The Matrix meets the PS2 with Dead to Rights. You can use slow motion dives, peeking around corners, and your trusty german shepherd sidekick to take on the bad guys.

Slate and his dog, Shadow, are full film noir heroes, with the quiet 'gritty street' asides and the killing of the father in the first intro training sequence. You're a cop after those murderers, no matter what it takes.

The gameplay is full first person shooter, a la Splinter Cell and other related games. You peek around corners, sic your dog on them, and even guide your dog through pipes and obstacles to help you out. You move from mission to mission, working your way towards your objective.

There are mini-games in there as well to test your button mashing skills. Unforuntately the very first one is to have a stripper dance around a pole to distract the bouncers. That's a pretty clear indication that the game isn't meant for those under 18.

The gunfighting gives options for slo-mo scenes, with you diving and shooting people as you go. An adrenaline gauge tracks how many of these you can do. When you get into hand-to-hand combat, you can use combinations of kicks, punches and more to take out your opponents. So the game turns into a full fledged 3D fighting game.

The areas you play in are well done - not perhaps cutting edge graphics, but still rather complex. The strip club, for example, has a variety of lighting and the marble floors reflect them all quite accurately. You have a variety of weapons to use and puzzles to sort through. None are incredibly hard if you've gamed at all before, but all pose a challenge to think through.

Recommended for an adult gamer who likes the Vice City and Fighting games.

Buy Dead to Rights from Amazon.com