Stuntman

The game puts you on the sets of several fictitious, stunt-heavy movies, including the 007-inspired Live for Two Tomorrows and the Guy Ritchie-inspired Toothless in Wapping. You're to execute detailed driving stunts by following the director's instructions over a radio and several onscreen visual cues. The stunts are constructed mostly out of driving around, through, and over obstacles, but there are more than a few inventive sequences that you have to time just right. If you do it wrong, or mess up the timing of the shot, you have to retake the scene.

The game can be quite a strain on one's patience, however. There's no initial "walk-through," as there would be for a real production, so it takes several passes to even get a grasp of what you're doing. Plus there's a pause for reloading between each scene that can be grating. Still, players receive tremendous satisfaction from mastering a scene.

Gamers may be disappointed in the quality of Stuntman's graphics--it seems only a half-step above Driver 2--but they'll love the handling of these vehicles and the interactivity of the environments. Nearly everything in the game can be moved or broken. The really versatile Stunt Constructor tool lets you play with all kinds of fun toys or tricks, such as jumps, loops, and even cannons. Lay them out in an arena and then drive the course. You have to unlock all but the most basic toys and vehicles by completing scenes, but it's a great way to blow off steam. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Car handling is easy and responsive
• Great game physics with lots of interactive items
• The Stunt Constructor tool lets you wreck stuff in lots of different ways

• Lack of walk-throughs adds a needless level of difficulty to an already challenging game
• There are reload screens between each take