Crimes Of War

Our Polish Friends at City Interactive appear intent on doing for PC games what the Top Of The Pops albums did for the music of the 70s (without the saucy sleeves). Essentially providing cheap cover versions of familiar genres for undiscerning tastes, Crimes of War is their World War II game, with sinister goings-on making it more of a tribute to Wolfenstein than the earnest despair of Medal of Honor.

Whatever the political implications of a Polish outfit releasing a game based on Nazi atrocities, this is strong stuff, featuring some mildly disturbing images. With a story that could have been plucked from the pages of early 2000AD, it's fanciful fare, with the nasty Nazis developing a troop of ubersoldiers, of which you are one, albeit with your heart in the right place thanks to the love of a good woman.

The action is mainly straightforward gunplay, although some variety is added by such gimmicks as the Berserker mode, in which you run around in a feral rampage slashing the throats of anyone who gets in your way. There's also a not strictly scientific Time Shield' whereby enemy bullets hang in mid-air instead of slicing you in two. Crime of War's kill-kill-pick up health-kill-kill-pick up ammo gameplay is on the frantic side and it's probably not one for the historians. All the same, it is killing Nazis...