This really is a game of two halves. A pair of warring factions are vying for control of a sacred artefact, which makes for a messy business considering that each one possesses a single half of the thing, and is desperate to get its paws on the other, bringing the whole thing together. It's a supremely powerful object, so the factions - Pale Lotus and Dark Mantis - despite sounding like a Chinese set menu for two, are locked in brutal combat for possession of it. Nasty combat, too, the kind that's not afraid to use its nails, leave teeth marks all over your bum cheeks and play havoc with the upholstery.

So, there you have it. Twelve combatants, comprised of six from each faction, battling it out in typical beat-'em-up fashion. Each button corresponds to a limb, with the R trigger allowing for some nifty extra manoeuvres. The battles take place in detailed arenas that feature oodles of breakables, which probably pushes the insurance premiums sky high. But that's all just preliminary ceremony to bring you up to speed - with all that polite bowing out of the way, we can get on to the fight proper.

So, what is there to separate the game from its Xbox dojo-mates, namely Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Dead Or Alive 3? Firstly, it's a bit more furious than any other beat-'em-up around. Everything in the game can be ruined. Not only can you trash the fighting arenas in a variety of ways - furniture splinters convincingly and the floor shatters like a bar of Caramac dropped from the Eiffel Tower - but you can also dole out some serious GBH to your opponent. As the battle wages over three rounds, dark bruises form on faces, mouths trickle with blood, clothes tear and scuffle and, generally, by the end of the match the loser will look like they've gone twelve rounds with an abattoir, and lost. Fighters haven't looked this bruised and battered since Rocky.

There's a nice level of detail that helps to make the fights feel like true battles, as opposed to just clinical meetings of fists and feet. Not only that, but it's actually possible to shatter the limbs of your opponent by raining down blows on them when they block. Not only does it sound plausible, but it's a great idea that encourages people to take the initiative and get stuck in. No cheesy perma-blocking here, not unless you want one of your arms flapping uselessly by your side like an old sock.

There's a bunch of other cool ideas, too. When you're backed up against a wall, you can use it to launch a particularly vicious attack, so getting cornered by a button basher isn't much of a worry. Add that to the ability to spin and leap off the scenery, and your position in the arena suddenly becomes as strategic as it's ever been. And boy, do those arenas look sweet. Bathed in a solar flare's worth of lighting effects and heat hazes, along with slick reflections and the pitter-patter of falling rain, it looks the business. The characters aren't slouches, either. They don't, however, move that gracefully, which make the fights feel a little messy and clunky at times.

Just for the record, as far as video game boobs go, this one's got the best. They jiggle in just the right places. Take that, Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Ahem. Anyway, just for the record, like. Ignore the crass Americanism in the form of some cheesy dialogue and miserable character design, and you're in for a frantic beat-'em-up that will allow you to tear up the joint in more ways than one. In terms of quality, it falls neatly between Dead Or Alive 3 and Mortal Kombat, and makes for one of the most involving and action-packed fighting experiences around.

This is highly enjoyable scrapper fare, and not a duff duffer with any obvious flaws. It's not the best beat-'em-up on Xbox, as it's pipped for that accolade by Tecmo's finest, but it's an extremely worthy contender for your time. It's solid, detailed, swift and bundles of fun that, like trapped wind, is even better when shared with a friend.

1. Limbs go pop
2. Looks mighty fine
3. Better than Mortal Kombat

1. Fortune cookie dialogue
2. Special moves are a bit duff!

Power
Lovely arenas to trample, and a bunch of sassy visual effects give this a great layer of visual quality.

Style
Garish and chunky characters reminiscent of the poorest beat-'em-up designs around. Weak.

Immersion
Thoughtful moves allow for some accessible, playable combat. It's responsive, too.

Lifespan
Like all good fighters, it's as limited as the number of fiends you can find to test your skills against.

Summary
It's highly enjoyable, frenzied and fun to play. A black belt among fighting games, that just lacks a killer edge.