"Let me be your fantasy...let me be your fantasy..." Well, not me in person, you understand. No, those are the words that Blackstone: Magic And Steel might utter if it were able to speak - for it's another one of those games set in a fantasy world of orcs, warlocks, spells and the never-ending battle between the forces of good and evil.

This time, the land has fallen to an evil that's managed to get hold of the ancient Blackstone. Your role? Stop the evil! Stop it by killing all that moves and reclaiming the Blackstone pieces.

As you can probably see from the above screenshots, the gameplay takes its cue from the likes of Gauntlet Dark Legacy - although it's better than that - and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. But it's not as good as that. Choose a character from five different classes (warrior, archer, warlock, pirate or thief), then hack and spell your way through hundreds of nasty creatures. In a nod to Gauntlet, many of the denizens pour out of destructible generators - destroying these while simultaneously coping with the evil hordes makes for plenty of hectic action.

And do you know what? It's actually rather entertaining action as well. It's easy to get lost in this for a while, hacking away and discovering cool new spells, and even dinosaurs you can sit on for extra destructive potential. Sure to bring a tear of nostalgia to the eye of a Golden Axe fan, that. And gradually building up your character is most satisfying.

Yet it's not the finest example of the action RPG genre. Slaying monster after monster after monster is extremely repetitive, so the action needs to be very slick for the game to be entertaining. Sadly, it isn't. The most grating thing about it is a slight pause that follows each attack, leaving you vulnerable to retribution if you miss. It's not terrible, but it does prevent the game from reaching the most rarefied heights of gaming fun.

Still, it's a pleasant game, and fighting your way through the levels is hectic, intense stuff - especially if you happen to have three friends available for a spot of four-player action. But if you want relentless combat, Dynasty Warriors 3 does it better; and if you want an action RPG, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance provides a slicker, more enjoyable experience for the cash.

1. Plenty of flashy spells
2. Lots of hectic action
3. Some imaginative touches

1. Action is unrefined
2. Can be repetitive

Power
Not a huge advert for the technical stature of Xbox, with rather bland graphics.

Style
Some of the enemies are nicely drawn, and there are some meaty spells. Decent, if not spectacular.

Immersion
Working your way through the evil hordes is strangely hypnotic, especially with a good character.

Lifespan
Thousands of digital beasties will die before you get bored, but there's not months of play here.

Summary
If you want a straightforward action RPG this will fill the hole, but there are better ones available on Xbox.