Games: Bulletstorm

With a torrent of po-faced military blasters expanding the first-person shooter genre to saturation point, Bulletstorm is a refreshingly comical, puerile experience unafraid to offer hours of fun, while containing plenty of depth. It follows Grayson Hunt, Confederate defector turned space pirate as he leads his ship of mercenaries in fateful charge against his former commander's warship.

The battle causes both ships to plummet down to a hostile planet teeming with crazed mutants and convicts, sparking a desperate race to escape by any means possible. While the shooting mechanism is solid, Bulletstorm throws a neat "Skillshot" system into the mix, rewarding flair and stunts with the ability to unlock new weapons.

Hunt can slide-tackle enemies, kick them into environmental hazards, employ inanimate objects as impromptu weapons and use the "Leash", an electrified whip that can push and pull attackers at his whim. It's fast-paced, heavy-hitting stuff, especially Hunt's over-the-top arsenal of weapons, including a quadruple-barrelled shotgun, drill-bit rifle and more. It's as slick as shooters come, and the campaign is a joy from start to finish.

The core story mode is bolstered by a "Dead Echo" mission mode and "Anarchy", a substantial multiplayer component that sees up to four players lining up complex Skillshots for points. Compared to the seriousness of most modern shooters, Bulletstorm is an utter riot.

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• This article was first published in The Scotsman on March 12, 2011