Be like Smilebit. Of all the people to tinker with an Xbox development kit, Smilebit made one of the best-looking games ever - Jet Set Radio Future. Gun Valkyrie offered an incredibly intense shoot-'em-up for the few players that managed to fight past its difficulty curve. And Panzer Dragoon Orta? Well, Smilebit's third Xbox-exclusive has got the best of both worlds - quite some achievement.

The first thing that hits you about PDO is the visuals. It doesn't take too many levels to realise that this has got to be one of the most amazing visual showcases of computer graphics ever put together for a video game. Technically, it's brilliant, making for a super-smooth, glitch-free blast, but it's the design of the Panzer Dragoon Orta world that's so transfixing. The three forms of the dragon itself are intricate, and just plain cool to look at - check out the oily, glistening wing texture of the Base Wing form, and the way that sunlight is dampened when it passes through it. The projectile death that pours forth from the beast is just as impressive, with plasmas of every colour and design curling about as they lock onto targets.

Visual effects during the levels are amazing too. The waterfalls that pour over you during episode two are stunning, as is the sandstorm later on in the game, as is... well, we don't want to give too much away. Let's just say there are some incredible sights here, just in the usual course of playing the game, let alone the bosses - which are, of course, the traditional preserve for posh graphics.

Come to think of it, tradition is an important word when it comes to Panzer Dragoon Orta. For a start, it's the third shoot-'em-up in the series (but the fourth overall - Panzer Dragoon Saga was an RPG on the Sega Saturn, and is now worth loads of cash, should you happen to have a copy gathering dust in your cupboard). Happily, it carries on the heritage brilliantly: the Panzer series has always inspired a cult following of hardcore fans, thanks largely to its unique setting, and this update will please those enthusiasts no end. But even if it's the first time you've heard of the game, we think you're going to enjoy what's on offer.

The other significance of tradition is that PDO is very much a shoot-'em-up in the classic mode. It's got some of the spangliest bells and whistles the genre has ever seen, but it's still a shoot-'em-up, and that means replaying sections until you get the hang of them, and some occasionally frustrating moments of extreme difficulty. But that's always been the shoot-'em-up way, and we won't let it beat us! But more of those bells and whistles.

Besides the graphics, PDO has a few nuances that lift the gameplay above the average blaster. Chief among these is the way your dragon morphs into three different forms, cycled through with the Y button. We've detailed the precise advantages and disadvantages of each form in the 'You've Changed' box above, but the great thing about them all is that they're each appropriate for different situations. At times, you're forced to whirl through them quickly in order to take out evervthing that's thrown at vou. Pull it off properly through the trickier bits and you'll feel like a gaming god.

If dozens of enemies and three different dragon forms doesn't sound like enough to be getting on with, there's one more addition to keep you on your talons. You can move the camera around the dragon to fire behind you and to either side, so you constantly need to be on the watch for enemies attacking from each and every direction. There's a radar to help you do this, but it means that the game gets even more hectic as you frantically swing the camera around to track whirling attack patterns with your lasers. No easy task when many enemies are faster than a Beckham-bound footy boot.

If it's a fast-paced, beautiful shoot-'em-up you're after, then you're not going to find a game that does it better than PDO. There are a few worries - some of the boss battles drag on for too long, and it can be teeth-grindingly difficult to play - but there's just so much cool stuff here for blaster fans. Replayability is assured by the 'Pandora's Box', which offers loads of unlockable goodies as certain criteria are met, and - this being a shooter and all - there's always a higher score to go for.

Panzer Dragoon Orta really shows what the Xbox is capable of, and is the type of intricate, fun blaster you rarely see these days. The atmosphere is unique among video games. Like a granny on rollerblades, this is one fusion of old and new that's well worth having a good look at.

Power
Stupidly large numbers of enemies, amazing effects, incredibly smooth throughout.

Style
Classic Panzer Dragoon - unique, evocatively designed characters and levels male it very engaging.

Immersion
A very intense shooter - the concentration required to succeed means it's pretty hypnotic...

Lifespan
...and you won't rest until you've seen every level. Loads of secrets to unlock as well.

Summary
A gorgeous shoot-'em-up, Panzer Dragoon Orta mixes cutting-edge looks and classic blasting with a few new twists.

1. Stunning visuals
2. Intense blasting!
3. Lots of cool things to unlock

1. Can be very difficult at times
2. Unfortunately dying can sometimes mean going back too far