CRACKDOWN 2

18 cert, Microsoft/Ruffian Games, Xbox ***

Crackdown 2, I suspect, will be a deeply decisive game. It’s sophisticated and imaginative, but it’s also quite frustrating.

You play a law enforcer who has to deal with a terrorist upsurge and a virus that has turned many of the citizens into vicious mutants. Sporting a nifty exoskeleton suit, your agility and strength is superhuman.

There’s much to admire in Crackdown 2 – the online gaming option is welcome, the science-fiction/horror setting is atmospheric (if familiar) and the city is vast and tangible. But the controls are far from ideal, with clumsy shooting and awkward climbing. Also, it has its share of dreary tasks involving looking for hidden climbing points.

For those who can put up with its flaws, Crackdown 2 will prove a good time, but it will not be for all tastes.