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Guy Spy's reputation goes before him. He single handedly wiped out the entire German secret agent underground at the end of World War Two. Now, not long after, he has an even more difficult and dangerous mission - to foil the evil Baron Von Max's plans for world domination.

Max isn't the kind of guy you'd like to invite round for tea, or even be in the same country as. He is a man with only one thing on his mind - gathering crystals. He needs a full set to plug into his lovingly named Doomsday Device, and his fuse is getting very, very short.

The old Baron has found out that the crystals are hidden in various cities around the world, and is scurrying about with the protection of a band of elite troops to gather them. Only one man can save the world from the Baron, and that man is Guy Spy.

Guy Spy follows the Baron's trail to Berlin, but arrives only to find that Von Max and his cronies are about to board a train for Switzerland. So it's off to the railway station to try and foil the Baron. Unfortunately, some of the Baron's troops are laying in wait and Guy Spy starts by rerouting them to heaven - or should that be hell? By the time Guy Spy has dealt with the troops, the Baron has made his escape.

The game takes place over a variety of different locations. Each location has a task of some sort to complete, and all your skills as a super spy are put to the test before the adventure is over. Each level of the game is linked to the next one by a short animation. These sequences help to create continuity between what could otherwise be a disjointed series of set pieces, and also gives an action movie feel to the game.

As it progresses, you get to have shoot-outs, a ski chase, a wander through a maze - keep it short, please, you're supposed to be finding your way out, not taking a picnic to eat at the centre - fight off a not-quite-dead mummy, fend off the bolts of energy unleashed by a god whose 40 winks you have interrupted, have a sword fight, and deal with yet more of Baron Von Nasty Boots' goons in a bar - well, after all, Guy Spy is an American hero so a bar-room brawl is almost a necessity.

The "reward" for successful completion of all these activities is to cross a very dangerous looking rope bridge and enter the Doomsday Tower. A little more fighting - just a couple of super heavyweight heavies and a rather large looking laser cannon - before you are faced with the final conflict - a duel with Baron Von Max himself. The joystick controls vary according to what level you are on and what task you are performing - for example, wielding a sword, shooting, or moving around a maze.

In some cases, it seems to lack just that little bit of extra responsiveness needed. Although, to be fair, some of the difficulty of joystick control is built-in realism. For example, the recoil from wielding a hefty machine gun would make it rather difficult to keep a steady aim, and this is replicated in the game where it's a fight to keep your aim true.

There is a Save Game option which is only available when you complete a particular task or level. Use it. Rather than plunging you back into the action, failing on a level can result in a complete restart of the game. While the animations are very good, this can get a little tedious. And, of course, a saved level means faster progress to the defeat of Baron Von Max.

Guy Spy doesn't have the best gameplay you're ever likely to have seen in a game of this type, but it does kind of grip you. The animated sequences are quite good, though extended play of the game could leave you wishing that you could skip them. The variety of scenarios and the joystick controls you need to use to complete them keep the interest up, but this is definitely a game where a good read of the manual is necessary if you're going to successfully finish your mission. And if you don't succeed, Baron Von Max does.

Very useful save game option. Brilliant graphics and animation.

Not the most responsive joystick control in the world, and the hairline is not always as clear as it could be.