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An evil breed of aliens known as the Psycastria are rampaging through the galaxy; raping, pillaging and looting all they encounter. The only way this terror can be brought to an end is if one pilot flies out to the Psycastria's home planet and destroys the sixteen energy storage bases. That one pilot is you...

Psycastria is a bi-directional, horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up, with 3D bas-relief graphics portraying the action. You have to guide a nimble space fighter across sixteen energy bases, destroying the ten circular energy pods which lie on the surface of each base. There are other score-boosting ground targets which can be strafed, although care must be taken in order to avoid crashing into the indestructible higher structures - identified by the long shadows they cast across the surface of the base.

Tall structures aren't the only thing to worry about - there are many Psycastria patrol craft zooming up and down the length of the base looking for an enemy intruder to blast with their laser missiles. Fortunately, your craft is equipped with a deadly laser gun which can be used to destroy alien craft.

When all the energy pods have been destroyed, you are invited to land the fighter on the base's runway and increase your score by partaking in a sub-game. Individual aliens fly across the screen and pass a marker - bonus points are awarded if the aliens are shot the instant they pass the marker.

After the sub-game, the fighter takes off and automatically zooms back along the length of the base, allowing you to take out any ground targets you missed along the way. When the fighter has travelled the length of the base it is transported to the next, more difficult target where the battle starts afresh. On destroying every fourth base, the player is pitted against wave after wave of Psycastria craft in a bonus stage.

How Audiogenic have got the cheek to put "state of the art shoot-'em-up action" on the cassette inlay, I don't know! This is rubbish, paling miserably into insignificance beside the likes of Uridium Plus and Sanxion.

The graphics are really poor and the bas-relief doesn't really work at all because the colours are wrong. The sound is ghastly, the ship sounds like an ancient car and the speech is grating.

The really bad thing though is that it's incredibly boring and frustrating to play. For a start, it's all been seen before, and it requires ridiculously precise shooting. By the way - did you know that Psycastria is an anagram of 'say its crap'...?

Psycastria is very poor shoot-'em-up with nothing original or impressive going for it. The graphics are rather bland and clinical with comparatively slow scrolling. The main sprite, although well defined and smooth, is very slow to react - especially when flipping round. Some of the mazes on the later levels are near impossible and must be taken very slowly, which only results in you becoming the victim of alien target practice.

A plain, uninteresting version of Uridium that could have been a lot more imaginative.

As Uridium clones go, Psycastria is the worst I've seen and played. It doesn't feel or look as slick as Uridium - the bas-relief backdrops are relatively simple and the colour schemes are foul.

To avoid complications, the programmer has set most of the alien bases on 'solid' backdrops in an attempt to compensate for the ship's shadow appearing "in space".

But it doesn't work - it looks so silly, even on the bases in space which have a black screen (black shadow, see). Some of the sound effects are virtually identical to Mr Braybrook's - and not just from Uridium!

There are a few Gribbly's Day Out and Paradroid noises thrown in for good measure. Controlling the ship doesn't feel good and it's terribly sluggish at times - it must be some form of hi-tech diesel-driven machine, judging by the noise it makes.

Psycastria is a highly derivative, inferior and somewhat offensive version of Uridium. Get the Hewson double pack instead - it's marginally more expensive, but you get two superbly souped-up classics for the price of one.

Presentation 86%
Comprehensive and competent in all respects.

Graphics 35%
Very poor bas-relief and chunky, unimaginative sprites.

Sound 39%
Very scratchy, occasionally incoherent speech combined with a ghastly title screen tune and unsuitable spot effects.

Hookability 31%
Simple objective, but nothing new to create any interest.

Lastability 18%
Boredom sets in after a few games.

Value For Money 14%
It would be a little more acceptable if it had a budget price tag.

Overall 20%
An uninspiring and overpriced Uridium clone.