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Bond is painting by numbers. There's a comforting formula to the series that is so uniform and regimented you could pluck a 007 plot from thin air. It's not about creating original storylines anymore, it's about reworking the best bits of the previous films and sticking a colourful, cackling megalomaniac on top for decoration.

And don't forget your silver-toothed, bowler-hatted, diamond-blasted Aryan henchman - it just wouldn't be the same without one of those. In fact, there are so many Bond conventions and traits that you no longer need a specific film on which to base a game in order to recognise the franchise. Agent Under Fire did it, as did NightFire, but these were just tasters. Echoing the films in more ways than one, just as Goldfinger was hailed the definitive 007 movie, the third 007 Xbox game could well be its virtual counterpart. It has everything - even a Bond-derived name (the Bond movie production company Eon is an acronym of Everything Or Nothing) - but what you have to admire is the sheer flamboyance and knowing campery of it all. This is seriously good fun.

First up, the most notable difference between this and the last two console outings is the shift away from the first-person perspective. It was a brave move, especially considering the number and breadth of third-person games on the market. But hey, this is 007, he could dance the light fandango with olives up his nose for all we care. Fortunately, the transition has been a smooth one, and Bond moves and looks every bit as suave and slick as the real Brosnan, and it isn't hard to see why. The cast has been scanned and mapped onto 3D models, complete with quirky mannerisms and postures. Brosnan, Cleese, Dench, Elizabeth, and surprise guest Willem Dafoe have all been under the scanner, and it makes a staggering difference to the game. Couple this with original voice acting that's second to none, and you're looking at one of the finest cinematic experiences to hit the Xbox in a long while.

The use of a third-person Bond instead of just the view over the top of a variety of guns also means the scope for gameplay can be taken that much further. It means the inclusion of scenes like the breathtaking freefall section (worth the money alone), plus more inventive Bond Moments, which are incidental missions you can perform to increase your overall score. It's fair to say there's a big thumbs-up going out to whoever suggested the third-person malarkey. Most of the time it works a treat.

The only real problem is the targeting system. It's not particularly complex, yet you can only really score a hit if you lock on to someone. It's forced precision that takes a little of the spontaneity out of the game. You lock, you fire, you move on to the next sucker. There's no spraying an area with lead in blind panic and, depending on your point of view, this approach can be somewhat clinical.

The camera also has a tendency to be stubborn. You may well know someone is shooting at you from above, but unless you can position yourself in just such an angle that you can get a lock on then you're done for. The same goes for close-quarter firefights. It's virtually impossible to shoot from point-blank range, as Bond opts for (albeit impressive) fisticuffs instead. Keep a middle distance from enemies and you should be fine; alter from your position and you're entering ground that's best not dwelled on. Pity.

What really lifts Bond out of the control and camera doldrums are three key factors. The gameplay (which is intensely varied and clever), the visuals (which speak for themselves), and the gadgets. Oooh, the gadgets! MI6 would be giddy. Bond now has a handy rappel to scale walls plus mini-grenades cunningly disguised as £2 coins. He gets miniature spider cameras which allow remote access into nooks and crannies (and then explode on command), and even the daft invisible car is back. It seems Q has been pretty busy, because there's also an invisibility suit powered by batteries the size of house bricks. Silly, sure, but you don't use it that often so there's little to grumble over.

One minute you'll be crouching behind a crate being blasted from all sides and fumbling around in your pocket for a £2 coin, the next you'll be driving a rocket-powered 500cc motorbike off a cliff into the back of a cargo plane. There are Speed-style "don't drop below 50mph" missions, there are GoldenEye-inspired tank missions. You'll break your knuckles punching Jaws in his metal kisser, and you'll take a break from saving the world to give a Scandinavian lady a massage. Everything, from Mya's theme tune (and subsequent daft cameo) to the knowing innuendos and cringey puns are crammed in with such gusto and glee you know from the instant the theme tune kicks in you're in for far more than just kiss kiss, bang bang.

It's as cheesy as a bag of old man’s pants, but the best Bond yet. It's not quite a case of "nobody does it better", largely due to the shoddy camera and fiddly targeting, but nobody does it with such style and cocky panache. Welcome back, 007.

1. Great, varied action
2. Superb voice acting
3. Steeped in Bond influences

1. The camera is everywhere
2. Targeting is really ropey
3. Stinks of cheese!

Power
The Xbox game is obviously much more polished and pretty than its other console counterparts.

Style
Suave, surefooted and has lingerie models posing as geologists. Smooth as creamed silk.

Immersion
You are Bond. You've got the looks, the voice, the smart quips, the girls, the gadgets, everything.

Lifespan
It's easy enough to plough through but you'll play this every Sunday afternoon till the cows come home.

Summary
The finest Xbox 007 adventure, only let down by poor targeting. Forgive this and you'll love it for the mature cheddar it really is.