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If you thought "The Running Man" was the deadliest game show on television, think again! The Killing Game Show gives genetically-altered criminals and enemies of the State (where have I heard that before?) the chance to fight their way out of sixteen Pits of Death, massive cylinders filled with hostile artificial attackers, puzzles and traps. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Not when the cylinder's filling up with a liquid that'll wipe you out in a flash, it isn't!

Each criminal is encased in an armoured exo-suit which lets him leap and climb walls, and defend himself with a single shot blaster cannon. Additional weapons are scattered around each pit, but the more you use them the quicker they run out. Keys and tools are also to be found, and they're used to solve puzzles and open doors and traps.

Making your way out of the first pit may be easy enough, but remember, there are fifteen more to go...

After the disappointing Shadow Of The Beast II, Psygnosis have picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and come out with this, which is really good! At first, it seems like a bog-standard shoot-'em-up, but the pace of the action picks up with alarming speed and before you know it, you've got hordes of slavering nasties screaming towards you, and all you've got to protect yourself with is a weedy popgun.

The "against the clock" element also adds to the gameplay, especially on the later levels. A nice touch is the video option - when you lose a life, you can reply that last life up to any point, then jump in wherever you want!

The graphics are very nice indeed - a special mention must go to the superb intro which sets the scene perfectly - and the FX and thumping tracks get the old adrenal glands pulsing. A good blast which'll keep you going for quite some time.