AS far as film tie-ins go Van Helsing has hit the video games market very quickly, considering the film has only just been released.

If you've played Devil May Cry or Castlevania, you will be familiar with the genre a 3D environment with your character in the centre of the screen with the surroundings scrolling around you as you move.

You play the part of Van Helsing and are initially armed with twin pistols and spinning blades with which you can slice adversaries into mincemeat.

Battling through Transylvania taking out legendary B-movie characters like Frankenstein, the Wolf Man and My Hyde does have a certain appeal and right from the start you're thrown into the action.

In a seemingly deserted cathedral you'll have to track down Mr Hyde and beat the hell out of him. This task was reasonably easy and I did it first time on the normal difficulty level.

From here in, however, things get a little trickier and your next mission (after a short train journey) sees you up against damned skeletons and other assorted nasties.

I died at this stage quite often and got a little frustrated with having to do the same thing again and again. It is a very linear game and you will have to follow a set path through the 13 missions, following the passage of the film.

The character movement is good with a strong sense of realism in Van Helsing's jumping and attacking manouevres.

There are nine deadly weapons available, all of which are collectable along the way. You are also equipped with a powerful grappling hook which can be used to reach high ledges, swing across ravines or skewer enemies.

The staying power of Van Helsing is strong as you will be driven to finish it but I can't imagine it will be a game you'd go back to again and again.

More likely, something you'll put on when you've forgotten what it was all about.

Fans of the film will probably get a lot more out of the game than the casual player.

Graphics 4/5 Sound 3/5 Gameplay 3/5 Gamespan 3.5/5 Overall 4/5

Review by Darren Rackham