Who hasn't wanted to be a dog at some point in their lives? A faithful hound by his master's side, frolicking in the park, carefree, well fed, really big knackers... Well, actually, we haven't. In fact, we got down on our knees every day and thank the sweet miracle of evolution that we no longer have to trot about on all fours sniffing other creatures' bottoms and eating excrement (apart from at that late-night gentleman's club, of course). But while the appeal of being a dog is about on a par with being a Tory politician, the opportunity to step into a canine's paws in a non-real, videogame kinda way is a bit more up our street - and that's where Dog's Life comes in.

You are Jake, a happy hound living on his family's farm in Clarksville, USA. But when your favourite bitch Daisy is dognapped, it's up to you to rescue her in a Homeward Bound meets Lassie-style quest that takes you from the tranquillity of the countryside to the mean streets of the Big City.

Thing is, while you've got a character to control, tasks to complete and an overall goal to try and accomplish, this really isn't a game in the regular sense of the word. Dog's Life is mainly just about being a dog experiencing life from a canine perspective and all that it entails. With that in mind, we've decided to review the title in a slightly different way than usual, based on how well it portrays all the different doggy attributes, from sniffing to barking to weeing up lampposts. Crazy? Oh aye. But it just might work...

The latest offbeat title from David Braben (co-creator of ultra-classic space strategy Elite) is, at least according to our super-advanced knowledge, the first ever realistic dog simulation released for a videogame console. In development for three years, Dog's Life represents a concerted effort by Sony to deliver innovative, non-generic PS2 games that will appeal to a family audience.

1. Sniffer Dog
   Everything in Dog's Life revolves around the canine species' biggest gift (and we don't mean the ability to kick their own undercarriage): their incredible sense of smell. This is represented in the game through 'Smellovision' - press Triangle and you enter a sepia-toned world, seen in first-person perspective where all the different odours in the environment are represented by different colours.
   
   Collect all the pink whiffs and you'll win a bone, sniff out the yellow ones to challenge another dog in a mini-game (races, digging contests and the like). There are loads of other colours that trigger a variety of tasks, but the most important thing to learn is using Smellovision for tracking purposes - how else are you going to find poor dognapped Daisy?
   
   Imagined realism level: 4/5
2. Barking Up The Right Tree
   Dunno if you've ever noticed this, but dogs can't actually talk (Jake can't either but he can think out loud in a really annoying American accent, which we imagine isn't especially realistic). Instead, they have to use the power of the woof, the growl and the bark to get their point across.
   
   There are various tasks and mini-games where Jakey's vocal talents are put to good use, including one mission where you have to bark away at some crows to clear them off a patch of farmland - this enables the farmer to repair his scarecrow and he rewards you with a big juicy bone. Nice one. Aside from vocalising, Jake's mouth is also a vital tool for games like gobbling a mini-basketball through a hoop three times to win, yes, another bone!
   
   Imagined realism level: 4/5
3. Privates On Parade
   Although there's no random humping going on here, Jake's bodily functions do feature quite heavily in a proto-comedy sort of way. You have to keep Jake well fed, but over-eat and he'll be trumping like billyoh. He's also not averse to having a good ol' sniff of another animal's bottom - just to collect their scent you understand.
   
   It's peeing that's the real scatalogical favourite though, especially in mini-games where you race aainst other dogs to make out as much territory as possible within the time limit.
   
   Win these games and you can take control of the losing dog for a while. There are over twenty different breeds to master and they can be used to complete certain tasks that Jake can't manage: for example, use the sheepdog to herd a flock into their pen, thereby winning a bone from the grateful farmer.
   
   Imagined Realism Level: 2/5
4. Dogsbody
   Before you can set off to rescue Daisy, you have to get Jake in shape, which means plenty of running, jumping and fetching. A lively fella, Jake is nevertheless straightforward to control, and his movements are extremely realistic (apart from a bizarre Red Rum-style leaping ability).
   
   With the help of his owners and fellow dogs, Jake can also learn a range of tricks - sit, beg, play dead, etc - and use them to win favour with humans he meets throughout the game. Playing fetch is Jake's primary route to boneage though - one task requires him to locate four amplifier batteries and deliver them to a stoner dude guitarist. Reward: one tasty (possibly LSD-soaked) bone.
   
   Imagined Realism Level: 5/5

Graphics 80%
Quality. Toy Story-esque cartoon realism.

Sound 50%
Good doggy noise but the music is unbearable.

Gameplay 70%
Task-based portrayal of canine existence.

Lifespan 60%
Easy but so non-linear you can play for ages.

Overall 60%
Dog's Life is good, innovative fun, but it's also a bit twee and unexciting. Hands up for Monkey Life!