Concussion Missiles

A recurring explosive projectile weapon featured in sci-fi shooters and vehicular combat games.

Action

Driving

Racing

Games

1996–2000

Years

Platforms

About

In the Descent series, Concussion Missiles serve as a standard, fast-firing secondary weapon that delivers direct explosive damage to enemy drones. They also appear as selectable vehicular armaments in the 1996 racing game Impact Racing and the 2000 Star Wars Demolition combat game.

Within the Descent franchise, these munitions represent the player's initial upgrade from standard flare utilities, establishing the baseline mechanics for secondary weapon management. Found throughout the subterranean mines of the Solar System, they require precise manual aiming due to their lack of guidance systems, forcing players to calculate trajectory and blast radius in tight, zero-gravity corridors. This design influenced the tactical pacing of subsequent sequels, including Descent II and Descent 3, where they transitioned into a reliable fallback option against faster, shielded enemies.

In Impact Racing, the weapon functions as a high-velocity projectile designed to clear track blockades and temporarily disable rival racers, directly contributing to the game's focus on destruction-based speed boosts. Meanwhile, Star Wars Demolition integrates the armament into the broader Star Wars expanded universe lore. Deployed during vehicular gladiatorial contests hosted by Jabba the Hutt, the missiles serve as high-impact pickups scattered across arenas like Hoth and Tatooine, capable of disrupting the shields of heavily armored combatants.