Scavenger Review

Written by: David Laprad Published: January 19, 2007 Scavenger from Pi Eye Games plays like a classic but contains all the bells and whistles of a modern release. You're the pilot of a small space ship who must make his way through the interior of a massive vessel in order to locate and collect energy. The levels (which are viewed from the top down) are swarming with aliens and other hazards. You'll also fight a decaying gravity field that draws your ship toward the bottom of your screen. Limited fuel is your only weapon against this danger. As you rotate and thrust your way through the game you'll enjoy a stylistic blend of maze-like 3D environments and hand-drawn 2D art along with plenty of explosions and other visual effects. To describe Scavenger as an arcade shooter with a science fiction theme doesn't do the game justice. It isn't about brainless mayhem -- although on its easiest difficulty level (which eliminates the gravity and gives you unlimited fuel) you can certainly play it that way. Rather it has an old school hardcore vibe that's irresistible if you grew up plugging quarters into an arcade machine or loading games onto a Commodore 64. The level design could be more inspired in places and it would be nice if the visuals would more colorful -- but the gameplay is challenging and addictive in equal measure. Give this one a shot and you'll be fishing for 20 bucks before the end of the demo. Scoring (out of five stars): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Challenge: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Scavenger.