Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

It's Been what? Sixteen years since Golden Axe was slipped neatly into the bedroom habits of gamers? And still games appear with the same template of hacking and slashing - this one even returning to the triumvirate of two men and a sexy woman (elf-thing) with super-attacks that can be unleashed after an appreciable amount of undead-battery.

This is 2005 though, so the whole affair is drowned in combos, 3D shenanigans, stealth attacks, publisher-demanded LOTR stylings and even a statutory amount of bullet-time. Or throwing axe time' as it could be referred to...

All this and it's a bit of fun too. It's a blimmin' port and it's highly advisable that you use a gamepad as you will forget some moves even exist if you use your keyboard. However, if you're a fan of the genre you certainly won't be disappointed, especially with the fight mechanics and environments.

Saying that, you might be a tad miffed when you discover how short the game is and how none of the goodness of RA Salvatore's fantasy novels (which the game is based on) manages to reach the functional non-entity that is the game's plot.

However, the way that experience and gold can pay for new moves between levels is a nifty touch - although in most areas, the game has been thoroughly out-niftied by similar LOTR fare. Most irritatingly, with its three on-screen characters, this kicks, screams and begs for multiplayer co-op - only to be cruelly denied.

If you want a game with good fight mechanics that stands up well on the PC, you should get Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. If you want a standard shoddy port of a console game, you should get this. It's fun, but it doesn't belong.