Blinx: The Time Sweeper - Xbox

Joining the ranks of Ratchets and Clanks and Jaks and Daxters, Microsoft's Blinx takes a typical platform adventure and gives it an all-new sci-fi look.

Janitor for the all-swinging and dancing Time Factory in downtown Timeville, Blinx, who just happens to be a witty feline, has been charged with the responsibility of fixing damaged timelines using his trusty TS1000 Time Sweeper. Oh, and there's a kidnapped princess to rescue and an evil villain to defeat too.

But more importantly, this sci-fi fairytale gives the game designers and developers a lot more freedom to be creative. We've already seen numerous wall-climbing expeditions, chasm capers, and bottom-bouncing manoeuvres, so it's nice to see a somewhat warped Blinx game world. Bizarrely, night and day setting occur simultaneously, walls are twisted to the point of falling and you can even visit the inspired 'fourth dimension'.

Blinx himself isn't so much a DIY platform character either. He comes equipped with a wide selection of upgradeable weapons and ammunition that enhance his performance and abilities throughout the game. They can even help him earn bonus dollars to acquire bigger, better and badder weapons from the local armoury.

But to meet the objectives set in each of the game's forty levels, you'll have to control the flow of time itself. You can slow down the game world to give yourself extra time, or you can speed it up to complete missions faster. Bullet-time, anyone?

An Xboxclusive, Blinx may be the killer adventure game Microsoft needs for its powerhouse. more