AREA 51, Format: PS2. Publisher: Midway Games. Price: £24.99. Family friendly? I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you (Err...no): AREA 51 must be the least hush- hush so-called "top secret" military base in the world.

UFO buffs have known about this enigmatic sounding army base in the Nevada desert for decades.

The American government pretends it doesn't exist. You won't find Area 51 on any map. However, anyone who's climbed the nearby ridges can see for themselves: the base has a runway that's five miles long and hangars big enough to house whole fleets of 747s. And that's only the stuff above ground - beneath the sand, legend has it that Area 51 extends for many miles.

Who knows what goes on there. Are scientists testing the next generation of space weapons... or maybe they are perfecting a super-stealth fighter? UFO-ologists reckon it's where the remains of the Roswell flying saucer were brought for analysis. Others say the army has already made contact with extra terrestrials and Area 51 was the venue.

Fanciful stuff, but the truth is probably more boring. The base was built to test the U-2 spy plane in 1955 (dealing a blow to the Roswell claims, as that saucer crash was supposed to have happened seven years earlier) but, because the US government insists on such secrecy, it has become a victim of its own subterfuge. All of which makes Area 51 the perfect setting for a science fiction video game.

The story starts with a distress signal coming from Area 51, where a strange virus has shut down the research facility. Automated quarantine procedures have locked everyone inside - both scientific and military.

Of course, the US Government can't just sit on its hands, so a small hand-picked special forces team is despatched to investigate, led by your character, a hazardous biological waste specialist.

Your job is to discover what is behind the outbreak (clue: it's not of this earth) and also to uncover the true reason for Area 51's existence. Along the way, you'll stumble across more conspiracies (such as the faked lunar landings) in your search for the truth.

If this all sounds a bit like the X-Files, you'd be right. The association is even stronger because the game producers have persuaded David Duchovny to lend his vocal acting talents to the story. Since the X-Files has long finished, Dave must need the work to pay his bills.

At its core, Area 51 is as old fashioned as that first U-2 spy plane. It's a "walk around shooting things" game polished up with designer graphics and terrific positional surround sound. Still, that doesn't necessarily mean it is bad. Some of the oldest games are still fun to play.

The interesting sets and the massive gun battles keep you on your toes at all times. Trust me, you won't find yourself getting bored or waiting for some action. Area 51 is one long firefight.

Most of the missions are straightforward "find the key, put it in the lock, open the door" puzzles that wouldn't tax ET, let alone a serious gamer. If you do happen to be from another world, the game positions a giant green arrow above anything vaguely useful as a visual aid.

Initially, you fight alongside other special forces but as the game progresses, so the good guys get gradually whittled down.

Each level contains a handful of checkpoints where you can save your progress and take a much-needed breather. Between levels (there are 18 in all) you can listen as Duchovny explains exactly what the hell just went on and how the story is progressing. The boss fights are, for the most part, straightforward but the enemies display a canny knack for staying alive.

About halfway through the game, your character is infected and gains the ability to mutate. Now, as well as staying alive and solving the mystery, he must also find a cure.

When you mutate, the picture changes and the action slows down. You also grow claws that are devastating weapons to use at close quarters.

All of which kind of makes Area 51 something of a guilty pleasure. It won't push forward the boundaries of video gaming but you will have a ball playing along. It may be hokum but at least it's fun.

COMPETITION

LAST week, I gave Killer 7 - Capcom's adults-only film noir video game - a big thumbs up.

This week, thanks to CHIPS video games stores and publisher Capcom, we have TWO great games to give away and FOUR really cool T-shirts.

Out on PS2 and GameCube, Killer 7 propels you into the consciousness of one man, Harman Smith, and his seven alter egos.The world has finally embraced global peace. Radioactive materials and weapons of mass destruction have been eliminated, removing all threats to peace. Then, in a major turn of events, the world stands in silence as a new fear is unleashed and you are commissioned to handle this new threat to mankind.

As Harman Smith, you switch between his seven different personalities to overcome crazed soldiers who have started to wreak havoc on the city's streets. Using special powers, it is your job to assassinate Kun Lan, the notorious criminal overlord behind 'Heaven's Smile' and all the madness.

Killer 7, for 18 and over and priced at £34.99, is just one of the thousands of games available from CHIPS. It buys, sells and trades new and secondhand consoles, games, accessories and DVDs, and has stores in Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar, Hartlepool, Northallerton, Guisborough, Consett, and Chester-le-Street.

The first two winners out of the hat will scoop a game and T-shirt and two runners-up will get a must-have T-shirt.

To win, answer this correctly:

Who publishes Killer 7?

Send your answer, plus name, age, address and preferred format to Killer 7 Comp, Byte, Priestgate, Darlington DL1 1NF by August 31.

NB Main winners must be 18 and over due to age restriction on game.

Published: 05/08/2005