SCARAB - Video Review

We're revisiting one of the earlier games I reviewed for The Collection Chamber - S.C.A.R.A.B. (1997 Electronic Arts). My opinion on this 3D arena shooter with a heavy emphasis on strategy seems to changes every time I boot it up. Watch the video to find out my current thoughts, then see my 5-years out of date sentiments in the original review linked below.

I've updated the installer too, so it's the perfect time to play it again and see if your own views on it have changed too. Click the link after the jump to find out more.

DEFIANCE

At times, revisiting old games can be fascinating. As trends and design philosophy change, so do your opinions on what once flooded the market. Games that were once considered classics are now unremarkable. Others that were deemed bland and repetitive now feel like quintessential releases of the era. For me, Defiance, a first-person shooter from 1997 published by Avalon Hill, fits right into that latter category.  

HIDDEN GEMS - TOP 10 FIRST PERSON SHOOTERS OF THE '90s

We're doing something a little different today - a Top 10 video! Only, this being The Collection Chamber, it has to be about obscure hidden gems! Check out the video and let me know any that I've missed.

Some have already been featured on the site so follow the jump to link to their review.

SHADOW OF DESTINY (aka SHADOW OF MEMORIES)

Shadow of Destiny (or Shadow of Memories as it was known as over here) was the third PlayStation 2 game I ever purchased. It came a whole four months after the console's November 2000 launch, which I naturally bought immediately after saving up for months. While I managed to beat Konami's quirky adventure game fairly quickly, returning to the likes of TimeSplitters or Tekken Tag Tournament far more often, the images it conjured still managed to stick with me for many, many years. I remember being wowed by the graphics, totally immersed in the distinctly Bavarian town and gripped by the time-travelling mystery contained within it. It's been almost 20 years since I've played it, so I anxiously revisited it to see if my fond memories still hold weight or will they be overshadowed by the ravages of time.

MONTHLY 5 - June 2020

Treat yourself to a plethora of retro gaming goodness this June on the Collection Chamber. Play some wacky minigolf in 3D Ultra MiniGolf (1997 Sierra On-Line), uncover a corrupt police force in the Amiga RPG Captive II: Liberation (1993 Mindscape) then solve some devious puzzles in The Island of Dr. Brain (1992 Sierra On-Line). There are more brain teasers to be found in Marble Drop (1997 Maxis) but if you want some action, try out the criminally underrated FPS Wrath of Earth (1995 Assix Software).

VERSAILLES 1685: A GAME OF INTRIGUE

While in lockdown, I've visited a number of places throughout history without leaving the slight discomfort of my cheap gaming chair. From Ancient Rome to China's Garden of Perfect Brightness, the virtual holidays are a perfect way to satisfy any unrequited wanderlust. Recently, I travelled to Versailles circa 1685 thanks to a little game by Cryo Interactive Entertainment.

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9 - THE FALLEN

At on time, Star Trek games were very hit and miss. All throughout the 90s, we had a slew of great adventure games, a plethora of average platformers and some awful action games but by the beginning of the new millennium, the quality began to take a notable shift for the better. With an aim to mimic the action-adventure acrobatics of Tomb Raider, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - The Fallen (2000, Simon & Schuster Interactive) was one of the many highlights of those times.