Editing Descent II (section)

===Releases===
The ''Descent II'' [[Game demo|demo]] was released in December 1995, becoming one of the most downloaded PC games in January 1996. Unlike the preceding ''Descent'' whose shareware release could be upgraded to the full version while leaving the existing shareware files intact including player saves, the ''Descent II'' demo was a self-contained program that was not upgradable to the full version.<ref name="PelitJan96"/><ref name="CGWMar96"/> Like the original ''Descent'' the demo version of Descent II presented the story as still screens with text and also uses the in-game engine for the mine escape sequence; while the full version replaces all of these with [[full-motion video]] [[Pre-rendering|pre-rendered cutscenes]] incorporating voice acting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lparchive.org/Descent-II/Update%2002/|title=Descent II Part #1 - Opening Demo and Level 01}}</ref>  The demo features eight of ten weapons from the first ''Descent'' and six of ten weapons from the full ''Descent II''. The ''Descent II'' demo featured the first three regular levels of the game (the teleporter to the secret level was disabled), after completing the third level the player moves from Zeta Aquilae to a new star system with the story to be continued. The full release (see below) adds a fourth regular level (with a boss in lieu of the reactor) as well as the secret level to the Zeta Aquilae system, making it in line with the next five star systems (each has four regular levels plus a secret level), for a total of 30 levels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lparchive.org/Descent-II/Update%2004/|title=Descent II Part #3 - Level 03}}</ref>

The full base ''Descent II'' game was published for DOS by Interplay in the United States on March 13, 1996,<ref name="Interplay-Mar96" /><ref name="PCGamerMar96" /> and in the United Kingdom on March 29, 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 16, 1996 |title=News |pages=13 |work=[[Paisley Daily Express]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/833152593/?terms=%22Descent%202%22&match=1 |access-date=November 27, 2023 |quote=The unsurprisingly titled ''Descent 2'' will feature over 30 new levels...Out at the end of the month.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 28, 1996 |title=PC Software From Only £14.99 // Any PC Game Half Price<br/>First 10 Customers // Friday & Saturday |pages=15 |work=[[Gloucester Citizen|The Citizen]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/981863247/?terms=%22Descent%20ii%22&match=1 |access-date=November 27, 2023 |quote=''Descent II'' // CD-ROM. New // Or half price when purchased with any PC, Printer, Modem or CD-ROM drive."}}</ref> It was co-distributed by [[LaserSoft Imaging]], whom Interplay gave the rights as part of a settlement after the former lost a court battle regarding its product add-on for the first ''Descent'' game, which Interplay alleged [[trademark infringement|infringed its trademark]]—setting a precedent for how companies can sell add-ons for protected games.<ref name="PCGamerFeb96"/> Interplay's division specified in Macintosh games, [[MacPlay]], published it for Macintosh in August 1996.<ref name="MacPlay"/>

''Descent II: Destination Quartzon'' was a truncated version with the first eight regular levels and two secret levels (constituting the first and second star systems, "Zeta Aquilae" and "Quartzon"). Not compatible with the ''Descent II'' full release, ''Destination Quartzon'' was bundled software with hardware such as the [[List of Logitech products#Joysticks|Logitech WingMan Extreme]] joystick and [[Diamond Multimedia]] video cards with the [[3dfx Interactive#Voodoo Graphics PCI|Voodoo Graphics]] chipset.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/descent-ii-destination-quartzon | title=Descent II: Destination Quartzon (1996) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/D2DestQuartzon | title=Descent II: Destination Quartzon | year=1996 }}</ref>

In November 1996 came ''Descent II: The Infinite Abyss'', a [[Windows 95]] upgrade that supports 3D accelerated graphics, contains ''The Vertigo Series'' add-on, and the original DOS game patched to support accelerated graphics. ''The Vertigo Series'', which could be purchased separately, contains 22 new levels (to be played sequentially), a new multiplayer game mode, new music and enemies. The add-on is also bundled with the [https://web.archive.org/web/20030220081721/http://brainware.net/ Mission Builder], a [[level editor|level]] and robot editor that can also convert the original ''Descent''{{'}}s levels for this game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://interplay.com/press/dsc2.html|title=Interplay Capitolizes on Success of Descent(TM) Descent(TM) II: The Infinite Abyss Releases|publisher=Interplay Productions|date=November 15, 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980710155315/http://interplay.com/press/dsc2.html|archive-date=July 10, 1998|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_100_Volume_09_Number_01_1997-01_IDG_Publishing_US|title=Descent II: Infinite Abyss|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=100|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=January 1997|access-date=March 26, 2021|page=66}}</ref>

