Desperados 2: Cooper's Revenge

The Wild West - a long-forgotten age when cliches roamed wild, feeding on the low-level foliage of lawlessness. It was a feral, macho time, where big swirly lollipops were not only frowned upon but didn't even exist. This is the world of the Desperados games, an RTS where your slow (and easily thwarted) progress through a map is achieved by the tactical control of six characters.

All the characters from the tiny Wild West palette are here: grizzled hero, busty heroine, someone called Doc, Mexican with dental issues. As well as a gun, each character carries specialist items - from ranged weapons like Doc's gas bombs and Sam's dynamite, to Sanchez's tequila, which sort of acts like a drinkable mine. All of these things play a different part in getting through the level. Like the original, it's a game that requires patience, along with a sizey dose of trial and error. Given that a single shot will usually kill you, you might consider getting one of those head-sticks for paralysed people and leaning it on quick save.

The only substantial difference between Cooper's Revenge and the first game is the addition of a first-person mode, but it feels more like Spellbound are providing an expected feature, rather than giving any genuine gameplay innovation. You'll use it, but you don't really need it.

Desperados 2 looks a bit dated, and the Al is basic 'search if you're heard, attack if you're seen'. However, it's still enjoyable - and with the effort comes a grumbling sense of achievement.