Rogue Warrior Preview

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Rogue Warrior flits restlessly between stealthy "infiltration" mode, and a standard run-and-gun option, whenever you've blown your cover and the situation calls for a more explosive approach. Infiltration sees the game's standout feature front and centre: a range of contextual "kill moves", which let you sneak up on the enemy and finish them off with the push of one button.

There are a range of different moves available, all of which play to the brutal end of the spectrum: the very gentlest option is a brisk loft over a railing followed by a swift fall towards the rocks below, while most involve knives in some way: in through the eye, in through the ear, in - is this even possible? - through the forehead. I'm hoping, naturally, that the opportunity crops up to strangle the enemy with Marcinko's ponytail, but I didn't see it, and was afraid to ask about it lest Shark Man himself surface suddenly from a nearby pot plant and blow-dart my tiny brain out through my ear. If it doesn't make it into the game, there's always DLC.

"Dick has seen these kill moves, and wholeheartedly approves of them," says Griffiths. He's seen his character model, too, and if he's signed off on that, his mind might be starting to slide somewhat. While Rogue Warrior is generally a first-person affair, going into cover sends you into third, and reveals that Mickey Rourke's voice belongs to a bearded, stary-eyed vagrant who resembles the kind of aging hippy who might run a local gardening shop and make flamboyant kites in his spare time. Whatever the viewpoint, Marcinko remains a force to be reckoned with, though, as the demo gets into its stride and the bodies pile up.

Rogue Warrior gives you colourful options whichever way you play it, and being spotted in a stealth section simply changes the pace of the game rather than flinging you back to the start. Kill moves may disappear when the enemy knows you're coming, but with a solid cover system and some weighty-looking shooting, you'll probably be able to blast your way through just as enjoyably.

The game focuses on the nuclear ambitions of North Korea. Thankfully, foreign politics has moved on from this subject since the eighties, or the whole thing could have been a little insensitive. [Er. - Ed]

As the level progresses, each area showcases a range of simple tactical variations - one sees you shooting out the lights, switching to a murky night vision, and finishing off five soldiers before they even knew you were visiting their fine country, while another has you sticking C4 all over a bridge the nukes will be travelling over, shooting it out with random patrols in the process, and the final leg sends you hurrying to catch up with a departing train to check out whether the nukes are on board before you blast it to smithereens.

Alongside the single-player campaign, Rogue Warrior will ship with six multiplayer maps, and a traditional range of deathmatch options, all of which will allow you to incorporate kill moves for fun and profit. The entire package also boasts a visual presentation that makes up for its slightly workmanlike textures and lighting with some nice art design - the mission we're shown takes place against a dramatic mountainous backdrop, with morning mist slinking peacefully through a cluster of towering pines. If Marcinko wasn't blowing the whole place to pieces, it would be a nice spot for a holiday.

For a man who works undercover, there are plenty of photos of him on his own website.

The first attempt at a Rogue Warrior game returned to the drawing board because the approach taken didn't have enough character, according to Rebellion's publisher, Bethesda Softworks. Between Rourke's gravelly interjections and some over-the-top shootouts, this one has character to spare, and, geopolitics aside, its real appeal is as a brutally cheerful ramble around the best late-night eighties TV movie you never saw. Despite calling out to your most extreme murderous tendencies, Rebellion seems to be proceeding with predictable skill, if not subtlety, and while Rogue Warrior's unlikely to get too many Game of the Year nominations, if the developer pulls it off right, it could have a tight, taught, brainless funhouse on its hands.

As for Marcinko himself, he'll probably be back behind enemy lines come launch day, most likely taking on an entire platoon of villains armed only with a dusty teacup and a pencil sharpener. In other words, he'll be doing what he does best: keeping the world safe, so you can play videogames.