The PlayStation version of ''Descent II'', known as ''Descent Maximum'', was launched on May 15, 1997 in North America and in mid-1997 in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-06-11 |title=Sony PlayStation Available Software sorted by Release Date @ www.vidgames.com |url=http://www.vidgames.com/ps/software/release.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |archive-date=June 11, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980611181118/http://www.vidgames.com/ps/software/release.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/playstation-pro-07|title=PlayStation Update - Descent Maximum|magazine=PlayStation Pro|publisher=[[IDG]]|date=May 1997|access-date=March 26, 2021|issue=7|page=7}}</ref> Instead of a straight port, it had 36 new levels, textures and full-motion video over the PC version of ''Descent II''.<ref name=NGen29/><ref name="DM GSpot review"/>

On October 29, 1997, Interplay published ''Descent I and II: The Definitive Collection'', a compilation containing the full versions of ''Descent'', the ''Levels of the World'' mission pack, ''Descent II'', and ''Vertigo'' mission packs, and a mission editor. Besides a choice of the original ''Descent II'' levels (subtitled ''Counterstrike''), or the ''Vertigo Series'' levels, the first ''Descent'' levels (subtitled ''The First Strike'') can be started in the ''Descent II'' game UI where robots adopt the ''Descent II'' sounds and improved AI. There is also a preview for the upcoming ''Descent 3''.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://interplay.com/press/descent.html|title=Interplay To Ship Descent™ I & II: The Definitive Collection In Time For Christmas Rush|publisher=Interplay Productions|date=September 17, 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980710171627/http://interplay.com/press/descent.html|archive-date=July 10, 1998|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1998, the ''Descent II'' [[source code]], like that of ''Descent'' before it, was released to the general public under a copyrighted proprietary license,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/descent-source-code-released/1100-2462520/|title=Descent Source Code Released - Get your hands on the recipe that made Descent a household word.|first=Alan|last=Dunkin|date=January 26, 1998|access-date=August 13, 2014|work=[[GameSpot]]|quote=''Parallax Software, the software developer that created the popular three-dimensional action games Descent and Descent II, has released Descent's source code (version 1.5) to the public domain for non-commercial purposes.''}}</ref> leading to community [[source port]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.howtogeek.com/335259/the-best-modern-open-source-ports-of-classic-games/|title=The Best Modern, Open Source Ports of Classic Games|last=Crider|first=Michael|work=How-To Geek|date=December 24, 2017|access-date=March 23, 2021}}</ref> It was later ported to [[RISC OS]] by R-Comp Interactive, and the port debuted at the annual Wakefield Acorn RISC OS Show on May 19, 2001.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser233-May01|title=Show time - Wakefield Show 2001|magazine=[[Acorn User]]|date=May 2001|access-date=March 27, 2021|issue=233|page=37}}</ref><ref name="RISCWorld">{{cite magazine|url=http://apdl.davidhill.co/riscworld/volumes/volume2/issue3/games/index.htm|department=Games World |title=Descent 2 launches at Wakefield|last=McFlanders|first=Dafyd|magazine=RISCWorld|date=September 2001|access-date=March 27, 2021|volume=2|issue=3}}</ref>

''Descent II'' entered digital distribution when it appeared on [[GameTap]] on September 7, 2006.<ref name="GameTap">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/08/gamesetlinks_weekend_left.php|title=GameSetLinks: Weekend Leftovers, Innit?|last=Carless|first=Simon|work=[[GameSetWatch]]|date=August 22, 2006|access-date=March 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327072128/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/08/gamesetlinks_weekend_left.php|archive-date=March 27, 2021|url-status=live}}<br />{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/09/gametap_dates_sam_n_max_ninjas.php|title=GameTap Dates Sam 'N Max, Ninja-s About|last=Carless|first=Simon|work=[[GameSetWatch]]|date=September 7, 2006|access-date=March 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327071812/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/09/gametap_dates_sam_n_max_ninjas.php|archive-date=March 27, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> It subsequently became one of the launch titles of the [[GOG.com|Good Old Games]] beta on September 8, 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/54545/good-old-games-launches-public|title=Good Old Games Launches Public Beta Sept. 8|last=Faylor|first=Chris|work=[[Shacknews]]|date=September 3, 2008|access-date=March 27, 2021}}<br />{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/09/first-look-gog-revives-classic-pc-games-for-download-age/|title=First look: GOG revives classic PC games for download age|last=Caron|first=Frank|work=[[Ars Technica]]|date=September 9, 2008|access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref> and on February 19, 2014, it was re-released on Valve's [[Steam (service)|Steam]] digital distribution service.<ref name="D2 steam"/> However, the ''Descent'' trilogy was withdrawn from Good Old Games in December 2015 after its creators, Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog, alleged that Interplay, who owns the ''Descent'' trademark but not the copyright of the trilogy, had not paid the developers royalties on their sale since 2007. As a result, Parallax terminated the 21-year sales agreement, revoking from Interplay the permission to distribute the trilogy.<ref name=Polygon/> Later, the games were also removed from Steam. The trilogy returned on Good Old Games for sale in November 2017 and later on Steam.<ref name="GOG-2017"/><ref name="Steam-2017"/>