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Those of you expecting a super-Skyfox will be a little disappointed, I fear. Skyfox was a bit hit for Ariolasoft a few years back, a good no-messing-around action-packed battle simulator based around the very latest in jet fighters. Arcticfox, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish altogether, actually it's a tank. The main objective remains though, destroy the enemy before they get out of hand.

The action takes place in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic ice cap (cold? We were stripping dogs off lamp posts). Arcticfox is a futuristic tank complete with cannon, mine dispensers and missile launcher. The interior features a massive bank of instrumentation and controls, just as you would expect. Most of the screen is filled by your view of the world outside, even if it is mostly frozen wastes.

The enemy tanks and ground installations are pictured in the very best 'Mercenary' tradition, but the action is not nearly as fast - bit of a disappointment!

The joystick's main function is to control the tank's movement, and secondarily to control the elevation of your cannon. One of the more impressive features here is the miniature video monitor, showing either a radar display, your rear view or the view from a tiny camera mounted on the front of your guided missiles.

The latter feature allows you to guide your missiles straight to their targets with ease, while the aft view helps you orient yourself.

Mines can be a bit of a pig, they tend to be a bit indescriminate when it comes to blowing things up. So don't reverse back over a mine you've just laid! In case things get really hectic, Arcticfox can dig in, hiding itself in the snow. Very handy!

The enemy's mobile forces consist of tanks, light and heavy, reconaissance sleds and planes, fighters and floating mines, while their installations consist of the main fort, the communications fort and the radar station. Knocking out the radar station helps you heaps, the enemy has trouble finding you!

The terrain varies quite a bit, straightforward snow fields are easy to travel on, but watch out for crevasses. Mountains make excellent landmarks but cannot be climbed. Ridges can be climbed and offer an excellent view of the surrounding terrain. Tundra and mudflats affect the manoeuvrability of Arcticfox, making it difficult to control. Watch out for blizzards, they obscure your view briefly. This is useful if you want to hide, but not so useful in crevasse country!

From the main options creen, you can select training, beginner or tournament modes of play, or preview the enemy's hardware. Selecting this latter option calls up page after page of animated pictures of the offending items, with a brief description of its nature.

I was a bit daunted by the number of keyboard controls needed to operate Arcticfox, trying to study the manual while under enemy fire is a bit awkward to say the least! The manual seems explicit enough though, with lots of handy hints for zapping more tanks.

All in all, not a patch on Skyfox, and nowhere near as exhilarating as Mercenary.