Upon release, "Descent II" received very positive reviews from video game critics. Chris Hudak, writing for "GameSpot", commented: "If you don't like "Descent" at least a little bit, make no mistake, there is something wrong with you". Todd Vaughn of "PC Gamer" praised the game's graphics and improved multiplayer features. In a very positive review, Michael E. Ryan of "PC Magazine" considered the Guide-Bot to be a valuable addition to the game "because the automap is just as confusing as it was in the original game". Geoff Keighley of "Computer Games Magazine" highlighted positively the enemy AI, but expressed concerns about the lack of outdoor levels (a feature later added in its sequel). Stephen Hill of TotalGames.net concluded: "If you don't own "Descent", you'd be a fool to pass this sequel over. If you've played the first game to death and are looking for another challenge, then it is still worth a long, hard look". A reviewer for "Maximum" assessed that while "Descent 2" is not a major advance over the original game, it has a much less frustrating difficulty and a Guide-Bot to make up for the confusion of the wireframe map, while retaining the 3D sensations and "ingenious structural design". A "Next Generation" critic opined that "When it comes to sequels, few can boast the improvements like those made on "Descent II"". He gave as examples the increase in resolution up to 800x600, the story sequences in full motion video, and the new items. While he remarked that it still follows the same mission formula as the original (find the key, open the door, blow up the reactor, then escape), he found the improvements to be more than sufficient. "Next Generation" made similar comments of the Macintosh version, and noted it as a then-unusual case of a Macintosh port arriving very shortly after the DOS version.