Dither, toy, fiddle and faff. That's what I've done with this review. And when I'd finished not making up my mind about things, I poked it about a bit with an alder twig to see if it would try and sting me, or just sort of scoot-off with a comic buzz of alarm.

The bugger of it is, rather unpindownably, that Dawn Patrol is more of the same, only it's 'more differenterer' this time.

Dawn Patrol uses the same game engine as Overlord and Reach For The Skies, so playing it is not exactly an all-expenses-paid trip to Novelty Island; The point over which I have been experiencing a damn sight more than my usual fair share of 'moot' is - does Dawn Patrol's familiarity breed contempt or content? And you can call me Darren, but I'm buffed if I know which it is. So, dear reader, you may pluck the golden apple of reason from either of these two sun-dappled boughs:

Either 1. This is Rowan's best ever flight sim. It's got more missions, more_planes and is more accessible than Noddy's own dear, litte red hat. Or: 2. That makes three times Rowan has released the same game. The interactive book is a new idea, but the rest of it isn't.

Those of you who enjoyed wrapping your furry gauntlets around the sensitive spade-grips of previous Rowan flight sims will probably take to Dawn Patrol like blackbirds to a pie.

Flightless birds will doubtless be of the opinion that here is another keffing hunt-the-pixel affair in the tradition of Reach For The Blinds and Overbored. Dawn Patrol? Yawn Patrol more like!

Well my fellow fireside phalaropes, which side of the argument do I plump meself down, er... on. I did attempt to hold two contrary opinions at the same time, like a singularly soft and helpful bag. But, 'Balls!' you would have said, 'come on, Hazza, tell us what you really think!' OK then I will.

Well, I like the fact that there are 13 different aeroplanes to fly and well over 100 missions. The game is easy to handle and the control system is a doddle to get round your noddle, though proficiency, of course, only comes with practice.

The clever and really new thing about Dawn Patrol is the squashable screen which sort of sucks itself in and out, so that the game never slows down, even when the scrapping gets a bit hectic. A nice idea and one which you quickly get used to. An attempt has been made to distract you from the fact that Dawn Patrol is a very, very derivative game by inserting 'pages' of information between the action, the so called 'interactive book'.

Interesting though this history lesson may be, Dawn Patrol flies or falls by its playability, and the book, though certainly a different way of fumbling your way around a game, is, essentially, a disposable piece of presentational frippery and it must be owned, a repetitive and occasionally inaccurate one as well.

Still, the fact is that Rowan's engine is a good one, and on balance, and after much split-arseing about with my conscience, I reckon Dawn Patrol is Rowan's best yet, especially if you don't own either of the earlier games. Or if you like flight sims. Like I do.

As you would expect, Dawn Patrol is slightly chewier and flollopy on the A500 but not by much. I haven't mentioned the sumptuously detailed manual and free book on the Red Baron yet, have I? No? Nicest package ever?