There's no doubt that Conan is one seriously beautiful game though, with some spot-on art design that recalls Frank Frazetta (the chap who crafted the covers of a number of Conan novels). It appears a special filter has been layered over the game that provides a dreamy, high fantasy aesthetic while snazzy depth-of-field trickery is also used to intoxicating effect. The animation is also incredible; Conan might look like a hulking Neanderthal but he moves like a finely-tuned athlete, dishing out death and destruction with tigerish grace as foes die in droves and the screen runs red with claret.
When it comes to the crunch, the C-Man simply isn't innovative or adventurous enough to truly rank up there with Kratos and Dante in the highest echelons of the beat-'em-up hierarchy, though it is better than something like the much-hyped but ultimately disappointing Heavenly Sword on PS3. If you're going to plonk the obligatory platforming sections in there though, why be so darn lazy? As with puzzles; if they're only half-arsed, why bother?
