El Matador hands-on

The clich%26eacute;d story is full of foul-mouthed, D-list characters, and doesn't warrant another word. Clearly the effort instead went into making El Matador pop graphically - trees throw down detailed shadows that flicker in the wind, and sepia-toned alleyways give the banana republic an atmospheric feel. Plenty of object interactivity, Hollywood-tastic explosions and superb lighting effects fill in the spaces between the violence.

Barring the surprise announcement of Pierce Brosnan becoming involved with Matador, heavy consideration should be made to renaming this game Mack's Pain 3.

For better or for worse, that's what it is.