If HP Lovecraft, the master of implied horror, had been alive in recent years, Nightmare Creatures would probably have had his blessing. Based on mythology and stories of witchcraft, this game is set in Victorian England, where there's much more to fear than muggers and pick-pockets. An unpleasant character by the name of Adam Crowley has re-discovered, and re-released, a virus that can turn humans into all sorts of nasty creatures, ranging from zombies to werewolves and everything in between.

To stop him, you must do battle with these creatures as you work your way through the streets of London, following the clues to track down this nineteenth century nutter (and the chances are that he'll have some pretty impressive bodyguards to deal with). You play the game from a third-person viewpoint, with striking similarities to that other classic horror game, Alone in the Dark. Nightmare Creatures captures much of that game's foreboding atmosphere, but adds more action and a wider variety of creatures with which to do battle.

Graphically, Nightmare Creatures isn't as imposing as most of the first-person 3D games currently on the market, with the polygons that make up the characters clearly visible. But there's a benefit to this approach by the designers, which is that things move very quickly. The zombies, monsters and other creatures that defy classification can put on impressive turns of speed, making it hard to defend successfully against them. They're good at dodging, too, although a well-placed shot from one of the pistols that can be picked up now and again puts paid to all but the most tenacious.

Generally, though, you have to make do with one of two weapons - a staff if you choose to play as Ignatius the monk, or a sword for Nadia, described as a femme fatale. Both weapons have roughly the same effect, with even the staff able to cleave zombies in two. There are other things to pick up on your travels through the game's 16 well-designed and slightly spooky levels, including some interesting and powerful one-off weapons. You'll need them. The game gets considerably harder as you progress.

This game contains fast action, a few puzzle elements and a generous helping of scary monsters. At times the action is so intense that you almost feel you're playing a beat-'em-up, but the locations are suitably dark and imposing, and the monsters so fiercely violent, that Nightmare Creatures is definitely a winner. Especially at this price.