Contrary to what I thought as a young boy, a pool shark is not a type of fish that lurks in leisure centres. Instead, it's the kind of person who drifts between seedy bars and can't quite decide what's more important - the winning or the money.

Whereas World Championship Snooker 2004 was all about conquering tournaments, Blade Interactive's follow-up concentrates on conning other pool sharks out of their ill-gotten gains.

Matches start with paltry bets of around $50 - $80. Fortunately, an experienced hustler can double or even triple the wager mid-game. It's a stirring idea but one that falls a little flat in single-player mode. There's no real incentive to play deliberately badly to trick your opponent. Just play normally and your opponent will inevitably up the stakes themselves. Hustling should also have been worked into the game with more visual conviction. There's no interaction between the great-looking characters, just a basic 'hustle' option in the pause menu.

There's no trifling when it comes to Xbox Live though. When playing online, hustling another player is hugely satisfying because you get to keep their (virtual) cash if you win. Nine different game types are included, from 8-Ball and 9-Ball to the more unusual 3-Ball and Rotation Pool. Our two favourites are 10 Pin Pool, a game cleverly based on tenpin bowling, and Showboat Pool, where only trick shots count towards the final score.

If you've played Blade's World Championship Snooker or World Championship Pool series, you'll know what to expect from the gameplay. Pool Shark 2 uses the same brilliantly intuitive cueing system.

Potting or missing depends on setting the power meter, cue contact point and cueing angle precisely. Crucially, the physics engine is so rigorous that there simply is no better pool simulation out there today.

Graphically, it's also very well defined. Quality motion capture makes the cueing believable and the T locations look very crisp. These fictional settings are also packed with funny incidental details, like the writhing pole dancers in Philly Joe's club.

Understandably, there aren't any world-famous pool sharks (we're not talking professionals here), so Blade has created 20 comical, suitably seedy drink-house desperados. In appearance, they're full of fun and in the same vein as the Outlaw Golf/Volleyball series. Unfortunately, their voiceovers are more Paul Daniels than Paul Newman, and lack real attitude and, well, 'va-va-voom'. The absence of commentary (especially when attempting the ten trick shots) is also sorely noticeable.

Pool Shark 2 is a diamond in the rough. It's a hugely authentic and engaging pool sim with a few presentational issues, most notably the voiceovers. A laudable variety of modes, characters and settings make it sufficiently different from Blade's other titles and well worth it for fans of the sport.

1. Flawless ball physics are supported by a highly intuitive cueing system. Perfect for attempting wild trick shots.
2. Environments and characters are varied and very crisp in appearance. Motion capture helps them to cue convincingly.
3. The hustle option works brilliantly in Xbox Live play, but it's a shame that you don't see the characters interact with each other.
4. Audio is a sore point. While the music is fine, the voiceovers (done by the dev team) would have benefitted from using professional actors.
5. This excellent multiplayer title really benefits from being Xbox Live-enabled. Get online and start hustling!

Great sim from the masters of the genre. Lacks World Chamionship Snooker 2004's polish but entertains with wacky characters and settings.