Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (360 XBLA) (From Daily Echo)

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (360 XBLA)

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Genre: First-Person Shooter

Platform: Xbox 360

Publisher: Majesco

SERIOUS Sam on the original Xbox was a large part of my life for a while. My flat mate at the time and myself would whittle away hours, shooting at weird and wonderful creatures.

Those of you unfamiliar with the series should not be fooled by the name, the only thing that's serious about it is the amount of shooting. In fact, everything else about it, including the characters and the plot, is crazier than a snakes armpit.

Although it’s a first-person shooter, this is the second title we played this week that is undoubtedly a hangover game. That said, there will be moments of frustration and annoyance that can induce even more of a headache – approach with caution.

The game feels very retro in the fact that its simplicity is key. Forget fancy-pants puzzles and embrace the relentless throng of cannon fodder that liberally occupy your screen. And they're a crazy bunch. Kamikaze men with bombs for hands and no heads, weird looking men with Gatling guns as arms and a host of other hideous creatures.

But the good thing is that they all bleed profusely when shot and they all explode when necessary. It’s a mindless blood bath of absolute nonsense that at 1,200 points (£10.20) from the Xbox LIVE Marktplace, isn’t too badly priced.

It's saddening though that players with this latest instalment can’t enjoy it in the same way as I did on the original Xbox – there’s no split-screen. That said, multiplayer can be had over Xbox LIVE.

SCORE: 6 / 10