Vampire hunters, once common in the movie world, are now few and far between, so when we heard of Hollywood's Van Helsing, we were intrigued. But more importantly, we wanted to know what Vivendi's virtual equivalent was like and just how well it related to the big screen offering. Working closely with the Van Helsing production crew, Vivendi and developer Sapphire have put players firmly in the boots of the leading man in what is a massive third-person 'kill-em-up' of sorts. There are moments throughout the game that are reminiscent of other demon-infested games such as Devil May Cry, but the faithful story line and inclusion of key battles from the film help to immerse players further into the game than most others do. As many of you will be aware, the adventure takes place in 19th century Transylvania, which unsurprisingly is home to several infamous Hollywood villains including Dracula, Wolf Man and the Frankenstein Monster. As Van Helsing, a legend himself, all you must do is hunt down these foes before darkness engulfs the entire world. Yes, it's something of a cliche, but it makes for a great game. Roaming a surprisingly colourful game world, players must get to grips with a broad selection of weapons and gadgets that include grappling hooks, shotguns, pistols, scimitars and even a hand-cranked gatling gun. It's a simple play mechanic, one that's easy to learn and that rarely frustrates. Your enemies can be difficult to dispose of though, but persistence is an invaluable asset in Van Helsing. As movie-cum-video game franchises go, Van Helsing is good fun. But even without the film and all of its publicity, this PS2 adventure is well worth playing.