The Club, include simple sprints to the finish

The creators of Project Gotham Racing have crafted a very different kind of racer. It's a shooter with the heart of a racing game - the object is to kill as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As players run-and-gun through the nondescript courses, points are awarded for skilful slaying. But the key to high scores is bagging a steady flow of victims, which multiplies your points bounty considerably.

Like racing games, it's difficult to beat your competitors without learning the courses. Although they look dull, have drab locations such as steel mills, warehouses and prisons, the levels are masterfully designed. The only frustration is that it is not always obvious where to go next.

There's a terrific tension between trying to complete the courses as fast as possible while taking time to snipe all enemies for maximum points. Self-preservation is a secondary concern to all-out attack but the use of health-boosting pick-up items becomes increasingly tactical as the difficulty rises.

Events include simple sprints to the finish and siege stages where you can't leave a small area and must survive waves of enemies. The most complex mode is time attack, which demands players complete laps of a short circuit against the clock, with kills and collected icons adding precious seconds.

The strangely likeable characters add some variety, each demanding a slightly different playing style.

There are only eight tournaments to play, each with a half-dozen events, plus some fun split-screen and online multiplayer options.

The lasting appeal depends a great deal on your interest (or obsession) in playing the same short stages repeatedly to beat your best scores or see your name in lights on the online leaderboards.