Like to be in the thick of things? get going. If it is action that you’re looking for, check out Reservoir Dogs, the latest movie-based game in the market. The USP of the game lies in the fact that you actually get to play the game that is referred to in the movie.

In fact, if you’ve watched the movie you’ll know that there are three primary elements that go on to make Reservoir Dogs such a classic movie: the music, the script and violence. It is evident that the developers of the game have studied the movie carefully.

Though the action is split between driving and third-person action, it’s the latter which is more enjoyable. The driving scenes are quite exciting and include sequences like rushing a bleeding Mr Orange to the gang’s safe house and Mr Blonde speeding away from the spot of robbery through a crowded, linear stretch of road with the ill-fated cop in the boot.

What is likely to cheer you up even further is that you can lean out of the window and take potshots at passing patrol cars or even fly through the air.

Things are better on foot though, with Volatile adding a few neat tricks as the game proceeds. But while you are enjoying the game, remember Reservoir Dogs is as much about coercing your opponents into surrendering as it is about blowing their faces off. So don’t lay your arms down, just yet.

Alongside your usual roster of familiar weapons, such as pistols and machine guns, you are also given the authority to capture hostages and threaten your enemies. Once you’ve got a hostage in your grip, you can order your opponents into laying down their arms. There are three types of enemies — security guards, cops, SWAT members — and each time, you have to try a little harder to break their steely resolve.

Unfortunately, the voice-overs in the game do not match those in the movie. Michael Madsen’s is the only one that does. Also, not much attention has been payed to the verbal frills that act as stop-gaps in between the film’s regular dialogue. Another thing that could perhaps have been avoided is that while in the film you happen to see the cast discussing their respective escape routes, here you find yourself in the thick of things without a background.

However, all said and done, Reservoir Dogs is a game worth buying.

Minimum system requirements: Supported OS: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP (only); Processor: 1 GHz processor or better when using video cards with hardware T&L (2 GHz or better recommended; 2 GHz required for video cards without hardware T&L); RAM: 256 MB (512 MB recommended); Video Card: 64 MB DirectX 8.1-compliant video card; Sound Card: DirectX 8.1-compliant sound device; DirectX Version: DirectX 8.1 or higher (8.1 included on disc); CD-ROM: Any, Hard Drive Space:1.4 GB; Peripherals: Windows keyboard and mouse