Review by: Brian Pipa

Published: May 5, 1997

Quiver is a unique game in this day and age of 200 MHZ Pentiums and 3D accelerated graphics cards. Quiver is a 3D action game for those with low-end systems — the minimum CPU required is a 486DX/33! Quiver is the only 3D first-person shooter in recent memory aimed at this virtually untapped market . If you are able to play Duke or Quake on your system, Quiver is not even worth a look for you, but if you’re stuck in the stone ages when it comes to your system specs, read on.

The storyline is a little weak (many 3D games’ storylines are) — aliens have stolen some orbs that allow them to transport to the past (and really screw things up). You job is to infiltrate the aliens’ bases and recover three orbs per level then head for the transport to the next level. You start out with just a Spiker — Quiver’s single shot blaster. Along the way you’ll find many more and better weapons — you’ll even find alien “claws” you can use against them. There are also health powerups, ammo, keys, and, of course, the orbs that you need to exit each level.

The control is either mouse or keyboard, and unfortunately, neither of these can be configured — you’re stuck with the default. Like most games in this genre, you can look and shoot at different vertical angles. The keys used to adjust your firing angle cause way too much movement, making precise movement difficult, but the shots will automatically aim correctly for you if you’re aimed correctly horizontally, so it’s not a big deal. Quiver also allows you to jump, and you must master jumping if you expect to get anywhere in Quiver. The jumping movement feels really weird, though — something about the way it’s done graphically that just doesn’t feel right.

Quiver has a few innovative weapons. The Shredder shoots a spiked mine that explodes in a 360 degree arc of fireballs. It’s very powerful and will clear a room of bad guys — the bad part is that it will kill you too unless you are heavily stocked with health. The Medusa Sphere looks like a magnifying glass while holding it and acts as a reflector shield — any shots fired at you bounce back at the enemy. The Hell-hands shoot a continuous stream of fire while you spin in a circle. This is great if you’re trapped in a crowd. The Fajita Maker shoots three simultaneous fireballs and is not really innovative, I just love the name.