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Most flight sims enable you to build up your experience as a pilot, taking part in individual missions before embarking on an entire campaign. AV8B Harrier Assault is different. It drops you right in the middle of a major conflict, with everything you do helping to determine the outcome of events.

The UN have decided to intervene in the rapidly deteriorating situation in East Timor, where Indonesian forces are committing all kinds of atrocities against the indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, the only force in the immediate vicinity is a small squadron of American marines, based on the aircraft carrier USS Tarawa. As the carrier commander it's your job to deal with the situation until the UN can negotiate a peace settlement.

The game combines strategy and flight sim elements to provide a rounded picture of the conflict. If you like charging about, blowing things out of the sky, then you can embark on a series of air strikes in the famous Harrier jump jet; if you want to play the war game, you can opt to remain on the Tarawa and send ST-controlled planes off into battle, or you do both.

As a flight sim it's a reasonably accurate representation of the real thing - you can do short take-offs and vertical landings. There are plenty of targets for you to blow up as well as aerial sequences.

The game fails because flying around is made so difficult by the incredibly slow frame update rate and a jerky control mechanism. Twitch the joystick to the left and you experience a considerable delay before anything happens. When the aircraft finally does move, it's usually too far or too late. F19 Stealth Fighter this is not.

Graphically the game also leaves a lot to be desired. The 3D vectoring is appalling and, from the remote view, your plane looks like it's been put together by a three year old model-maker who's lost the instruction booklet.

The strategy element is far better - if you care for inter-racial conflicts in far-flung regions of the world - and retains some modicum of excitement. Because you can send ST-controlled planes out, you don't need to get involved in the air combat side of things. However, the odds are stacked against you and you have to participate in both sides of the game to get a result.

What seems like a great idea in theory, is let down by its execution. AV8B Harrier Assault tries to combine flight sim and strategy elements, but fails because it's let down by shoddy graphics and indifferent gameplay. If you're a flight sim nut or a Harrier freak, then prepare to be disappointed.

The game features a lot of different elements and there's always a lot to do.

A good idea is let down by sloppy execution. There are much better flight sims available for your ST.