Game: "Darkwatch."

Console: PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Developer/publisher: Capcom/High Moon Studios/Renderware.

Genre: First-person shooter.

Number of players: 1-2.

ESRB: M, for blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, crude language.

The premise: Somewhere out in the wild west of 1876 is a criminal varmint by the name of Jericho Cross. This outlaw is about to make a very big mistake: He is about to rob a Darkwatch train. Darkwatch is an ancient organization whose purpose is to stop supernatural evils; the train is carrying a vampire lord who is freed by Jericho and shows his appreciation by biting him on the neck. With his vampiric powers beginning to emerge, it is up to Jericho to stop the vampire lord Lazarus Malkoth or roam the earth as an undead monster.

Game play: "Darkwatch" plays like the average first-person shooter, but what sets it apart is its western-vampire motif. You play the role of Jericho Cross as he makes his way down either the path of good or evil. At different points in the game you have the option to take a life or ease the suffering of a victim.

The road you choose gives you a set of different powers to earn, called Judgment Powers. The first power on the good side is the "silver bullet power," which makes your shots better for a limited time. On the evil side is "blood frenzy," which makes your melee attacks stronger for a limited time. Make your choice ... and happy hunting.

The good/bad: First, with such a plethora of weapons it would be nice if you were able to carry more than two at a time. Unfortunately, you must manually reload each time. Considering how frequently you get swarmed by your enemies, this becomes very old very fast. There is also a sharp learning curve, which has you rising from the dead repeatedly.

On a positive note, along the way you find hidden, condemned souls you are able to pass judgment on. No matter your choice — good or bad — for these souls, your health and blood shield are always replenished. Also, the vampire powers make up somewhat for your lack of firepower and break up the same old run-and-gun nicely.

Tips: For your second weapon, I recommend the crossbow. It can carry lots of ammo and it's very fast. When you get your blood vision power, the crossbow allows you to have a very powerful sniping weapon early in the game. Don't try to use it as a close-quarters weapon, as you are launching dynamite. Best to think of it as a grenade launcher.

My take: "Darkwatch" is not one of my favorite first-person shooter games, but it has some potential. This game plays more like the first-person shooters from the PlayStation One days — they had more of an action/adventure feel to them. Ever since "Halo" came out, there have been more tactical shooter games, but if you like first-person shooters, "Darkwatch" is definitely worth trying.

Jeffrey Davis of Honolulu is a video-game enthusiast.