The typical licensed videogame is fraught with so many mistakes that listing them all here would leave us with little room to continue this review. Yet, if we were to pick the single most irksome blunder, it would surely be the fact that almost all movie tieins fail to focus on the best aspects of their chosen subject matter. For example, in the various Pirates Of The Caribbean games, we found ourselves collecting shells rather than battling through extraordinary swordfights, and, in most Harry Potter efforts, we’ve been tidying up rooms instead of tackling magical foes. With this in mind, High Moon should be applauded for identifying Jason Bourne’s chief appeal – he’s a 30 million dollar weapon.

Taking control of this one-man wrecking machine is every bit as empowering as you’d expect it to be. In the books and films, Bourne is the master of his environment – a fabled agent who really does know of a hundred ways he could assassinate a man with a glass of water. And so it is, that gamers are afforded a similar killer instinct at all stages throughout The Bourne Conspiracy. If there’s a nearby urinal, jukebox or TV set, you can be sure that a henchman’s forehead will be smashing into it soon, and in the absence of heavy furnishings, you could always use a pen or a magazine to dispatch your opponent. Wherever you are, there’s an innocuous household item that can be used to violently mangle an enemy’s skull, spine or limbs.

Once you get to grips with the intuitive combat system, causing such colourful violence isn’t even particularly difficult. Simply tap the Square and Triangle buttons to unleash a fast or heavy punch, or hold them down to land a kick. Pressing the buttons in sequence will trigger one of eight combos, and with each strike to your opponent an adrenaline gauge will begin to fill. With each saved up section of this three-part meter, Bourne is able to perform a Takedown – the euphemism that The Bourne Conspiracy attaches to its gratuitous finishing moves. As for what Takedown you’ll perform, that all depends upon what happens to be near Bourne at the time. Every environment offers multiple possibilities, and you’re unlikely to ever see all of the different ways that High Moon allows you to break an enemy’s face.

One of the main reasons that the Takedowns offer so much variety is due to the diversity of the various locations, which flick back and forth between all new settings and those that fans will be instantly familiar with. The action kicks off with an embellished retelling of Bourne’s botched attempt to eliminate Wombosi and later on you’ll find yourself escaping from the US Consulate in Zurich, as well as fighting Castel in Bourne’s apartment. And while those classic scenes will surely bring back some fond memories, the new chapters aren’t just filler, they also give a strong impression of just how effective Bourne was at the height of his preamnesiac powers.

In one of our favourite new sections, Bourne must battle his way across an airport besieged by terrorists, work his way through the carriages of a moving train and, finally, slug it out with a notorious criminal on an escaping jet. Throughout this entire chapter, the attention to detail is incredible. Planes fly overhead, duty-free shops explode amid a flurry of gunshots and civilians scuttle aside to safety – there are even MasterCard and Mini adverts placed up on the walls. It’s a very well-thoughtout environment that not only offers a string of excellent set pieces, but also shows off the full extent of the top-notch physics engine that shines throughout. For a short while, The Bourne Conspiracy seems like a mild masterpiece.

So what is it that prevents this game from being essential? Well, sadly, there are just a few too many quirks that let it down. For a start, while Bourne appears to be an adept hand-to-hand killer, his proficiency with a gun is disturbingly erratic. Aiming is far too woolly, resulting in awkward movements and a lot of frustration as the reticule refuses to line up with an enemy’s head. If this wasn’t irritating enough, our hero also has difficulty snapping into cover from time to time. Far too often you’ll rush towards a wall, attempt to crouch behind it and then discover that Bourne won’t comply. Such glitches are not only annoying, they also break the immersion – we’re supposed to be in control of an incredible secret agent, not a jittering geriatric with an inconsistent back complaint.

However, while there are a number of niggles that get in the way, The Bourne Conspiracy is still worthy of our praise. It might not be the greatest action title ever released, but it is one of the best licensed videogames that has been released in a long while. High Moon has paid great attention to the source material, and by both identifying and realising the best bits of Jason Bourne’s persona, the studio has crafted an action-fest that franchise fans won’t want to miss.

Adam Harrold