Gooka: The Mystery of Janatris

Let's be honest. now: 'Gooka' isn't an appropriate name for a hero, is it? This moniker is hardly likely to command respect from underlings and strike fear into the hearts of marauding monsters. And what the hell is a Janatris come to that? At least the developer of this adventure game has some excuse for the silly handle: it's all based on an obscure Czech novel.

We didn't, er, have the chance to peruse the book, but if it's anything like the game then it'll be fantasy of the most predictable variety. The plot sees you take charge of the foolishly named warrior-cum-upstanding pillar of the community, who has returned home after a long journey to find his gaff burnt down, his wife at death's door and his wee nipper missing.

The gameplay is standard adventure fare, complete with lots of fetching and carrying of various items, although instead of pointing and clicking you move around using the mouse and cursor keys.

It's rigidly linear stuff, with only a handful of tiny sub-quests distracting you from the main plot. Some basic RPG elements (turn-based combat and improving stats) have been' tossed into the mix, but not enough to really suck you in.

Gooka scores points for its passable - if entirely unimaginative - graphics, and there's some comedy value to be had from the woeful script and voice acting. Overall though, it's strictly for fans of banal Eastern European fairytales.