Kill. Switch (PS2)

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Released last week, Kill. Switch looks like Splinter Cell, Syphon Filter or any one of a dozen Metal Gear Solid clones at first, featuring a heavily armed leading man sent to teach terrorists and other enemies of freedom a harsh lesson.

But from the outset the fighting is almost non-stop. No matter where you are in the game, you're usually drawing a hail of enemy gunfire. Mercifully, almost anything you see in the game can be used for cover.

During the game's frequent firefights you can peek around corners, spraying largely ineffectual bullets over a wide area. This crude method is called "Blind Fire," and it keeps the enemy pinned down, temporarily halting their advance.

The AI is sharp and nearly all your targets seem to have at least some sort of minor will to live. They run for cover and sometimes employ shrewd tactics, even lobbing grenades at you if their relentless fire doesn't flush you into the open.

Kill. Switch also offers locational damage so even a non-lethal hit can send a foe reeling or hopping around. Aim high if you want to make it quick.

If you like to make a big entrance, nothing grabs a terrorist's attention quite like a Flashbang grenade. Lobbing one of these into a room will daze your enemy with blinding light and a deafening high-pitched explosion that leaves them prone and helpless for a few seconds.

There is a long-drawn-out storyline that weaves its way through the six missions (divided into 18 levels) set around the globe, in Russia, Indonesia and the Middle East, but in true arcade style the narrative is secondary to the action.

Namco's Kill. Switch is an original third-person shooter that blends realistic tactics and full-on firepower to create a memorable combat experience. But like many Namco titles Kill. Switch feels like it's over too soon.

$119.95

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