Now we weren't expecting this.

Back when The Bourne Conspiracy was announced, seemingly more as a tie-in to the movies than the Robert Ludlum books, we smelt cash-in. Then the game was delayed, to ensure its release was, well, nowhere near that of the latest cinematic release (The Bourne Ultimatum). And finally we got to play it, wondering if the delays were setting off alarm bells of which we needed to take note.

But heck, it really isn't bad at all.

After sitting through the increasingly obligatory installation, you jump into Bourne's world (replete with the backing music, but not the likenesses, from the movie), with the majority of the game based on The Bourne Identity. There are some bits and bobs supplanted in there too that you won't find in the film, but you start off with amnesia, with a cut-scene showing you floating in the water.

From there the game becomes a third person action adventure, which works surprisingly well. There's nothing particularly revolutionary about it, as you follow points on a map to get to the next part of a mission. The game moves at a fast pace and you're hurled into the action pretty much immediately.

You also get to meet the combat mechanic in double quick time, which works across three buttons, but works exceptionally well. One button is for a block defensive move, while the other two cover contextualised attacks, and they're not tricky to master. Combos are rewarded and the on-screen action is clearly referencing the films. It's really well done.

You also, if your adrenaline meter fills up enough, get to perform a takedown move, which will immediately get rid of a standard opponent and do a lot of damage to a stronger foe. Again, these look the business, but it's worth noting that opponents can also perform takedowns on you.

This is where another of the game's ideas comes into play. For when you get wind of a takedown move coming, a button icon appears on the screen. Hit the corresponding button in time and you avoid the attack. The Bourne Conspiracy also throws this in for mini-game segments, where you need to quickly hit the right button to get out of a sticky situation. It's hardly an earth-shattering innovation but it works a treat, and keeps the momentum of the action going.

You also have Bourne sense. This is activated with a button press, and is the developers' way of representing the finely-honed skills of Jason Bourne. Thus, when the button is depressed - and the only limit on its use is Bourne's aforementioned adrenaline - the screen glows and things you may have missed before appear. It's a clumsy way to do it, but it doesn't harm the game.

Yet there are some things that do. Firstly, the gun targeting system is far too clunky, especially when compared to the brilliant combat segments. Secondly, there's little in the way of surprise as you go across the various levels, and then finally, the driving segments don't work anywhere near as well as when Bourne is on foot.

And yet this is still an exciting action-adventure game, with decent production values and a good deal of entertainment in return for the asking price. Its speed and on-foot fighting are its strengths, and while it doesn't tax the gaming universe in any way, it does manage to entertain.

A game that goes fast enough to gloss over the lack of originality and its flaws, and delivers plenty of entertainment en route.