The last few years have been something of a golden age for comics, with ever-improving computer technology allowing for the level of special effects required to make the transition from camp to champ. Although the huge success of Spiderman and the X-Men films are the icing on the cake, many lesser-known comics are getting their chance to be the cherry on top. Daredevil, Elektra, Hellboy'the list goes on, and the most recent entry is Hellblazer, better known to cinema-goers as Constantine.

John Constantine is the enigmatic antihero of the Hellblazer comic, who, like many other comic heroes, actually got his start via a cameo in another series. And, as is so often the case, Constantine of the cinema is markedly different to the character in the comic, who was British and looked like Sting, rather than American and looking like Keanu Reeves. The videogame is based on the movie though, so don't expect blonde locks or a Liverpudlian accent. If you're already making signs to ward off the devil of movie tie-ins, put away your choc-top charms and holy bottled mineral water, because Constantine is actually pretty damned good!

If you stayed awake during the introductory sermon, it would come as no surprise to you that players assume the role of John Constantine in this third-person shooter, which is probably for the best given the propensity for dying Constantine's many companions have. This is a near-film experience, so those of you caught the flick at the cinema will be well equipped for this adventure. Thankfully though, the game isn't a complete movie mirror, and there's enough variation in the plot and locations to keep things fresh and interesting. Familiarity with the film's plot is not necessary, but if you want the general gist, this is a boy-meets-girl, girl-is-needed-by-Satan-for-dark-ritual story, one which requires a hearty dose of boy-intervenes-with-death-dealing-weapons.

And in a game like this, armoury is everything. In a nice homage to Keanu's Matrix character, Constantine also has the ability to conceal half a tonne's worth of guns'n'ammo in his coat pockets, and if variety is the spice of life, then he is the Masterfoods complete collection! Your demon-demolishing tools range from simple six-shooters to crossbows, dragon's breath flamethrowers, and a holy shotgun that fires buckshot in the shape of a crucifix. Cute. This plus a range of holy water bombs (NOT holy hand grenades!), Amityville screech-beetles, and, well, the Shroud of Moses. Religious zealots need not apply, unless you enjoy dispatching hordes of heretic half-breed demons back to the boiling brimstone from whence they came.

While weapons may vary, your enemies are a much more selective sort. In fact, you probably won't even be able to tell the difference between the lesser enemies, except that one takes three shotgun blasts while the other takes two. They all act the same too, blindly charging at you as if chased by, well, the Devil himself. Hhmm. Thank God they're so much fun to slay!

Vengeance has never tasted, or looked, so good as it does in Constantine, especially given the title's cross-platform roots. The graphics on the whole are excellent, although some may find the colour palette a little bland, especially in Hell, which has never been known for its emphasis on d'cor'unless Hell is your definition of an evening with the Aussie 'Queer Eye' boys. Despite the fact that the game apparently lacks the likeness rights for the main actors, Constantine himself looks outstanding. His coat flaps in the breeze, and when the fiery winds of Hades rev up, his hair and tie flap about as well. His posture encapsulates the essence of the character too, and he comes across as far more believable than most videogame protagonists around. The other characters look pretty good too, as do the demons and various villainous types, but a few extra skins, textures or basic models to break up the monotony couldn't have hurt.

Venting your righteous spleen is made easy by Constantine's smooth controls, and although you can't really customise the layout, the adjustable sensitivity and generous auto-aim option compensate nicely for those of your co-ordination challenged. The real joy is the camera however, which unlike so many other third-person shooters, doesn't actively obstruct your view or complicate things. It's quite intuitive actually, and makes the experience much more pleasant, especially since so many levels are indoors- the traditional problem area for games like this.

One of the coolest features in Constantine is the ability to cross-over into Hell, and no, it doesn't involve John Edwards. Hell is a lot like whatever level you're currently in, only a flaming conflagration filled with the cries of the eternally damned, not a drop of water in sight, and the occasional incongruous puzzle that must be solved. Despite the limited range of colours, Hell looks awesome, with its unearthly hurricane winds blowing cars and debris through the air and the whole post-apocalyptic look brought to life in the film.

Something we didn't see quite so much of in the film was Constantine's true-sight ability, which allows him to see things not of our world in their true form. This plays a much bigger role in the game, and is used for unmasking half-breed demons masquerading as humans, as well as hidden areas or items, and it's pretty handy when the lights go out too. The ability is well implemented, and combined with creepy goings-on and sudden darkness, makes for a much edgier experience than you may expect when you pick up the game. It's not quite survival horror, given the fact you have an ungodly amount of ammo and it's fiendishly hard to die, but it certainly creates some tension.

Audio plays a big part in this too, with heaps of great ambient effects to set the mood. Expect many a tortured scream to pierce the ferocious winds of the netherworld, but far creepier are the creaks and squeaks and sudden noises in the real world as Constantine skulks about in the dark. It's all presented in heavenly Dolby Surround Sound too, so it's like a chorus of angels has descended to sing to you in 5.1'well, not quite. The music passes muster too, though it tends to repeat quite a lot, especially in the Hell levels. Neither Keanu nor Rachael Weiz voices their characters, though a few of the minor characters like Gabriel and Hennessey are reprised by the original actors. The dude who does Keanu is, like, totally spot on though dude. Whoa!

Constantine's road to salvation is moderate in length, and it should take most souls around 10 hours to work their way through all seventeen missions on normal difficulty. There's stacks of unlockables to collect along the way though, and all told there's well over a hundred pieces of concept art, storyboards, cinematics and even a few interviews with the actors to accrue. With the exception of the interviews, none of it is particularly groundbreaking, and for the most part probably won't excite you enough to warrant a replay.

The real problem is the save system, which doesn't seem to do a whole lot of saving. It may just be that its checkpoint based, but the game will never save exactly where you were up to, forcing you to replay sections you've already beaten. The levels are largely linear too, so even a second run on enhanced difficulty won't yield much, except a few more brownie points to secure you a seat at the cool table in Heaven, perhaps.