FACEBREAKER

FACEBREAKER is a bastardised version of boxing.

This high-action, easily learned game is made for the casual gamer who just wants a bit of instant gratification. Unfortunately, what seems like fun to begin with turns into a tap-athon as you bash buttons, hoping to tap faster than your mate and break their face.

The arcade  controls are accompanied by slick cartoony graphics which look cool, but unfortunately you never feel totally in control when playing. The problem is that it's almost too fast.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the single player mode more than playing against a friend. Figuring out your opponents' weakness and trying to hold out until an opportunity arose was quite satisfying. The boxer creation mode was also impressive – I created a whole cast of new characters (from Chuck Norris to Charlize Theron)from photos I grabbed off the Internet.

These characters can then be uploaded to share with the world. FaceBreaker isn't a bad game, but it's too shallow to get a good mark.

www.easports.com/facebreaker Genre: Fighting From: Electronic Arts Classification: PG - Contains Mild Violence