War - what is it good for? Well if you happen to be producers of films or games (or HBO) then it's good for a fair few ideas. Ever since a certain Private Ryan needed saving and made those who did forget, remember, we have been swamped with WW2 related things. And whilst war itself can be hell, some of the games that it inspires are damn good.

Going one better than 'damn good' is Hidden and Dangerous 2, a great PC game that really deserves to do well. The first Hidden and Dangerous game was infamous in its time - whilst it probably was a good game deep down, the numerous bugs and glitches made people forget it was about the early days of the SAS, and made it more a Superhero game with your team members more likely to fly or glide through walls than to fight like the realistic crack commandos they were supposed to be. However it appears that all the bad points of the first game have well and truly been laid to rest, and we have a game that stands head and shoulders above the similar games of the moment.

Whilst many of the world are happily sitting around playing Call of Duty (which in my opinion is ok but nothing to set the world alight as FPS games go) those who take the gamble at the shop and go for this will be getting much more for their money. H&D2 is a squad-based World War 2 tactical strategy game with LOADS of shooting. It can be played in first person mode but the way it was intended was as a third-person based game.

You start with what is almost a dead cert for many a game these days - the tutorial level. However whilst in many a game you are safe to skip ahead, this time the tutorial gives you a great introduction to the game and actually feels very realistic. Once this is done it's the campaign mode you should be checking out to get the best from the game.

   

Firstly you have to choose your four-man squad for the mission ahead. Your choice of soldier is based on numerous attributes (such as strength) and also skills (such as shooting or First Aid). The new addition of an RPG-like skill bonus at the end of the mission along with promotion and medals means that you very quickly become attached to your men (especially if you go so far as renaming them). Once this is done you have to decide on your tools for the job ahead. Here the choices in front of you make you feel like a kid in a sweet shop. You name it, the chances are it's there (or at least will be as the game progresses). All of this can be done automatically for you, but there is no fun there and you usually find that the computer leaves you a little lacking in some of the more "specialist" weapons.

Then, after a nice little piece of FMV to set the scene you are on your way to 'do your bit'. The first mission opens in the middle of a winter's night. Snow is all around you - the only light you have is that cast by the moon. Your four man squad have to meet up with a local spy and then sneak into the enemy base - eliminate all hostiles and find the entrance to the labs hidden below. This is where you will be glad of that tutorial.

Attempts to play H&D2 as a standard FPS game will soon see your entire squad wiped out. Single hits can kill (especially if they are in the head), and whilst four men sounds like a lot it's nothing against a base full of hostile Germans. Whilst Call of Duty may try and make you feel like part of a squad, H&D2 actually demands that you act as one. You can order your squad as you see fit and whilst the amount of orders you can give and the amount of strategy they open up is huge, the way in which it's carried out is simplicity itself. Using the numeric keypad you press a number which relates to the soldier you wish to give an order to - the order screen pops up and you then choose the type of order and how best to carry it out. By pressing the 0 key you issue orders to the entire squad as one. Within minutes you are commanding the squad to silently advance forward and fire at will. As you near the enemy base a quick combo of keys and the lot of you hit the deck and take cover. It's so simple but so deep.

H&D2 is more strategy than shooter, with a fair amount of stealth, but action junkies will soon become addicted. Very quickly it's as if you are actually in the middle of an episode of 'Band of Brothers'. There is probably an infinite number of ways to complete the first mission - in fact I have completed it 5 times and each time I used a different approach - my favourite involved cutting through the side fence and making a slow approach with the cover from my sniper. Once in, three of the squad provided cover from the shadows as the Sniper ran across the courtyard and climbed up the (very) high watchtower. Switching back to the three men on the ground I advanced inwards on the base. As the Germans got wind of our raid they attacked en masse - ducking for cover and with one of the men providing suppressing fire with a very big Bren gun the Germans slowly advanced - but every time they moved forwards the Sniper took them down. Brilliant to watch, brilliant to play, and easy to do. This game is proper toy soldiers.

On top of that, there is also a tactical mode. A quick press of the space bar pauses the game and allows you to issue each squad member with waypoints, actions and commands which are then stored and ready to be executed when you step back into "real time" it may not seem like much but when the going gets too tough this gives you a quick breather and a way to gather your thoughts and plan carefully.

   

The graphics for the game are excellent - every piece of gear that your soldiers have is shown on their body - equip a new weapon and actually see it appear in the hands whilst the previous one is slung over their back. The levels are beautifully made up and actually give you that "being there" feeling, and there are some great little touches such as the soldier's foggy breath on the colder levels. The sound too is very good - all the weapons have unique sounds and as you become accustomed to them you can tell which one of your squad is firing based on the sound of the weapon alone.

I could go on so much more. I have not even mentioned the fact that you can drive any of the land based vehicles dotted around the levels, and actually have your squad fire from them as you do gangster-style drive-bys on the encamped enemy. Nor have I mentioned the numerous gun turrets and static positions which you can also use to your advantage - and whilst not being an expert on WW2 weapons or hardware they all handle and perform differently and (I assume) realistically.

Once you have had enough of the campaign (and believe me that will be some time) there are masses of play modes and that's not forgetting that there are many, many different types of mission within the campaign; from outdoor squad combat to indoor stealth based games that would have Solid Snake crying into his bandanna.

Whilst still having a few bugs and the occasional glitch, the pure genius of the way Hidden & Dangerous 2 plays means that you hardly notice them. I think this is an essential purchase for anyone with a PC - it's even good enough to warrant "that" upgrade you have been holding off on. So when next in a games shop, have a look for this one.