Six degrees of freedom
Now this is a bona fide classic. Descent is the first in a stunning series of 3D shooters that continued with Descent 2 and Descent 3, and which provides heaps of dizzying action in a superb package. if you've played anything like Forsaken, you'll be familiar with the style, but this franchise is the best as far as these things go, so if you have any interest in blasters, you need this. There's a fairly detailed storyline here and which revolves around a futuristic mining company which is having problems with a hacker who has taken over their mining robots on several colonies. You play the part of the mercenary who has been hired to take care of the problem and which basically involves jumping into the cockpit of a dinky little spaceship and blowing the hell out of all the troublesome robots. The difference between this and most other shooters is the intense feeling of claustrophobia which comes from the fact that you're exploring the tight confines of a mine but with the freedom of movement that comes with playing a space flight sim like X-Wing. Descent really is a classic game which holds up well today. It might take some time to get used to things, as it really is quite dizzying stuff, thanks to the absolute sense of freedom on offer here but once you get your head around it, you won't be able to put it down. The action comes at you fast and furious, while the range of weapons is impressive and includes some highly satisfying ones that are a lot of fun to use. Throw in some superb graphics and sound and you have a fantastic experience.