Sega's House Of The Dead series has a lot of devoted fans. There's just something amazingly gratifying about blasting wave after wave of undead characters to smithereens in this arcade-style shooting frenzy. And you get to use that lightgun you bought.

The widespread appeal of the series now means that Xbox owners get to play this third instalment of zombie blastage. Sega hasn't brought out a lightgun this time around, but to coincide with the release of the game there are a few third-party guns on the market. We used the splendid Thrustmaster gun to review the title, as it's just not the same with a pad - and if you splash out on the game we'd suggest you do the same. That said, it's still fairly playable with the Xbox Controller - a bit like an FPS on a set route.

Once you've loaded it all up and got your gun in hand, you'll find that it's pretty much business as usual in zombie land. As is typical for the series, it's something of a visual showcase - gloriously chunky and vibrant graphics cement the arcadey feel, and enemies are highly detailed and well designed. Old favourites like the axe-wielding, lumberjack-shirted zombies are joined by new enemies that are a pleasure to riddle with bullet holes. The undead fatties are our current favourites.

There are changes to the way the game plays, too, although they're only subtle. The main difference is that your character is now armed with a shotgun, rather than a pistol - the wider firing area is handy, while the longer reload time isn't. There's also more in the way of alternate routes this time around, meaning the game offers a little more in the way of replayability than its predecessors.

Despite the additions, though, the game still suffers from that most common complaint of lightgun shooters - it gets very repetitive, very quickly. The game is fundamentally designed to keep you pumping the nuggets in the slot in an arcade environment, and in the home it's not long before the shortcomings of this approach are exposed.

Still, with a couple of players the game is always worth a bash - and high-score enthusiasts will keep coming back to The House Of The Dead III until their ranking is suitably impressive. But for everyone else, the game's a tad too shallow to justify shelling out on the necessary lightguns.

1. Looks great
2. Just right for a quick blast!

1. Gets repetitive quickly
2. Pointless without a lightgun
3. Nothing really new

Power
Highly detailed levels and a slick framerate make this a good advertisement for the Xbox.

Style
Classic House Of The Dead - over-the-top gore and styling and great design make it a bit of a looker.

Immersion
The lovely visuals mean you'll keep playing to see what's around the corner...

Lifespan
...but the bang-bang gameplay lacks variety - you'll soon tire of it, despite the fat zombies.

Summary
A fun, polished arcade game that looks wonderful but ultimately fails to offer lasting fun in the home.