Been bashed in the bits or kicked in the cobblers? Fortunately Rare's new adventure is much more fun

A sound can be scarier than anything you can actually see. Have you ever been up late at night and heard a rustling in the bushes? It could be just a cat, but maybe it's a 13-eyed bloodsucking freak from hell... It's enough to make you hide under the bed, bolt the bedroom door and never come out again.

Grabbed By The Ghoulies is far from being a spine-tingler but it'll still have you locked away for days on end. As an audio experience, the game just can't be beaten. If your ears could talk, it'd be very strange, but they'd tell you how much fun Ghoulies is.

Rare has done such a gratifying job here, because every zombie groan and skeleton shuffle is pure entertainment. Imps chatter from the shadows and Medusas warble mirthfully after turning you into a statue. Mummies utter bandage-veiled swearwords and the ghost pirates bellow "pieces of eight" while trying to splice your mainbrace. Best of all is the cowardly hunchback who starts to cry when you punch him in the face.

The phantom of British humour inhabits every nook and cranny of Ghoulhaven Hall and it's extremely welcome. Character design and animation are as gorgeous as you'd expect from any of Rare's games. Rather than make the mistake of reinventing the classic movie monsters, it's kept them gloriously camp and unfailingly appealing.

Ghoulies also revels in having a pleasingly clichéd plot. Out hiking in the woodlands, Cooper and his girlfriend stumble upon a creaky old mansion. Moments later, Amber is abducted by invisible phantoms and the young hero sets out to rescue her.

Everything satisfies expectations, until you tackle the unconventional gameplay. Ghoulies looks like a platformer, but Cooper's feet are firmly planted on terra firma. Instead, it's a beat-'em-up where anything you come across can be used as a weapon, and we do mean anything. Frozen hamburgers, picture frames, potted plants... all can be utilised. Your movement is controlled with the Left thumbstick while the Right stick lets you attack in eight different directions. This makes it possible to run backwards while attacking enemies who are in hot pursuit. This technique is used from beginning to end and is surprisingly easy to master... maybe a little too easy.

Cooper doesn't pick up any new skills as the game progresses, only new weapons. This would be okay if the weapons could be used in different ways, but the only real difference between them is their attack range and the amount of damage they cause. Nevertheless, the number of household items you can use to bash and bludgeon in your quest is very impressive.

That's not to say that you'll always have weapons to hand. Many missions make it more difficult for you by saying that you can only use punch or kicks. Other missions are 'weapons only' - difficult when there are loads of ghoulies and a shortage of kitchen utensils. The most fiendish missions of all are in environments where no furniture can be broken. You really have to play these ones with kid gloves.

Unlike many games where breaking the rules results in instant failure, Ghoulies goads you into doing things your own way. Do it wrong and the Grim Reaper appears, chasing you around with an instantly fatal touch. The beauty of this is that you can still escape with a little cunning and skill.

So, there's a dash of puzzle-solving which manages to stand out amongst a huge glob of fighting. What impresses most though, are the dazzling presentation, loveable characters and mind-boggling attention to detail. While the gameplay isn't going to prove too addictive, it's fun and engaging. Ghoulies oozes with the qualities that made Rare famous as a developer - it's a sure-fire crowd-pleaser with a potentially massive audience.

1. Top presentation
2. Packed with innuendo
3. Requires tactical thinking

1. Weapons are a little samey
2. Plot is very cliched

Power
The graphics aren't awe-inspiring, but everything's so amusing you'll be having too much fun to notice.

Style
This has to be one of Xbox's best-sounding titles. Proves that audio can make or break a game.

Immersion
The plot sucks you in, but Ghoulies' gameplay isn't complex enough and you don't feel tested

Lifespan
You won't finish it more than once, but it's good to dip back into. Loads of challenges to unlock.

Verdict Very polished. Should have been more demanding, but could be what Xbox needs to entice a new breed of gamers.