Turn on, tune in, take it back to the shop

At a time when videogaming comes under fire for being a bad influence on the nation's youth, arguably the last thing the business needs is NARC. It's not that we're saying that a serious subject such as drug abuse is too taboo for gaming, just that it needs to be handled with maturity and respect.

Even the original 1990 arcade game was edgy stuff for its day. You played a motorcycle helmet-wearing cop armed with machine-guns, bazookas and a liking for ultraviolence, running around seizing contraband and making the odd arrest in between blowing people's arms and legs off. The game's anti-drug slogan was, "Say no or die".

Now while the remake of NARC is no more violent (if anything, the gore is less over the top), the main difference is that you're encouraged to use drugs to gain special abilities. Cynics could argue that this gimmick is little more than a means to court controversy. Although the drug references can be humorous, it's no Brass Eye when it comes to satire. On the other hand, NARC is cunningly inventive about how the drugs affect gameplay.

For example, smoking a crack pipe makes your playable DEA agent (either Marcus Hill or Jack Forzenski) go berserk. Not only do they gain the strength to punch people's heads off, but they're also a 'crack' shot with a pistol for a limited time. Likewise, taking speed makes your coppers run and fight like it's going out of fashion, all accompanied with high-pitched voices and elongated perspective.

Although often crass in its approach to drug abuse, the developer has tried to point out that there's also a downside to getting high. If you're spotted smoking a spliff in the middle of the road, you're likely to get arrested and busted down to street cop. Also, using too many drugs will make you addicted, causing possible blackouts and seizures. There are only two cures for addiction - either by taking an expensive dose of 'Protodone', or by going into Withdrawal mode, which involves wiggling the Right stick in a Simon Says sequence to get clean. Out of all the game's darker moments, this has to be the most insensitive.

Thankfully, NARC plays a lot better than it sounds. It's like a simple version of GTA, minus the vehicles but with sandbox-style cities to explore. It's no surprise that there are similarities with State Of Emergency - they share the same basic game engine, although the combat system has been vastly updated.

To arrest a felon, you get them in a grapple and tap the Y button until a timing meter appears. At this point, you must hit the A button at exactly the right time to slap the cuffs on. A nice touch is that you can wear down opponents with punches, kicks and even wrestling moves to make this mini-game easier. And although it's possible to arrest anyone in the game, brutalising an innocent person reduces your overall reputation.

Of course, there's usually a reason to arrest someone, and that reason is the mission-based story mode. At any point you can return to the police station to receive new orders, each leading you closer to the producer of a new wonder-drug, "Liquid Soul". Objectives are pleasingly varied, from protecting informants and conducting stakeouts to putting crack houses out of commission.

Unfortunately, NARC's graphics are the biggest reflection of its budget-price status. While the main characters look okay, they're extremely prone to clipping and falling through walls. We've even encountered situations where enemies flicker in and out of existence (not the effect of drug abuse, but dodgy programming). Another belligerent problem is the inconsistent framerate. Watching the game chug along in highly populated areas is bad enough, but it's even worse when the game suddenly starts blistering along at double speed when there are no pedestrians nearby.

But it's not just the graphics that are a little awry. Throughout the game there are numerous lapses in game logic that can make you angrier than a crack addict going cold turkey. On one occasion, you're trying to take photos of various gang leaders. Although snapping the first four is a piece of cake, the fifth can only be snapped from a specific unmarked rooftop, even though you can see his face quite clearly! Another example is when you're trying to chase a fugitive's limo. When you think logically and use some speed to make things easier, the car just moves twice as fast to stop you.

To its credit, NARC is a fairly huge game with enough mission variety to hold your interest from beginning to end. It's even possible to unlock the original arcade NARC if you collect enough of the game's hidden drug stashes. Ultimately, whether you find the game to be in bad taste or simply amusing will play a big role in whether you decide to try it. We're certainly concerned about the long-term controversy that NARC could cast over the videogames business, but we're not marking it down on that basis. Setting that aside, NARC is little more than an average action adventure with a budget price and a matching low-budget feel to the graphics and gameplay.

1. Plenty of variety in the missions and a heap of them to get through. Maps are well designed.
2. Fairly good soundtrack and acting add some much-needed quality. The rendered cutscenes are also surprising well done.

1. Inconsistent framerate makes the game chug along at times, and goes into overdrive at others.
2. Terrible lapses in game logic can confuse and cause you to get stuck on the same bit for ages.
3. Graphics and combat system are lacklustre. The gore and explosions are particularly unconvincing.

Even just to see what the controversy is all about, £20 is a stretch. Too many graphical flaws and uninspired combat.