GENRE: Shooting / Action
PLATFORM: Xbox360, PS3

The Bourne Conspiracy is one of those engrossing action games that just might make you forget everything else as the hours roll on. The non-stop action draws you into its frenzied mix of gunplay and fistfights, punctuated with sudden do-or-die moments where the failure to press the correct buttons results in you going out in an explosive blaze of glory. Yup, the game lives up to the typical assassin creed: Kill or be killed. Thankfully, you can rely on some gears of war - pistols, shotguns, sub-machine guns - to "troubleshoot" you way out of confrontations that take place frequently. The cinematic martial arts sequences, which occur often to liven things up, do not pull punches and serve up some violent attacks that set the pulse racing. Gong hand-to-hand with the hordes of soldiers, terrorists and policemen will indulge those who get their kicks from, well, kicking ass. At the game's heart lies a formulaic plot that strings you along from one action set-piece to another. It's typical Hollywood summer blockbuster entertainment but in a good way. The "novel" twist in the game is that if fills in the missing missions in Jason Bourne's career, giving players a close look at Bourne's identity before his adventures detailed in Robert Ludlum's trilogy of novels-turned-movies. No matter how often and frequently you die - and die hard you will - you will be gunning to complete each mission just to see how the story unfolds. Luckily, the developers have introduced a rather lenient checkpoint system that allows you to try the tougher sections without the need to replay long sequences. The Bourne Conspiracy may not have the supremacy of much-hyped titles like Grand Theft Auto IV or Metal Gear Solid 4 when it comes to the sales charts. But it is an exhilarating, entertaining and polished game with some high production values and a touch of Hollywood. Here's my ultimatum: Dive into this Conspiracy if you spy it on the racks.