FIRST person shooters are two-a-penny nowadays and they're generally themed around saving the entire planet from extinction at the hands of terrorists who have got themselves a nuclear bomb.

Funnily enough, that is the thrust of Cold Winter but more than just going through the motions this title is slick, stylish and executed with, what seems, the kind of production more akin to that of the superior Xbox.

You play the part of Andrew Sterling and begin the game by being tortured in a Chinese prison where you've been beaten, electrocuted and starved for information about weapons production by the Americans (Cold Winter, Cold War? Get it).

After several years of rotting away, a spy turns up and helps you break out. She's a bit cool, this cat, and after letting you out of your cell, has to rush off to some other mission in the Chinese capital.

And so it begins. The movie introduction for Cold Winter is spot on and your first mission sets the standard for the coming levels. It's a good mix of thrilling action and stealthy spy stuff (think Metal Gear Solid).

Armed with a pistol given to you by your rescuer, you'll have to sneak about the cells area, taking down guards if you come across them and locate the computer room, before deleting your records.

Where Cold Winter stands out is with the new elements it brings to the genre. There is a lot of usable stuff in the environment. You can turn a table over and hide behind it while shooting the enemy over the top.

Or, you can pick up a chair and lob it at them. The movement is fluid and, for once, the scenery looks solid without that vector-ish glimpses of stray lines and characters disappearing behind walls like ghosts.

The weapons you can get are of the standard variety, but seem a lot meatier than what has turned up in other games. For a start, if you're banging away with an AK-47 at an enemy soldier, it is quite possible to blow a leg or arm off. A shotgun will take their head off.

After your dramatic escape from the prison, you're enlightened with why you've been rescued and who by. It turns out to be an old friend from MI6 who couldn't think of anyone better to embark on a series of top secret missions, and, ultimately save the planet. Better get going!

The graphics are extremely good with gory effects appearing realistic and some interesting cut-scenes of movie quality. The sound is convincing and the music is very atmospheric with silence where you need it - just the sound of scratching rats.

If you like this sort of game, you'll love it. If you don't, you will after playing it.

Rating: 5/5 Reviewed by Darren Rackham