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When I first loaded Rasputin I thought the graphics were excellent and if I could just figure out what all the mystical claptrap in the instructions was about then I might be able to start playing the game. Well, I haven't fathomed all of the game's details yet but I think I can have a stab at trying to describe it for you.

You play the part of a galiant knight, Ivan Kosmovichski, on a quest to destroy the spirit of Rasputin, an evil chap who's trying to destroy the entire universe. The source of Rasputin's power is the Jewel of the Seven Stars, and Ivan must wander through the dimensins of the netherworld, battling against strange creatures and magical energies in order to find the Jewel.

The netherworld takes the form of complex sets of platforms - represented in excellent 3D graphics - floating above the clouds. Not only do you have to avoid all the celestrial nasties, but you also have to make sure you don't fall off the platforms as falling to the clouds below will drain some of your energy.

Like all good netherworlds, this one contains both dangers and magical powers that can assist you. If Ivan can find the object marked with the letters of Rasputin's name then his sword and shield will be charged with energy that will aid him in his fight against the Cyclops, Cyber Rays and so on that stand in his way. Once all the objects in a particular dimension have been found Rasputin will unleash a monster upon you, but if you can defeat this monster you will gain another spell that will enable you to neutralise Rasputin's powers.

Once you have collected all eight of these spells you will be able to reach the Jewel (remember that?). Dead simple, isn't it?

Rasputin is, as you may have guessed, an immensely complex game, the individual tasks you face may seem simple when taken one at a time, but when they are added together they make up a game that could take ages to complete. The hard part is actually working out what some of these tasks actually are, since the instructions are just waffle and didn't really help me get into the game at all. This could be a problem I suppose, as I initially found the purpose of the game so unclear that I had to make a really determined effort to stick with it. On the other hand, this does mean that the game isn't going to be solved overnight and then forgotten.

The game's graphics are excellent, all the figures are large and very smoothly animated and in the style first seen in Knight Lore (it's a pity Ultimate couldn't copyright that style of graphics - they'd have made a fortune), though the animation in Rasputin is actually superior. Some of the screens are very, very busy, but the speed of the animation doesn't seem to be slowed down at all.

Rasputin isn't an easy game to get into, but it is worth making the effort, and once you've gotten onto Rasputin's trail you'll probably be hooked.