We all love our shooters here at Official Xbox Magazine. Hugging a corner before legging it down a corridor, hearing the chain-gun kick in and spraying everything that moves for all you're worth. Nothing beats it. The sound of a heavy weapons symphony with damage, blood and bullets all coming together in one of those moments that makes gaming so much damn fun. And Xbox owners have enjoyed the very best in this blood-soaked field since Bill's box of tricks joined the party and brought a goodie bag to share.

The fantastic benchmark that is Halo, the incredible Xbox Live experience of Return To Castle Wolfenstein, the sheer destructive orgy of Red Faction II. Titles cherry-picked from a blossoming tree of quality games with even more left on the branch than we have page space to name-check. Are we spoilt for choice? Well, we'll always do an Oliver and ask for more, but right now no Xbox shooter fan is going hungry.

But when served with a feast it means people get picky. And like a panel of Pop Idol judges, we're looking for hopeful starlets to stand out from the crowd and show us some moves we haven't seen before. So it's just as well there's a man called Mace waiting in the wings who's making a bold attempt at combining typical run and gun action with aerial space-laced combat. Mr Griffin, you've got our attention, the stage is yours... just don't fall on your face.

You know you've got a tough job when ignoring your boss's orders gets you ten years in jail, praying that you never drop the soap. Although messing up in most jobs doesn't involve you having to watch your colleagues get slaughtered. But in the world of Mace Griffin, mistakes cost lives and it's normally yours.

You play an ex-Ranger out for revenge after being court marshalled and sent to jail for dereliction of duty involving an escape from a spaceship that was about to make the big bang look like a small pop. Upon his release, Mace decides that rather than pursue his grievance through a court of law (a courtroom sim just doesn't have the same appeal), the life of a bounty hunter would give him access to cash, weaponry and possible inside information on whoever set him up for a fall.

But the story isn't really that important. What's important is how you can take to the skies as well as hoof it on foot. We're not talking about cutting to you sitting in a cockpit. We're talking about you walking down to the hangar, boarding your craft, finding the cockpit, jumping into the hotseat and launching into the fray. Controlling the ship brings back memories of driving a Warthog in Halo - Left thumbstick for forward and reverse thrust while the Right stick provides the turning mechanism. You'll get a sensation of speed when the game allows it, meaning you'll experience rapid acceleration towards locations you're supposed to go towards and more of an 'impression' of speed when trying to just have a wander amongst the stars.

Your airborne duties largely consist of dogfights and docking your craft. The combat is similar to any 3D sci-fi shoot-'em-up. Seen the movie Starfighter? Then this won't be unfamiliar. You'll often be swarmed with alien craft and you'll need a keen eye and the help of a good targeting computer to pick them off.

Landing your ship is reminiscent of veteran space trading game Elite, where you need to fly through illuminated portals to successfully dock with an orbiting spacestation. The ship does feel a little light but it's easily compensated by the whole atmosphere and general wow factor of having this type of gameplay wrapped into a traditional first-person shooter.

At any point you can simply walk away from the cockpit controls and have a wander around the ship. There's no real reason why you would choose to do this during a battle, but it does underline the fluid nature of your character: one moment he's a pilot and the very next he's a traditional gun-wielding soldier.

And good old-fashioned run and gun action is still very much where the heart of this game lies. Regardless of the innovative aerial combat, this title is traditional in a big way. There are no difficulty settings, no multiplayer options and you get the feeling that the development team thinks Xbox Live is just slang that youngsters use.

But it doesn't matter because, with all the frills taken away, the focus has been placed solely on making the single-player game as good as possible and Mace Griffin is subject to more polish than Mr Sheen's very own marble floor. There's a checklist of stuff to remember when making a decent FPS, and in this case nearly all of the boxes have been ticked. The graphics are bang up to date with highly detailed textures and a smooth, sleek finish to the weaponry, characters and many of the environments. The atmosphere is top notch - you'll get sucked into each mission scenario, whether it's turning the corner and finding yourself in the midst of a firefight between two opposing forces or crawling through ceiling ventilation ducts to be greeted by a panoramic view of an underground complex. The control is fine; aiming and weapon selection are a doddle. The stages offer a decent variety of action for this genre and, with more than a dozen very large missions to complete, you won't be finishing it in a couple of evenings.

The guns feel big and meaty with most possessing a secondary function and providing the kind of damage you expect. Riddle the bad guys with bullets and blood will suitably squirt in all directions. Hit them with explosives and make sure the brolly is up to shield you from the raining gibs. The AI is also half decent - the enemy spots you quickly and will cover and attack in groups rather than just charging at you like typical no-brain bullet-catchers.

But there is a problem with Mace's footwork. He's got slippy-feet syndrome and the jumping ability of a small elephant. Most shooters have times when it's not about gunfire, and with Mace these moments rely on acrobatic challenges rather than puzzles. There are times when you have to take a leap of faith but you almost have to take your last step in mid-air because the jump function isn't accurate enough for some of the trickier objectives. It can feel a little clumsy when you're trying to clamber over a load of boxes because you've got no perception of where his feet are. It's not prolific enough to spoil the game but it's cumbersome enough to get annoying.

The developer has accomplished a difficult balancing act between the two gaming styles and has interwoven the airborne interludes into the natural course of the narrative. It's done so well that you wish it could offer a bit more depth. The technical hard work has been completed but you'll find yourself wanting more open-ended gameplay, with you deciding which missions to accept and making your own way there - perhaps via a dogfight or two. And pardon the pun, but the ships are empty vessels.

Like a bimbo, they're pretty but vacant, and generally only consist of a couple of empty rooms. But these gripes are symptoms of us getting excited about new features that add life to an old genre and naturally wanting more from them. A Mace Griffin sequel needs to happen because, with all that is demonstrated in this game, there's real scope to expand the franchise and take this title from being a very good shooter to a classic game that stands the test of time. But if you're a fan of highly polished single-player blasters then there's a man called Mace heading your way with a few tricks up his sleeves. Get to know him because he won't disappoint.

1. Looks great!
2. Play a spaceman as well as a soldier!
3. Decent controls and gunplay
4. Diverse levels

1. The gymnastics are hit and miss
2. Lacks longevity

Power
Smooth framerate, quick load times and highly detailed visuals - a worthy Xbox game.

Style
Can you think of another FPS that lets you take to the skies in your own ship? Thought not.

Immersion
You'll want to complete each stage to find out where you're going to go next - addictive.

Lifespan
With just single-player and no unlockables or difficulty adjuster it's unlikely you'll make a return trip.

Summary
A highly enjoyable shooter that's just short of Elite status. An expanded sequel could well see it up there.