Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

Video games based on movie licences often spell trouble, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Xbox, PS2/LucasArts, The Collective) reminds us why. This game was hastily put together, hoping to entice fans with a compulsive need for all things Star Wars.

Where to begin? Underneath the impressive visuals, Episode III is devoid of any genuine enjoyment, and it begins with its repetitive gameplay. The normal levels are simple hack-and-slashers - just tap the attack buttons and hold block and you can defeat the game blindfolded. The enemies come after you in a seemingly endless wave, and the lack of gameplay deviation will irritate even the calmest Jedi. For reasons unknown, the fixed camera angles are unworkable; it reaches a point where you can't even see what's up ahead or who's shooting at you.

Where Episode III shows some potential is in the one-on-one boss fights. The developers should have considered making a game based entirely on the lightsaber duels, since they produce such memorable scenes in the films. But what ruins this promising mode is the terrible control, especially the difficulties of locking on to your enemy. Too many times I would attempt to dodge an attack only to slide in the opposite direction (i.e. the perfect position to get my ass whooped).

As with many movie-licensed videogames, Episode III feels rushed. If after seeing the film you absolutely need a Star Wars game, pick up the FPS Star Wars: Republic Commando (PC, Xbox) or the RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC, Xbox). If you haven't seen the movie, don't let this game ruin the plot for you.

Koreans kick ass

After getting my necromancer/elementalist to level four (I know, I suck), a more committed friend of mine decided to give me a guided tour of Guild Wars' wild PvP mode. He and his green-caped guild were going to fight a rival Korean team in the tombs, and he was the designated healer.

Unfortunately he wasn't all that experienced with the task, and his aggressive teammates absorbed considerable damage. His defacto guild leader, with the handle "Big Jar O Pwnsauce," was not impressed, and warned him such incompetence would not be tolerated in his prestigious guild. In the next battle, my friend was quickly killed, even though he was supposed to stay out of harm's way. After being resurrected, a flurry of colourful magic exploded on the screen, along with text identifying which guild member was attacking which Korean (in Hangeul, no less). Pretty soon, all of the North American players were being slaughtered one-by-one.

Alas it was a failure. The Koreans retained their title, and my friend was asked never to participate in a PvP battle as a healer again. Luckily for him, the game filters out any cursing.

Big Three flaunt

Gaming-industry types say this every year, but E3 2005 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) was the biggest one yet. This time they may be right, as "the big three" showed off the next generation of gaming.

Sony: Scored some major exclusive titles in Devil May Cry (Capcom), Tekken (Namco) and Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar). The Unreal Tournament 2007 (Midway) demo lived up to its namesake, but the real diamond in the rough was Liverpool Studios' F1 game.

Microsoft: The promise of free Xbox Live for all 360 owners is an enticing proposition. Less than 10 per cent of Xbox owners currently play Xbox Live.

Nintendo: Still coy about the Revolution, but their plans for the DS are starting to become clear. Playing Mario Kart DS (Nintendo) with Wi-Fi sounds better than anything the PSP has to offer.

Now playing: UC2: The Liandri Conflict (Xbox) Wishlist: Too many to list after E3