As bad days at work go, Lazarus Jones of the NYPD is having a corker. Called out late at night to an abandoned high school - the site of an unsolved teen massacre, first his partner (and boss) Anna Steele is kidnapped; then he stumbles across a high-tech laboratory in the basement, unwittingly unleashing the evil Lord Hawksmoor and a whole cadre of nasty ghouls and spirits. Taking the role of stereotypical smart-mouthed rookie cop (and Brad Pitt lookalike) Lazarus, it’s your job to recapture all the spirits over a variety of levels, and in the process rescue the damsel in distress.

Sony's Cambridge Studios have created the closest experience gamers will get this generation to playing Peter Venkman from 'Ghostbusters'. To aid you in your task the game provides a number of nifty gadgets to track, weaken and eventually capture spirits, ranging from standard weapons rooted in the real world such as a handguns and shotguns, through to pulse rifles and energy lassoes powered by ghostly energy. However the truly unique addition comes in the form of the Capture Grenade. More of a Frisbee than an explosive charge, this item allows you to trap and effectively vanquish sufficiently drained spirits in an impressive blaze of light, before grabbing their ghost energy to power up your weapons.

The game features a large amount of combat, which does suffer from repetitiveness at times. More often than not in the earlier levels, fighting equates to nothing more than jabbing wildly at the fire button while retreating, eventually launching the Capture Grenade and trapping the enemy when it becomes defenceless. Thankfully, later enemies do require some more thought and even limited interaction with the environment to expose and then catch.

A further twist is added later in the game by allowing control over Astral, a spirit that can be activated at key points and who, free from physical constraints, has the ability to reach places inaccessible to Lazarus. Astral can also absorb the powers of certain defeated foes, allowing her to perform tasks such as destroying large obstacles or even possessing enemies themselves. The puzzles in these sections act as a welcome intermission to the combat but will often leave the player with little clue as to what to do next and ending in a case of blind trial and error.

From the off, the game is an impressive sight. A rich variety of solid-looking and inspiring settings are on display, some of which have a hazy, dream-like feel to them, others a harsh and unforgiving tone in keeping with the story. Unfortunately there are some noticeable clipping problems in parts, with limbs and appendages appearing through scenery and even enemies getting snagged on objects.

Lighting and particle effects on both the environments and spectral characters present a nice visual touch. Special mention also should be made that it is one of the few PAL releases to support Progressive Scan.

Characters are rich and detailed, with some memorable creations making an appearance through the course of the game - after all, there are not many titles that call on you to tackle a nine-foot, badly disfigured Teddy bear. The end-of-level bosses are of particular note for their unique design and often overwhelming stature.

Ghosthunter's plot is a definite plus, remaining engrossing right through to the end with a giddying degree of twists and turns and more than a smattering of chuckle-inducing humour. Though consider yourself duly warned that it does veer from serious to cheese-laden and back again in the blink of an eye.

Sir Michael Gambon (The Singing Detective, Layer Cake) turns in a memorable performance as the voice of Lord Hawksmoor, exuding a sly malice and evil that is guaranteed to make you wary every time he is on screen. However the same cannot be said for the squeaky drawl of Rob Paulson who voices Lazarus Jones, and having such a badly mismatched and grating voice for a main character really does detract.

Ghosthunter is an enjoyable and immersive romp, despite its shortcomings. Players expecting a cerebral horror that gets under the skin and with plenty of frights (a la Silent Hill) will be sorely disappointed. Ghosthunter's roots are firmly action-based, with its graphics, plot and overall presentation providing an enjoyable one-off gaming experience with little replay value.