P-3 BIOTIC

No cert, BatCat Games, PC ***

Why aren’t there more duel-stick shooters? From Smash TV to Zuma, the genre has given us some of the most addictive, least pretentious games of all time. P-3 Biotic, a stylish little number from Irish developers BatCat, carries the torch admirably. The gameplay will be familiar to anyone who’s tried Asteroid or Geometry Wars, albeit with a few new ideas: you play a small spaceship that must defend an orb in the centre of the screen.

Avoid and kill asteroids and projectiles, and use the power-ups where you can. We’d recommend using a controller instead of your keyboard (an Xbox controller is ideal). P-3 Biotic walks the line between a casual and a core game – it’s easy to pick up, but fast-paced and challenging. Yes, maybe it’s a little familiar, but it’s smooth, compulsive and is packaged nicely in sparkling graphics and a lush techno score; not bad for a game that costs about as much as a takeaway latte.