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First time around it was left to Arnold Schwarzenegger to repel the almost invisible alien-cum-moulinex person peeler. But not to be out-done by a few hundred pounds of interstellar aggro, our reviewer takes a peep at the sequel from Mirrorsoft and cops for some decapitation in the process...

Okay. So the film's not out yet but many of you will already know the basic plot of this particular sci-fi sequel. The year is 1997, and Los Angeles is at the mercy of its criminal population, led by competing drug barons. Things are getting out of control.

Mike Harrigan, a police officer in the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) is out to break the many drugs rings but discovers to his - and everybody else's - abject horror, that the criminal element in the city is not entirely of earthly origin. It is then a race against time and FBI Agent Keyes (who is Harrigan's rival and wants to take the aliens alive) to find and eliminate the monsters from outer space. The difference between this and other alien invasion plots is that the Predators are not after world domination or anything daft like that. They are purely huntsmen looking for otherworldly trophies to take home.

Right, plenty of scope there for an all-action game but how exactly do you implement it? Well the guys at Mirrorsoft have plumped quite simply for a sort of Operation Wolf format, though to be honest it contains far more features and playability than that game. There are four levels in all and, glory be, it's all loaded in in one go. No horrendous multi-loads here. It's then you realise just how clever the programmers have been to be able to fit it all in.

The gameplay is very straightforward indeed. Harrigan is displayed as a wireframe drawing at the bottom of the screen. Using joystick or keys you have to move the on-screen crosshair around, taking pot-shots at anything that looks vaguely hazardous to your health. Your energy is represented at the bottom of the screen by a row of blobs. When they've all gone, you've gone... well not so much gone as fallen in a lifeless heap on the floor. There is also an indication of how many clips of ammo you have left (more on that later). To the left of the screen is a cop's badge. When you accidentally shoot civilians it slowly changes colour. If it becomes completely grey, your employers deem you unfit to wander the streets and retire you from service.

In level one, our hero scrolls along the LA streets slaughtering the henchmen of Ramon Vega (a drug baron). Weedy opponents run across your path and occasionally shoot or throw grenades at you. Then there are the real toughies on whom you must concentrate your fire. These include snipers in the doors and windows of the various buildings, purple cowardly types who crouch and fire relentlessly. Finally there's a huge skinhead who looms large in front of you and must be punched twice before he dies.

Things to avoid are the fat ladies who comically wave their arms aloft and tippy-toe off screen, the Taco seller, and Tony Pope the suicidal reporter who tries to interview you mid-massacre! The Predator also puts in an odd appearance in his semi-invisible form. Don't shoot him or he'll retaliate with a dart or deadly disc. At the end of the level you have to shoot a formation of stooges before eliminating Vega himself.

Level two takes place inside the hotel where a second drug baron is thought to be hiding out. This time bonus weapons can be obtained by shooting the lights, plants and other bits of furniture. Most of the bad guys on this level appear from the lift doors.

If, however, you shoot the lift button before the doors open, this prevents them appearing. This end-of-level face-off takes place in your adversary's penthouse apartment. There's no ultimate aim on this bit other than staying alive until your C64 sends you to level three.

After seeing two of his colleagues murdered by the Predator, Harrigan decides to track down the beast in the subway and this is what level three is all about. Again, opponents appear in the background, mid-screen and foreground, The Predator has become visible and proceeds to rip the heads off the odd baddy here and there. The difficulty on this level lies in hitting the enemies before they become obscured by speeding subway trains which appear with alarming regularity. There is a way of making it easier but all I'll say at this time is don't be afraid of the dark...

And so to the final challenge. If you're wondering what's happened to the screenshots of this level, don't. The plain fact of the matter is that the programmers are being cagey about the whole affair. In level four Harrigan has managed to track down the foul Predator in its hideout with the intention of giving him a good kicking... I've seen it, it's great... and be prepared for the fright of your life.

So then, has Predator 2 got brilliant graphics? Not really. They're not bad and there's loads going on but it's not the prettiest game in the world. Then the sound must be stunning, right? Er, not really - again. A good soundtrack and excellent FX are spoilt a bit by a jingly melody over the top. So why should you buy it? In a word, gameplay. It takes an old formula, builds on it, builds on it a bit more, then adds a coat of varnish and voila - you have a fast, polished blast that'll have you screaming with angst but loving every minute of it.

1. Sound effects are pretty hot. The machine gun is extremely violent.
2. There are plenty of opponents, each with a different level of viciousness.
3. Levels are in handy, completeable chunks. You get a little bit further every time you play.
4. Each level has a different theme and requires a different approach to finish it.
5. Shortage of ammo adds a slight tactical element.
6. Humorous touches like the fat ladies add to the fun.

1. The backdrops are nice but the sprites are decidedly blocky
2. Gameplay doesn't really change