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The movie industry discovered a long time ago that the best way to make lots of money was to make lots of sequels. The software industry followed suit and decided that the most cost-effective way to pry 20 quid out of a punter's pocket was to sell him the same game he bought last month. Carrying on that fine marketing tradition and prolonging gamesters' agony at the dearth of exciting new releases is Universe 3 from Impressions, the company that brought you Breach 2.

Universe 3 is a science fiction role-playing game. You assume the role of Captain Alex G Seward and your mission, should you decide to accept the exceedingly large pay packet, is to travel to Earth and re-establish diplomatic relations.

Controlled by a series of icons with keyboard short cuts, you move the good captain by pressing a direction pointer or tracing a path. Pick Up and Drop icons enable you to retrieve objects and a Use icon manipulates them. Other actions such as examining things and ordering the crew are carried out by calling up a verb list.

The graphics in Universe 3 are functional and pleasing, but can hardly be considered original. The screen layout is similar to Breach 2 and all the control icons occupying the right-hand side of the screen are exactly the same as Impressions' previous release. The graphics screen shows an overhead view with a slanted perspective. If a close-up of an object is represented, this overlays the map screen.

Sound is sampled, sparingly used and (guess what?) exactly the same as that used in Breach 2. The screams emitted when someone dies are guaranteed to alarm anyone standing within ten feet of your computer.

Universe 3 has many of the elements of adventure games including problem solving and character interaction, but it couldn't be described as a thought-provoking strategy game - unless you have a brain the size of a pea. It's a severely limited game; the verb list is more of a handicap than a help, constantly clicking on icons gives you nothing but blisters and movement of players is ultimately slow and frustrating.

The game doesn't encourage that one-more-go feeling which makes or breaks a game. It's just a sheep in sheep's clothing - and a second-hand sheep at that!