Fancy weapons, fancy manoeuvres and ridiculous stories do not a decent beat 'em up make, of course, but happily the gameplay of Evil Zone is quick, furious, competitive, and intense, despite the ease at which you can launch its mind-boggling attacks. This is mainly due to the clever way the control system works, where Triangle is the key to everything. Press Triangle and Back together, for instance, and you launch one of the character's death rays; Triangle and Up unleashes another type of attack.

What kind of hail of death you choose to employ depends on how far away you are from your enemy, but the spectacular 'capture attacks' are the most fun to use (just Triangle and Down for the easiest ones). The camera cuts to gorgeous animation sequences during these special moves, enabling you to sit back and admire your handiwork as you watch yourself mangle someone's innards with a sword or incinerate them with a laser bolt. It's all easy, good, unclean fun.

After a short while of playing Evil Zone a nagging doubt creeps in. Could it be just a little too easy?. Happily not - sufficient depth and life lurk beneath the flashy, trashy exterior. Mastering the pleasingly simple but satisfying basic moves of the characters is only the beginning - there are many, many more tricksy moves to earn and learn as you progress through the 'story'.

The learning curve of Evil Zone then, while not initially evident, is such that it should keep most beat 'em up fans busy for a good long time. It's certainly good looking, quick, and exciting enough, and it should go down as a worthy entry into what is already a very crowded arena.