Yet another title in a very successful franchise, 'Tactical Strike' has the player assuming command of a four-member special forces outfit, all with suitably cool tags like Hawk, Tank and, of course, Willy.

When choosing your outfit, don't go for the predictable Navy SEALs as you'll miss out on some far more interesting accents and mission briefings in other languages, which is a nice touch.

I gravitated towards the German ops team only because there's no Russian option and, well, Germany is close enough — geographically speaking, of course. Alas, South Africa is not represented, but one continues to hope...

The scenarios are the usual fare: quelling insurgencies, search and rescue operations and escort missions all interlinked by some B-grade action type cut scenes revolving around a kidnapped ambassador. Unfortunately you don't get to play a shaven-headed Demi Moore.

The latest game in the series was given over to a new development team, Slant 6, and the result is a significant departure from its predecessors with the gameplay now based on tactical warfare rather than out-and-out marksmanship.

And that's not a bad thing in my playbook, although opinions tend to fall on both sides of the divide. The new, tactical gameplay makes for intelligent gaming. You can't hope for this kind of intensity with your regular button-bashing shoot-em-up type games.

Routine functions are fully automated, leaving the player to concentrate on strategy. What you lose in control, the game more than makes up for in tense, atmospheric gun battles and the burden of command. The fact that the team can be divided into two pairs for optimal effectiveness, adds a welcome extra gameplay dimension.

The rich graphical environment is as realistic as you could hope for on the PSP and proves to be all-encapsulating when paired with the meaty sound effects. A snag that had me cursing on a regular basis, however, is the limited camera angle.

The last thing you need in a close quarters fire fight is to have your view obscured by a low ceiling. And the complete inability to peer around corners is a serious cause for concern. This is a stealth game for crying out loud!

On the other hand, the intuitive control system, which is based on a "movement skimmer", is a boon for stealth fighter novices, as are the helpful tutorials and gentle learning curve.

Getting your team on the move, sniping, breaching and battling their way through the fray, is a doddle, but the enemies have enough virtual grey matter for the most part to mount a serious challenge, especially on later levels.

The villains have more sense than your own crew though. For a supposedly crack unit, they can behave quite erratic from time to time, doing the unexpected and stupid, such as charging into your line of fire... you've got to keep them on a tight leash when slugs fill the air.

On the whole though, with gargantuan levels that can take an eternity to complete, the game throws up enough obstacles and a wealth of weaponry to keep even a veteran PSPer stimulated.

The multiplayer option will keep you enthralled for ages. Pick your opponents carefully though, because a multiplayer tactical shooter can easily become a free-for-all, "shoot everything that moves" mess.

Despite the infuriating flaws, the game has loads of promise. It is a pity that Slant 6 didn't invest a little more effort in perfecting the project. It's a game aimed at the gamer more interested in brain than brawn. You might even be inclined to play a game of chess afterwards to cool down.