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How would you like to live in a world without pollution or global warming, where you control the weather and the lifeforms that exist? It's all possible in Debut, the new planet simulator from Pandora. Neil Jackson plays God (and loses)

Regardless of your religion (or lack of it) the thought has probably crossed your mind that someone or something is responsible for the Earth. Imagine if you were Mr. Omnipotent and could influence every factor of a planet's existence. Imagine the stress and responsibility. In Debut, you get the opportunity to play that super-being and you have your very own planet to wreak havoc upon.

With a concept as grand as this, Debut is hardly likely to be an easy sort of game. In fact to call it a game at all is an understatement, because it's really a simulation - and a big one at that!

The Debut world is similar to Earth. It has weather: rain, clouds and prevailing winds. It has a certain amount of life: plants, animals and humans. And it also has problems: pollution emanates from the humans' underground cities endangering the entire planet. If you haven't already guessed, this is where you come in.

Your task is to restore and maintain an ecological balance on the planet. You must close down the vile underground cities and convince the humans to live on the surface in harmony with the environment (man).

To do this you have several God-like abilities. You can place or remove chemicals, plants, animals and people anywhere on the surface. You can combine chemicals, split them up, create new ones and then use them to promote life, aid growth and combat pollution.

But your power isn't free. To obtain certain chemical you have to trade with the humans. This can only be done if you have cash which is difficult to find. You start with enough to begin experrimenting, but to progress further you must visit the cities.

Deep in the cities, filthy nuclear reactors power automatic defences. If you can shut these down, you make loads-a-dosh and can force the humans to the surface. Finding the reactors involves much searching and you have to pass defence droids which defend the population.

On the way you find loads of items to pick up. Some are useful immediately, but others must be taken back to the surface. You can find lasers for defeating droids, chemicals for experimentation and cashpoint cards for stealing money from the underworld.

Debut features some incredible programming to simulate the planet's changing environment. It's like those old Conway's Life programs which simulate successive generations, but on a vast scale. You can look at your planet in several ways: as a whole globe, in isometric 3D segments, graphically (using colour to map it out), or as text (in status readouts).

The underground exploration is a platform-style arcade game using full colour sprites and joystick control which effectively makes Debut two totally different games linked by a common thread. Absolutely mind-boggling at first, but you'll get used to it. You'll have to work hard though, because the drones you meet are not easy to defeat. Lose all your lives here and you're in trouble.

Some excellent music is provided in sub-sections of the game and there's an atmospheric sampled soundtrack by Tau Zero.

If you don't have much patience with "deep" games, then forget it. Debut will do your head in. But if you like the idea of experimenting with a planet-sized chemistry set and being Mr Big then you'll love it.

It's good to come across an absorbing game where the villain of the piece isn't just a muscle-bound ninja thug, but you have to be prepared for some serious hard work. Taking charge of a planet is like owning a dog: it ain't just for Christmas. You soon find yourself fretting miserably when all your pet humans die because you accidentally poured sulphur into their water supply.

Debut isn't easy to understand and is even harder to play properly, but stick with it - it's a game the size of a planet!