50 Cent: Bulletproof

After reading 50 Cent's biography, it comes as no surprise that the bullet-riddled rapper is starring in his own virtual adventure. Indeed, 50's eventful history of making dollars, building rep and getting shot enough times to kill a baby elephant, sounds more like a game synopsis than real life.

But while Mr Cent might have all the necessary credentials to be an ass-capping avatar, if the game's a big pile of steaming toilet food then people will be especially quick to berate it as a smash and grab cash-in on the hip hop star's notoriety and appeal.

So is 50 Cent: Bulletproof likely to be pump action or just plain pump?

Well, if the game's opening level - which we were recently given the opportunity to blast our way through - is a fair indication of what to expect, then developer Genuine Games certainly can't be accused of a slapdash job. Bulletproof is actually in danger of exceeding our - admittedly fairly low - expectations.

The otherwise generic third-person shooting action is peppered with gratuitous effects, such a bullet-cam that rewards perfect head shots by following the gun-spit all the way to your unfortunate target's cranium.

But while the core shooting mechanic is embellished with some neat touches, the curious absence of a target lock threatens to dampen the experience considerably. Not only does lining up shots feel laborious, but the omission of an auto-lock also removes any potential for run-and-gun fun.

Of course, there's more to Bulletproof than just the game. An absolute vault-full of 50 Cent and G-Unit material to savour comes as part of the deal, and features over 150 tracks - including plenty of new and previously unreleased music - as well as all of 50's videos to unlock as you progress through the game.

With so much content thrown into the equation, Bulletproof will surely be an essential purchase for 50 Cent fans but, for everyone else, there's bound to be something infinitely superior on the game store shelf that will be much more deserving of your cash.