Silent Attack: The Near Danger Zone

This addictive, first-person shooter earns our praise for its fine graphics and action-packed gameplay. In Silent Attack - The Near Danger Zone, you control a floating antiaircraft gun, and it's your job to protect the quarry by decimating your airborne foes.

You choose from two styles of cannon; holding down the right mouse button will make your shots even more powerful. Since the enemy ships come fast, furious, and in large numbers, we think even experienced gamers will find it takes a while to make it past the first level. Firing and maneuvering with your mouse is simple and intuitive, but the option to play with the keyboard would be a welcome addition.

In fact, the ability to adjust the volume of the cinematic music and realistic sound effects are your only available customization options. On the plus side, the game's graphics are mostly top-notch; our only complaint concerns the appearance of the enemy ships, which seem to lack detail. Surprisingly enough, Silent Attack - The Near Danger Zone consumes very few system resources. All told, anyone who enjoys a good first-person shooter should give this one some attention.