When you've got a good thing going, milk it. Such was the philosophy of Rockstar Games who followed up the comic uber-violence of GTA3 with a controversial riot# sim that enabled players to beat AI-controlled foes into unconsciousness with a decapitated head. Sound like fun? Yes, we thought it might.

Now more than a year old on the PS2, State Of Emergency's anarchic mayhem has been unleashed on Xbox, somewhat surprisingly considering the game wasn't exactly adored in its original inception. However, while the general gameplay has barely been tinkered with, there are two very good reasons why this 'update' might appeal. First is the lure of the new multiplayer modes for up to four joy-bashers to partake in. Second is the generous £20 price tag.

Set in a totalitarian future, the game's virtually redundant storyline tells the tale of rival gangs revolting against 'The Corporation'. And that's it. All this game is concerned with is rioting, maiming and total destruction. Two modes of play are available - Kaos and Revolution. Kaos is the most satisfying. It drops your chosen bruiser into the middle of a mass-scale rampage, where your aims are generally to muster a fixed number of points in set time limits. This is achieved by completing objectives, such as wiping out highlighted gang members, destroying vehicles and slaying rival gangs. Weapons are freely available, from bats, meat cleavers and park benches to rocket launchers, Molotov cocktails and discarded body bits. Revolution mode is near-identical beat-'em-up fodder but with a sketchy unfolding tale that requires players to undertake specific goals such as protecting a gang member or retrieving documents. Sadly, the goals are all pretty mundane.

The addition of the various competitive and co-op multiplayer modes significantly bolsters the game's appeal. Multiplayer Kaos and Multiplayer Last Clone Standing are gruesome fun, but Deathmatch swallows the proverbial biscuit in terms of sadistic pleasure. Laying into a 40-strong crowd of baton-wielding henchmen with a burst of machine-gun fire isn't as controversial as it sounds because the events carry about as much credibility as an episode of Crossroads.

The main problem with State Of Emergency is its repetitiveness. Playing is little more than an endurance test of how many times you can bash your gamepad buttons without losing patience or the feeling in your fingers. Also, there are only four environments to vandalise, and they hardly transcend the boundaries of human imagination.

Yet despite its obvious lack of longevity and sophistication, State of Emergency is surprisingly enjoyable, especially in the multiplayer modes. It's nowhere near as tasteless as its concept suggests, and we can think of far worse ways to spend 20 quid.

Power
The number of characters allowed on screen at one time (up to 50) is astonishing.

Style
The character models are basic and the backgrounds mundane, but it's still pleasing to the eye.

Immersion
Unbelievably simple to pick up and play with furious arcade beat-'em-up action.

Lifespan
Repetitive, but post-pub multiplayer functionality ensures itll be pulled off the shelf now and again.

Summary
Simple, comic-book arcade thrills with no pretensions of greatness. Worth picking up at the excellent price.

1. Gratuitously fun!
2. Excellent multiplayer modes
3. Great price tag

1. Extremely repetitive
2. No depth
3. Easy to get into, easy to get out of