A fast-paced action RPG that's reminiscent of the Metroid series and the classic computer game Slime World, Orbital Media's Scurge: Hive introduces a great new character to the gaming scene.

As Jenosa Arma, a female bounty hunter with plenty of cool moves, you're sent into a secret military base on a faraway planet to retrieve data and tech after contact is lost with the facility. In true Murphy's Law fashion, this goes from a simple 'drop by the takeout window and order up' kind of job to 'Oops, I should have maybe stayed home in bed' affair. [That's Jack Bauer's biggest problem - if only he'd stayed in bed! Still, five seasons of Kiefer Sutherland asleep wouldn't have made for great TV. Ed]. Jenosa ends up having to deal with packs of deadly aliens and a mutant virus that infects her, thanks to aliens that invade her ship before she even sets foot on the planet. Scurge shares the same engine as Orbital's other excellent GBA/DS release, Juka and the Monophonic Menace, so you get the same three-quarter isometric view, complete with vibrant, excellently detailed, massive environments to explore. A couple of gameplay quirks aside, this is definitely one ride worth taking if you're a fan of quality action RPGs with a sci-fi slant.

As Jenosa you start out in special gear on loan from the military. There's a sexy prototype suit, grappling hook and a pair of projectile gauntlets that need to be upgraded as you make your way through the base. The gameplay revolves around dispatching enemies, collecting loads of security keycards and solving a few well-implemented puzzles as you try to put an end to the alien menace. Like Metroid (and plenty of other games), you come across areas that can't be reached until you have certain suit upgrades and/or keycards. While your basic weapon is good enough to take down foes, you eventually need to acquire weapon upgrades to quickly deal with enemies that require more than a few shots to dispatch. Orbital have cleverly reused gameplay and visual elements from Juka throughout, so if you enjoyed Juka then you'll like what's on offer here. However, you may notice that there's no automatic targeting system, which of course adds a huge level of challenge some may find hair-raising.

In Juka you got a handy auto aim that allowed you to hit enemies off screen with potions or Sound Staff shots. Here you need to be facing your enemies in order to shoot them. In addition you can't fire at all while moving, so you need to get really good at taking out aliens and robots as quickly as possible, particularly in tight areas where you get swarmed. Jumping really comes into play here, as you can avoid being smacked around or shot up by getting some air, landing and moving away from harm until you can get a clear shot. Those borrowed Projectile Gauntlets don't use ammo, but there's an energy bar on the top right of the game screen that quickly depletes as you fire away. Enemies respawn if you leave and return to an area, so you need to take that into account when you're item or key hunting. The good part about the reappearing aliens is that you get some much needed experience points. The downside is taking a wrong turn through a doorway after clearing out a room full of tough enemies, then needing to do it again and a few times more once you unlock more areas that pass through the same room.

Gaining levels allows for more hit points and stronger attacks, but thanks to the infection and enemies giving out less experience the more you hang out in an area and grind away, you always keep moving. Still, you can use the back and forth time to practice jumping out of harm's way and perfecting your eight directional aiming. Once you're infected, you need to keep an eye on the infection level shown at the top center of the screen and check your map so you know where the decontamination platforms are. Your infection level starts out at 1% and slowly creeps up as you explore the game world. Decontaminating lets you save the game, heals you and drops the infection back to 1%, allowing you to roam a bit further. There are red Scurge pools scattered all over that shoot the infection meter up if you step in them, so you need to avoid these at all costs. If that wasn't bad enough, some pools contain icky aliens that pop up to spit poison your way, but they can be taken out with a few shots. Although the game world is large, you're always kept on your toes by the infection raging through your body. In addition there are also a number of sequences where you need to shoot a series of pillars while a timer ticks down. Naturally these sections are simple at first, but become more complex as the game goes on.

In terms of weapon upgrades you eventually get three - EMP, combustion and dissipation shots. Some enemies can be harmed by certain weapons, while others are beefed up big time if blasted with them. The real fun begins when you're facing off against multiple enemies of different alignments. Fortunately, weapon switching is quick and painless, even when the enemy encounters aren't. You also get to use a freeze blast and plasma bombs to solve puzzles or stun some enemies, while an adrenaline boost is good for slowing down time, giving you a slight edge against some of the more persistent baddies. The bosses truly give you a run for your money and in some cases a bit of a fright when that ominous music starts up and some formerly unseen horror comes into view. Granted, there's no extreme gore here to turn off the easily freaked out, but the game sure totters on the edge of a Teen rating on atmosphere alone. There's a nice sense of dread that filters through the game and the often-tough difficulty of Normal mode will make you grip that DS a bit tighter as you play. When you face a boss you'll notice a number next to its life meter - this is the number of forms you need to defeat before it goes down for the count! Expect the unexpected and a few trips to your last save is all I'll say about that. The challenge is definitely welcome though, particularly in these days of action games that practically walk you through what's supposed to be a tough battle.

Visually, Scurge is outstanding, showing off some of the best-looking 2D art on the system. Jenosa's animations are great, particularly her super stylized long red ponytail that has a life of its own. I'm sure some gamers will cry "rip off" and yes, it's tempting to toss Samus Aran comparisons around, but this game and character can hold their own in terms of quality. In fact, you could say that Scurge feels more like a true Metroid game than the uncharacteristic deathmatch frenzy Metroid Prime: Hunters was. Like Juka, Jenosa can also climb and shimmy, while her jumping (and later double jumping) skills are something that Juka could have used in a few tight spots. The assorted enemies range from deadly and mechanical robots to deadly and organic oozy things, with a few alien life forms tossed in for good measure. The environments look great and are chock full of excellent little details that add life to the game world. This version has the map and status screens always accessible, so you can check out where you're at and how you're doing without leaving the game screen. As mentioned above, the music is also fantastic and the sounds are well implemented throughout, adding up to a solid game that action fans should have no trouble getting into.

Since this is also a Game Boy Advance game, the touch screen usage is minimal and optional. The coolest things you can do are scroll the map with the stylus or tap icons on the bottom screen to read about weapons or items. Given that the game can be quite tough, the less blunt pokey objects you have to worry about holding, the better. The gameplay really doesn't require anything gimmicky and it's great to see that Orbital resisted the temptation to add needless touch screen antics simply because they are possible. There are three additional difficulty levels and two cool bonuses to unlock by replaying Scurge a few times, but it would have been really something to see an art gallery or even get to listen to a few music tracks.

Still, it's hard to complain much about a game that's as well made as Scurge: Hive. Interestingly enough, if you sit through the end credits you'll get the hint that a sequel may be in the works - I really hope so, particularly since this is such a great introduction to another cool female character that's made a swift entry into the current crop of gaming greats. And as a repeated plea to skeptics, don't pass this up just because it 'looks like Metroid' - pick it up because it's as intriguing, and in some ways more so, than Nintendo's excellent franchise.

Reviewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).