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If you've ever wanted to try your hand at the hazardous hobby of mountain climbing, but couldn't quite pluck up the courage, you can now scale the highest mountain from the comfort of your own armchair - thanks to the arrival of Final Assault.

Epyx's latest takes you from the preparation for your climb and hiking to the mountains, right up to the final assault.

Final Assault takes place in the heart of the Alps, where some of the world's highest and most demanding mountains reside, including the Eiger and Mont Blanc. There are six climbing routes to choose from. Alternatively, you can resume a saved game, or go on a training climb on a beginner's mountain where you can learn basic climbing skills and break-in your boots.

Selecting a route for the you on to the preparation screen, where you pack your rucksack the equipment. You don't have to go through this though, as your rucksack is automatically supplied with a selection of items. It's best not to neglect this screen however, as the rucksack may be holding things you don't need, or missing things you do. Your sack holds a reasonably large selection of items, but it's best not to take too much. Each item weighs something, and overloading will hinder your progress.

When your sack is well and truly packed, all that's left to do is decide when you're going to leave. You can choose between a summer or a winter climb and decide at what time of the day to climb.

You now find yourself on the trail a short distance from the mountain base. To get to the mountain, a brisk hike is in order. To walk from left to right, a steady left-right joystick movement in time with the on-screen character's legs must be employed. This is the biathlon event from one of Epyx's previous releases similar to Winter Games. It's also possible to execute an athletic little jump by pushing the stick forward. This, coupled with the ice axe you're given to test the ground, allows you to spot and avoid any hidden crevasses.

The display changes once you actually make it to the mountain. The screen is now split vertically in half. There are two types of mountain terrain: ice and rock. Each requires a lot of practice if any progress is to be made. When climbing on ice, the first thing to do is put on a pair of crampons - special boot spikes - which allow you to get a better foothold. Climbing is a slow and sometimes painful affair. Moving a step up on the mountain is accomplished by a series of joystick movements, i.e.: up, down, fire, down, which must be executed in the correct order or the climber slides back down the mountain. While on the mountain, it's important to remember that if you want to access supplies from your backpack, you have to strap yourself to the mountain first to prevent yourself from falling backwards.

After you've conquered the ice section, an even tougher challenge is waiting above.

Rock is a great deal more difficult to climb and there's even less margin for error. Before headway can be made, equipment needs to be changed round. Crampons must be removed and replaced by soft shoes, and a helmet has to be worn for protection. Rock climbing demands a more dextral use of joystick, which is used to secure holds on the rock. To move up rock, a precise series of steps must be followed. Firstly, hands or feet are selected for movement. That hand or foot must then be up or down, before pulling yourself up, down or sideways. This sounds a rather simplistic process, but ensures you always have at least three holds on the rock, which is the minimum. It's a difficult task at the best of times, and moving upwards is even more difficult. To make things a little easier though, you can use a rope to help you climb.

The problem with using a rope is that you have to pack a whole host of other equipment that accompanies it, such as carabiners, pitons, ice pins and a hammer. Without these, the rope is useless. Completing one of the mountains by reaching its summit means you can add your name to the list of elite climbers before starting afresh on a different mountain and route.

Final Assault is an admirable attempt at producing an unusual simulation even if it bears a similarity to an Infogrames product released last year. It's certainly not a subject one would expect to find entertaining, but the approach is effective enough, combining hand-eye co-ordination with just enough aforethought required to keep your mind ticking over. Despite the fact that it's the gameplay which makes Final Assault surprisingly gripping, so both the graphics and sound could have been enhanced considerably. Still, if you don't mind your action at a slow pace and find the idea of mixing a bit of strategy with some careful preparation appealing, Final Assault is the man for the job. It's a rewarding experience - provided you've got the patience and determination to succeed.

The Amiga version of Final Assault should be available in November and promises enhanced graphics and sound, while gameplay should remain the same.