From the moment you unwrap Codename: Outbreak, you know it's not going to win the most original game of the year award.

But there is a lot to be said for retreading old ground well and adding some interesting tweaks along the way, which this first-person shooter (FPS) for the PC does very well.

Codename: Outbreak has you travelling the world to combat an arachnid alien menace.

If you take the game's sci-fi influences and throw in the squad-based realism of the Delta Force series, you get a fair picture of what this game is all about.

You take on the role of the sharp edge of a high-tech military force.

You operate as a two-man squad, which is really the hook of this game. You can control your secondary character by issuing simple hot-keyed commands, which the well-scripted AI executes flawlessly.

Alternatively, you can simply switch between them. This allows you complete control over the secondary while the AI takes care of the primary.

This system makes tactical assaults an even more intriguing proposition. If you're playing the classic marine-and-sniper combo, you can have a lot of fun and open up a big can of combat whoopass and kick some serious alien derriere.

The bugs are a formidable foe but you are more likely to come across humans, generally military, scientists and police, who are controlled by small face, hugger-style nasties.

Good sniping is essential to completing missions. You have only one chance to get that head-shot otherwise the surviving enemy will raise the alarm.

As with so many other FPS games these days, stealth is also high on the list of priorities.

The 3D-engine is not to demanding on the system and ensures smooth gameplay on smaller systems.

While not an essential part of anyone's collection, Codename: Outbreak is an interesting edition for fans of the FPS genre.

Price: £34.99
Contact: www.vie.co.uk
Feel good factor: 7 out of 10
Reviewed by Dan Urben