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It is the year 2003, and drug use has reached epidemic proportions - more than one fifth of the population of Earth, are addicted to narcotic substances. The drug lords hold all the true political power. Evil and corrupt, they live, isolated, on an island near the coast of Colombia. And having invested $500 million in the latest security and surveillance equipment, they believe themselves to be untouchable...

However, they reckoned without the Narco Police, the most highly-trained law enforcement agency the world has ever seen. Rugged men, square of jaw, and tight of trouser; they have been assembled as an international force, each man the finest his country has to offer.

And the island has a flaw in its security. A network of tunnels runs underground, leading to the nerve centre of the complex. Your objective is to reach this central laboratory complex - and blow it to bits.

The game mixes strategy and arcade action. You must carefully choose all the specialised equipment you need before the mission begins, and distribute it amongst the three groups of five men each you control subsequently. A good range of noisy, explosive weapons soon put paid to any ideas you had of using stealth... From then on, you control each group individually, switching between them for best tactical effect.

The arcade section plays a little like the Atari coin-op Xybots, with your chosen character yomping down the tunnels, which are displayed in colourful, if jerky, 3D. Use of weapons is a little odd; you hold down the Fire button and then select the direction you wish to fire in. Simple in theory, but in practice it is slow and unresponsive, and further hampered by the fact that it is very difficult to see just where exactly you are firing! Your only indication is a bang and a muzzle flash. Enemy fire is just as invisible. Realistic, maybe, but very confusing.

The enemy are a wily bunch - clearly, all those mind expand-ing chemicals have inspired them to new heights of devious stealth. It's not uncommon, when strolling casually through a rocky tunnel, for a few guards to drop suddenly from the ceiling and turn you into mincemeat with a few well-aimed bursts of machine-gun fire. The enemy can shoot or hand-grenade you from their hidden positions, and sudden, unexplained death is a major irritation.

Other problems arise when equipment is brought into use during the game as you dive for the keyboard in an attempt to give medical treatment to your copper, but find that by the time you've typed in the code he's snuffed it... The graphics are nice, but animation and screen update are not good, though the overall effect is strangely realistic. A genuine feeling of tension takes hold as you creep through the dark tunnels waiting for signs of the enemy snipers...

The style is a bit of a departure, but it's still a typical Dinamic game - extremely difficult in situations where you have little control. Strategists will find it too thin, joystick bashers will find it too slow. However, Narco Police is well presented and attractively packaged. And the anti-drugs scenario is admirable.

Graphics are ambitious and the scenario looks a real handful. In practice, though, the graphics are slow and the strategy quite shallow. A commendable attempt, though.

Reach the end of a tunnel.

Graphics 72%
Colourful and well-drawn, but the sluggish animation spoils things.

Sonics 38%
Very limited... the odd gunshot and a couple of white-noise explosions.

Grab Factor 62%
Looks good, but uninformed playing is a fruitless experience.

Staying Power 69%
A large and potentially fun mission marred by frustrating gameplay.

Overall 68%
Bold and original, but badly flawed in its execution.