Why is the future never optimistic? Games, movies, books... they're all the same. If it's not totalitarian dictators oppressing the people, it's some apocalyptic vision or other decimating humanity. Headhunter: Redemption is no different.

A classically scored, noirish intro brings us up to speed on the dark goings-on of the near-future. After an apocalyptic virus, the world is now split between Above (affluent inhabitants, sleek buildings) and Below (crime-ridden all-round nasty place). Keeping the peace for the elevated populace are Headhunters, super-cops who, typically, are of the jaded/hard-bitten/washed out nature. King of the cliché is Jack Wade, the best of the best with several bags of McCain's on his shoulder.

If you remember the original Dreamcast Headhunter game, you'll be pleased to know the recipe of the first game still forms the meat and two veg of Headhunter: Redemption. Relatively simple third-person action, mixed with a healthy dose of stealthing and garnished with an intriguing script is the dish of the day. Unfortunately, this may not be to everyone's tastes, because although this sneaky smorgasbord was sufficiently nutritious four years ago, times have moved on and us critical kids demand much more from a game than merely run-of-the-mill action.

Although solid, the graphics are hardly the cleanest or sharpest we've ever seen on Xbox, and the two characters (streetwise rude girl Leeza X and the aforementioned Jack Wade) feel rather clumsy to control. Interaction with the (rather bland) environment, like picking up objects and flicking switches, is painfully slow. Intrusive cutscenes often punctuate the (sporadic) action, and though not quite on a Metal Gear Solid scale, quickly start to grate.

Auto-aim works very well in games when it's executed correctly, but Headhunter: Redemption's offering unfortunately proves a hindrance more than a help in a lot of cases. The floaty nature of the crosshair does encourage careful aiming and limits players' Rambo tendencies of carelessly blazing through levels. But once the bullets start raining down, try quickly targeting a foe and the flawed lock-on function proves its uselessness.

Players must be facing the exact direction of an enemy for it to really work. Try strafing or switching direction quickly and the crosshair will randomly jump to a nondescript barrel in the distance, rather than the bad guy five feet in front of you pumping you full of lead.

But that's not to say the game is merely a tiresome toil through the uninteresting underbelly of society, because Headhunter does offer some entertaining moments. Mission objectives progressively appear throughout levels, and involve a fair bit of sleuthing, item-collecting and puzzle-solving. Characters' weapons attributes are upgradeable, as is their ability to decode, through simple logic puzzles, locked security doors.

However, factor in the poor presentation and camera issues inherent throughout the game, and unfortunately Redemption loses its head before it really gets going. The odd bike chase succeeds in breaking up the on-foot action but, at the end of the day, still can't bring Headhunter the Redemption its title promises.

1. The majority of mission objectives pose interesting puzzles and challenges for players.
2. A large inventory of cool weapons and gadgets, coupled with the customisable nature of your abilities keeps players interested.

1. Rather more taxing than the average actioner.
2. Frequent and frankly overlong cutscenes annoyingly interrupt the pace of the game. They can't be skipped either. Grrr!
3. Lacklustre, last-gen graphics aren't helped by unimaginative, distinctly bland level design and repetitive environments.
4. The twitchy camera and awkward auto-aiming frequently frustrate, and often amount to an untimely death during firefights.

A disappointing return. The third-person action genre has come a long way in four years - pity this series hasn't.