Ask any ten-year-old boy about Bionicle and they'll wax lyrical about the Lego phenomenon that's been around for a few years. To complement the range of toys, a series of comic books, trading cards and a complete backstory have been developed, and this title is the first venture into the video game world. So it's a pity that from the instant the game started up, things were not looking good...

The convoluted story goes along the usual lines of good versus evil. The island of Mata Nui is under threat from the evil spirit Makuta until the arrival of six mysterious Toa - elementals drawing their power from fire, water, ice etc - who must seek out the Kanohi masks of power to accomplish their destiny (almost finished now). The insect-like Bohrok swarms have now awakened, bringing total chaos and destruction everywhere they go, and once again it's up to the Toa to save the day. Phew.

We've been reliably informed the toys are both imaginatively and intricately designed, and there is a genuine feel of quality to their construction. Unfortunately for fans of the toys, this game is the complete opposite.

The first thing that strikes you is the graphics, or rather the lack of them. Blocky characters with a lower polygon count than Tetris and bright, garish colours are not exactly the best advert for Xbox graphics. The animation is poor and clunky, and the enemies look like something from an '80s arcade machine. The gameplay centres round a lethargic 3D platformer, with the customary diet of jumping, collecting and shooting.

By amassing certain tallies of moonstones, you're able to unlock bonus features such as concept art, movie trailers and new toy previews, if that sort of thing floats your boat. The combat system is based on the novel idea of harnessing the power of your enemy's blows, then converting said energy into your own attacks. This could have worked quite well, but it's not well executed. When facing multiple enemies, the screen becomes a confusing mishmash of shields and energy bolts. Bionicle doesn’t give you a clue as to what's going on, leaving you nonplussed and frustrated.

The occasional change in tack, such as the Ice Toa's snowboarding level, do provide a bit of welcome relief, but completely random camera angles ruin the fun. It's a shame, because as a powerhouse licence, the addition of some half-decent graphics and better gameplay could have made this a pretty good title. Give me small plastic men with clip-on hair to play with any day.

1. Unique licence...

1. ...that's totally wasted!
2. Horrible graphics
3. Confusing, frustrating combat
4. Boring, repetitive gameplay

Power
Your Xbox could run a game ten times better than this while in a deep slumber.

Style
Bright clashing colours, blocky animation and weak sound effects do it no favours.

Immersion
Tedious gameplay and a stupidly hard level boss mean you may give up after the first stage.

Lifespan
Those who dare to play it will rip through in a day. Not great value for money.

Summary
Forty quid will buy you a lot of Lego, which will be infinitely more enjoyable than this pile of drivel.