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Having angered Birmingham's CND supporters with the controversial Raid Over Moscow, Bruce Carver is all set to do it again with the sequel to the enormously successful Beach Head.

Beach Head II is another all-action, no holds barred, arcade-style war game. When I say war game I mean just that. This game has nothing to do with the movement of troops and masterminding grant military strategies. This is about combat. Just grab your joystick and get stuck in. Subtitled "The Dictator Strikes Back", this is a classic goodies against the baddies head-to-head.

Nowhere in the packaging does it specifically mention that the baddies are the Russians - it's just if you choose to be the baddies, you control a red combat soldier. The 'dictator' is holding Allied soldiers as hostages - captured in the first game - and it's your job to rescue them. To do this, you must first send in your paratroopers to take the enemy machine-gun pill-box.

This screen features some pretty impressive speech synthesis - the first time this has been used in a Bruce Carver game. When a para gets hit, he lets you know with an anguished cry of "I'm hit!".

Even Bruce Carver himself is slightly concerned about the realism of this scream. "Some mothers may object to the realism of this scene... it's the only part of the game that caused me much soul-searching."

Once the paras have taken the gun, they then have to get the hostages out of the compound. Dodge enemy flak, tanks and mines to free your countrymen.

If you manage this you go on to the chopper challenge where you attempt to get your men out. This is a bit of a gamble because the enemy can choose how tough an escape route to give you.

If you try to get them all out in one run then you risk losing them all if the Directory gives you his toughest ride.

The final screen is a Frankie Goes To Hollywood-style confrontation between the two leaders. Commander Stryker of the allied forces has tracked down the Dictator in his underground HQ. They face each other across a gaping chasm. By throwing Commando knives at your enemy, you attempt to kill him - forcing him into the chasm with an Impossible Mission-like scream of "Aaah".

The first impression of Beach Head II is likely to be one of disappointment. It lacks that one graphically superb screen - like the sea battle in version one - for a main selling point.

This is a pity because the game itself is much more playable than the original. The head-to-head option is the best way to play the game - giving you a totally different game depending on whether you play the Dictator or Commander Stryker.

Beach Head II is as playable as Raid Over Moscow and more playable than Beach Head I. Graphically, it is not up to the high standard set in those two games, but if you loved mark I this sequel will not disappoint you.