WHEN it comes to beat 'em-ups, Bloody Roar has always ploughed a furrow of its own.

While Tekken has mostly tied up the PlayStation market until the peerless Soul Calibur returns, Bloody Roar has always offered something different - namely, animals.

Each of the characters can transform from the ordinary, everyday guys and gals who start off in a combat and change into various critters. Here, you'll find Gado who can become a lion, Shina who shimmies into leopard form and Busuzima who can become a chameleon.

Not all the beasts are cool, however, although both the moleman and Alice, the rabbit, can be particularly deadly to fight.

The chance to swap between forms isn't just a graphical nicety, but a tactic that must be carefully used to make the most of the game. In human form, your characters deal out less damage, but recover hit points faster, while in beast form, you won't recover health at any rate of knots, but your opponents will lose it at a horrible pace.

Chuck in destructible arenas and the usual smattering of options and it all adds up to an enjoyable little excursion.

Bloody Roar 3 is a beast of a game!

Graphics 3/5

Sound 3/5

Gameplay 4/5

Gamespan 4/5

Overall 4/5