Russians reverse-engineer WWII

These days, developers are forced to come up with ever more elaborate ways to justify World War II-based action games, but Oxygen Interactive's Red Shark is one of the best amalgamations of the various approaches we've seen. Instead of taking up arms with the Yanks or the Brits (or even the Frenchies), we're thrown into the role of a crack Russian fighter pilot. What's more, it isn't World War II, it's peacetime closer to the present day, and we're being sent back to do away with the Third Reich before it even kicks up a fuss, armed with the most advanced helicopter in the Russian air force: the heavily armed KA-50.

So, to recap: Russians. Time travel. Elite aircraft.

Red Shark is described as the perfect mix of action, easy to learn controls and advanced flight simulator physics, with expansive 3D environments to swoop around in and plenty of Nazi-crushing missions to overcome. There's even a missile camera, which allows you to watch from a salvo's eye view as the entrenched Nazis meet with a messy end.

The game is due out in February 2003 from Oxygen, and should appear at a wallet-friendly £19.99 in the UK.