Everyone's favourite mighty morphing car-cum-boat-cum-motorbike combat game is back. Some 23 years since the Interceptor first took to the road and water, armed with guns, smoke screens and oil slicks, the vehicle with an identity crisis comes to PS2 for a third 3D outing, now based on the movie of the game.
This time, the car (or bike or boat) isn't the only star. Varying from the previous incarnations, SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run gives you the opportunity to get out of the driving seat and stretch your legs, as you go on foot against arch-enemy Gomez and his Nostra organisation.
At last the SpyHunter in question gets a name; Alex Decker. Playing as Decker (portrayed as and voiced by the movie-of-the-game's star, ponderous ex-wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson), you must locate and retrieve an Interceptor stolen from his employer, government agency IES. There's also the small matter of the mysterious disappearance of a top scientist from IES' facilities. Faced by Nostra henchmen, you have an array of firearms at your disposal with which to dispatch the horde. Out of ammo? Not a problem. Decker is something of a handy man, and can take out those grunts with graceful moves from a repertoire including kicks, punches, head butts, body slams and other 'up close and personal' attacks.
Back behind the wheel, it's a return to the familiar format, with the point of view sitting on the tail of your Interceptor as you fight it out at full pelt across land and sea in exotic locations across the globe. It's easy to see why Nostra would want one of these babies; bristling with machine guns, rockets, torpedoes, homing missiles, tyre spikes…it's the secret agent's vehicle of choice. And when things get a little hairy and there's a bad guy up your tail pipe, you can shake 'em off with those old friends, the smoke screen and oil slick.
Now, if only we could have that old Peter Gunn tune as the soundtrack to our carnage...