There's a little bit of history here, so let's start with that. Back when Half Life 2 launched, bringing the Steam download delivery service with it, Rag Doll Kung Fu was one of the very first titles to take advantage of it. Thus, there's a sporting chance that some of you reading this may have bought the game off Steam last year, had your fun, and moved on.

However, because lots of us still like the idea of a physical box, or are reluctant to buy over Steam as we had enough bleedin' problems with it when we tried to run Half Life 2 for the first time, it's finally hit the shop shelves.

And, like those who bought it before, the chances are that you'll have your fun and then move on.

The game itself is a fighting game with a few welcome twists up its sleeve. Firstly, it's populated with rag doll characters, although perhaps the game's title offers a subtle clue to that. Secondly, it's a fighting game controlled using the mouse. Now those who still shudder at the mere mention of the Enter The Matrix game needn't be concerned, as the control system here is much more intriguing.

It's also unhelpfully over-complicated, a fact that's not balanced out by the aggressive enemy AI. There are various combinations of attack to cover using your rodent, and as a device for such a game, it never really - ready for it? - clicks. The simple stuff is a breeze, but when you're trying to pull off a complicated attack, it can become a little frustrating after a while.

Since it first became available though, Rag Doll Kung Fu has built up a bit of a cult following online, and in spite of the issues we had with the ambitious control system, it is good fun. The graphics are surprisingly impressive, and considering they're only asking £19.99 for this - which shouldn't be difficult to get discounted online - you can hardly feel short-changed by it.

It's worth supporting. It's an attempt to try something a little different, and it should be applauded for being ambitious and not quite pulling it off, rather than sticking to tried and trusted templates. And it's also pretty much the work of just one person. Granted, the one person used to work for developers Lionhead, so it's not quite the return of the bedroom programmer just yet, but nonetheless it's still some achievement.

Verdict
A fun, flawed, interesting and slightly different fighting game. Worth a punt if you're after some short-term fighting fun.

Company: Zoo

Tags: rag doll kung fu fighting game enter the matrix half-life 2 steam (software) lionhead studios video game games