The PlayStation version received rather mixed reviews. The most negative reviews came from Glenn Rubenstein of "GameSpot" and Shawn Smith of "Electronic Gaming Monthly", both of whom said they disliked the entire "Descent" series and its basic concept of 3D navigation in levels which have no clear "up" or "down". Smith and his three co-reviewers all criticized that the PlayStation conversion suffers from an extremely choppy frame rate, though Crispin Boyer noted that the problem is largely eliminated when playing with the cockpit displays on (as opposed to full-screen mode). Both Boyer and Dan Hsu praised the additions over the original "Descent", such as the Guide-Bot and the new lighting effects. Rubenstein disputed the criticisms of the frame rate, which he called "smooth", and "GamePro"s Major Mike said the frame rate only drops when the action is at its most intense. He praised the additions to the original "Descent" such as the FMV cutscenes, the Guide-Bot, and the Thief-Bot. A "Next Generation" critic was also pleased with these elements, summarizing that the game "features just enough improvements to the aging series to make it a welcome addition to the fold". However, he judged that the "Descent" series lacked the intensity and mood of the better first-person shooters.