Chaser review

Your mind's blank.

You don't know who or where you are. There's only one thing for it: shoot first and ask questions later. Just months away from the release of Half-Life 2 - a game that looks set to herald a new era for first-person shoot-'em-ups - it's pretty tough for old-school shoot-'em-ups such as Chaser to make any kind of impact. Still, it gives it a bloody good go!

Playing as hero John Chaser, you wake up on a disintegrating space station having lost your memory - just as a squad of murderous soldiers bursts into the room! Not the most original idea, you may think - and you'd be right. With a plot cobbled together from old sci-fi cliches, it would be all too easy to write off Chaser immediately. It would also be a mistake.

After escaping to earth, it's not long before you're embroiled in all manner of underworld activities, blasting your way through a succession of manic levels, interspersed with the odd mission that requires a bit of thought. On the way, you'll dispatch countless enemies - who, for the most part, show an excellent level of artificial intelligence - with your massive assortment of weaponry. You'll also undertake stealth missions, as you uncover a sinister gangland plot that eventually leads you to Mars in search of your true identity.

Missions include protecting a convoy with a sniper rifle; navigating through mine-packed underwater levels; and running for your life, weaponless, from a slew of would-be assailants.

Chaser isn't your average over-in-an-hour shooter. It provides hours of gaming, and tests your trigger finger to the max. Sadly, the often-repetitive levels and suspiciously borrowed plot begin to grate several levels short of the final showdown. Stick it out, though, and you'll be in for an unexpected surprise.

Chaser is straightforward but challenging, and provides enough action to test the fastest reactions. The missions provide a modicum of variety, and enough weapons to put an Arnie movie to shame. But with its cliched plot and hackneyed gameplay, it's far from being this month's essential buy.