The Nomad Soul - PC Games

You arrive in the city of Omikron, with no idea of your place in this battle. Your job is to research who you are (since your soul has been transported into another body) and why your partner, Den, has died.

Through exploring the districts of Omikron for clues--and battling monsters in predictable fight scenes--you discover the truth about Den's death, mysterious serial killings, and demons that haunt Omikron. The game itself is even brought into the plot, suggesting that the way you play will determine not only the fate of your character, but of yourself in the real world (a clichéd device that may have been more effective if the game was in first person).

The action scenes are thrilling, but more complicated than necessary. Each type of fighting requires new keystrokes, leaving you to think more than react to your opponent. The first-person shooting scenes are hard to master in using both mouse and keyboard to dodge, crouch, shoot, and run. The hand-to-hand combat is much more exciting, and easier to manoeuvre.

The graphics are wonderful, although your interaction with the objects and people are not as sophisticated as might be expected.

Unfortunately, Bowie plays a much more minor role than anticipated. The music is played only in a bar concert and is slightly canned, so buying this game strictly for the Bowie effects is not recommended. RPG fans wanting to take a risk may find this combination-format game as intriguing as the mysterious world it's based on. --Madeleine Miller