Ghost Master
PC, £29.99 Empire Interactive/Sick Puppies, *****
If you don't fancy babysitting the sanitary needs of warbling Sims and would rather scare them out of their three-piece-suite-loving minds, then you need a dose of Ghost Master. This innovative title is a mix of strategy, puzzler and role-playing game (RPG), where you assume the role of an undead civil servant who is sent, with a team of ghosts, to the town of Gravenville to sort out some otherworldly problems.
Gravenville is one of those little American towns always suffering from gremlins, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night, only this time you're responsible for most of it. The idea is to take your team, and there are 47 ghosts in all, into different locations and solve problems using your various haunting powers, which range from simply making spooky whispers, to causing the walls to gush blood.
Scaring causes fear, fear in turn generates plasm, which is what fuels the powers of your ghosts. Of course, it's not all about just scaring, because a lot of the problems you'll need to solve (most of which surround helping free local ghosts to boost your team) will involve a subtle blend of deviousness, manipulation and general Machiavellian behaviour.
It is rare these days to find a game that feels genuinely fresh as well as fun, but Ghost Master is truly one of the most original games around. And, as with many innovations, the game requires patience to get the best playing experience. But it is definitely worth it because, certain adult-interest downloads aside, Ghost Master is the most fun you can have on your computer.
Rhianna Pratchett
· Rhianna Pratchett's in-depth review of Ghost Master is in the latest issue of PC Zone magazine
Rygar: The Legendary Adventurer
PlayStation 2, £39.99 Wanadoo, ***
Forget large swords, big guns and other weapons, souped-up yo-yos are the way to go when it comes to dispatching baddies. Rygar certainly thinks so.
The hero of this latest third-person slash-'em-up may call his weapon a Diskarmor but that's only because he is a tough guy rather than a schoolgirl. Luckily, his weapon is extremely adaptable, with more than 30 moves available. These range from basic shielding to skilful decapitation. Yes, Rygar is a game that glories in gore. Taking elements of ancient mythology, from Rome to Greece, the plot is nonsense. Suffice to say your character is the only person who can save the world. Thankfully, this is achieved by hacking monsters and solving the odd puzzle rather than tact and diplomacy.
The graphics have graduated with honours from the Resident Evil school of flawed camera angles. Fairly gorgeous most of the time - particularly if you appreciate overgrown ancient temples - they are spoilt by a semi-fixed camera. Battling off-screen enemies and missing crucial puzzle elements are just two of the annoyances.
Then there is the unrelenting combat. Sure, battling the armies of classical Greece is a challenge, but variety is needed to stop RSI setting in. However, the end of level "boss" characters do actually engage the brain. Sussing out their weaknesses is tougher than solving the simplistic "puzzles" in the game. These conundrums usually involve little more than knocking down some scenery, and it isn't long before the fighting starts up again. Upgrading your weapon adds some depth but this is primarily about combat. Polished and enjoyable, Rygar is a solid adventure.
Greg Howson
X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge
Xbox, PS2, GameCube, PC, £39.99 Activision, ***
As is typical for a game designed to accompany a film release, X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge does not break much new ground. Nevertheless, it is a pretty sound effort and will satisfy fans of the comic-book and movies. As the title suggests, you play Wolverine, the X-Men character with retractable claws. The resulting third-person adventure consists of shepherding Wolverine to the ends of levels - there are no ways of saving mid-level.
A few useful devices spice up the gameplay: Wolverine's mutant senses allow him to sniff out enemies, see mines and creep around stealthily - this is one of those games in which you choose whether to employ stealth or aggression, and, for once, the stealth element proves uniformly enjoyable. Beyond that, Wolverine has some useful beat-'em-up moves and, occasionally, gets to launch a special mutant strike, which can take down several enemies at once.
Plus there are a few buttons to press and puzzles to solve - none of which, luckily, are at all cryptic. Wolverine's Revenge is hard enough to keep you interested, and remains pretty absorbing, as it gets more difficult as it progresses. Graphically, it impresses without ever astonishing you. While it is not quite original enough to have you in raptures, it will keep you happy if you are keen on the X-Men franchise.
Steve Boxer
