Tecmo's mech-blaster gives the genre the bird

Gun Griffon doesn't make a bad effort at adding to the mix of mech shooters on Xbox, it's just a bit too simplistic and sparse to be of any interest. An epic cinematic opener (which, infuriatingly, can't be skipped) leads into unimpressive game visuals, the same drab mountainside/forest/wasteland settings usually favoured by futuristic shooters, and a nonsensical storyline involving instantly quashable rebel armies uprising throughout the land. Gameplay straps into the 'obliterate everything in sight' seat, though this does mean you can kick back in your High Macs (High-Mobility Armoured Combat System) for a thought-free bout of arcade blasting. Steel Battalion: LOC it ain't.

There is a decent selection of High Macs to choose from before each mission (all, annoyingly, with the turning circle of an oil tanker), and the ability to customise your heavy weapon set. This would be fine, were it not for the fact that each weapon's ammo is expended within the first 30 seconds of gameplay. You can get more from your supply chopper, but it'll often appear on the other side of the map while you're mid-firefight. It'll only hang around for a short time too, and more often than not it'll either sod off or get blown to pieces before you reach it, leaving you to blast through the rest of the level with your default machine-gun.

You're not alone on each quest, however, as a redundant follower inevitably accompanies you. These lag behind from the get-go, only showing up (like that scummy little kid at school) after a fight's all but finished to contribute a token punch.

Gun Griffon's multiplayer, over either System Link or Xbox Live, is a definite redeeming feature, though. You've your standard deathmatch and team deathmatch modes, and co-op allows players to work through the campaign with a real person - a damn sight better than doing it with your hop-a- long AI team-mates. Fun, but flawed.

Stripped down and simplified mech blaster that'll be too clunky for most gamers' tastes. Great multiplayer though.