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It is hard to know where to begin with a game this good! Reviewed here in an almost complete form (any update of opinion given next month; Game of the Month very close second this month - possibly next month!), the game is outside any frame of reference I can think of. A true original.

Programmed by Glyn Williams of Solid Image, it takes place in the 22nd Century with humanity lurking underground playing a wire-frame game called RAT set in the city of Cholo. The reality suddenly strikes home: the robot being controlled on the surface of the game is actually there in real life. If only the city can be fully explored, puzzles solved, etc then mankind can shake off the dictatorship of the droids and computers.

Easier said than done! The city, in 3D wireframe animation, is massive and moving around requires various techniques - don't forget to map!

A number of robots are available to help you in your task and an essential part of the game is to learn how to approach them and extract information. At your disposal are various robots scattered around the city and you can shift your control between them; each has particular purposes such as a Flying Eye which will fly over the city for an overview. The graphics are smooth and fast.

The screen is divided into four main areas: a visual screen showing what is visible by your controlled robot, a Rampack section into which various extra programs can be fitted to be drawn on at will, a small map showing your present position and an instruction sheet which either gives you messages or accepts your typed input.

Initially there is an immense amount of exploring to do in the city - beautifully contructed, incidentally. Trial and error will reveal a number of possible actions but there are sections of the game that will only be revealed by some real detective work. As such it is an intriguing mixture of arcade game, adventure game and simulation.

How does the Doctor Robot work? Where is the program hidden that will allow the Hacker Robot to access data from the computer? How do you cope with the low level radiation? What on earth is going on here?

The game's many levels and areas will provide you with hours of fun and mental agility. One primary problem is to discover just what you have to do to complete the game; namely, where is the sealed entrance, the cap, which keeps the humans below and the robots above the surface? Having been provided with a bunch of clues to help me, I am still amazed at the detail, the complexity and the originality of the game.

This, like Elite before it, is going to be a massive seller, generating the same kind of cult following. Available on disc only due to the amount of data necessary, it marks yet another step forward into new areas of games software. It is original, it is brilliant, it is indispensible.

Buy it! What more can I say, except that I foresee hours of Cholo-playing ahead of me!

Dave Reeder