded on everything that made its predecessors great, massively improving the graphics, enemy variety and AI, and sound design. The game also featured seamless transitions to brand new outdoor environments, an addition praised by critics for creating varied mission types that never got dull.

Yet despite being apex Descent, it sold only 53 000 copies within six months. One reason cited was its signature control scheme, which even critics found disorientating. Also, the rise of the first-person shooter, with its intuitive controls, meant that more demanding simulation-esque titles like Descent were no longer in vogue.

Descent 3 is still available to enjoy today, and spiritual successors like Overload keep the flag flying high.