It's not often we play a game that's so rough, clunky and just plain messy that we have to check it is actually finished! But this is one of them. On the face of it, piling through a town full of gun-toting cowboys with nothing but a sword should be great fun. Deflecting bullets and dodging gunfire is the perfect excuse for some kickass action. So how can Samurai Western get so much so wrong?

For starters, it's presented with all the flamboyance of a homemade bongo flick. Laughable characters limp through a plot that lurches from one climax to the next, ruining any sense of drama. And the combat is awful. The idea of spanging back bullets with a wave of your sword should make you feel like a badass ninja. Instead it just leaves you knackered, hammering a single button as the lead, Goujiro, flails around like a man on fire. There's just no skill involved and large sections can be finished just by pressing R1 or Circle repeatedly.

Practically everything in this game blows in some way. Chorus lines of identical enemies appear, inches in front of your face like they've teleported in from Star Trek. The levels are dull, boxy spaces, while boss battles are tedious exercises in exploiting a weak spot. If you want a decent hack and slash adventure get any of the Onimusha games. Even with a budget price tag, this lifeless borderline-broken affair isn't worth your hard-earned pennies.

Graphics 50%
Lumpy characters, muddy environments.

Sound 40%
Sparse and repetitive.

Gameplay 30%
Are you kidding?

Lifespan 30%
A few hours you'll lose forever.

Overall 40%
Loading is about the only thing that really works in this game. Even with upgrades it's just a boring, relentless slog.