This one throws you right into the action. The main character and his cheesecake sidekick stroll into a dusty, one-horse town right out of the Wild West. The bad guys appear to be a cross-breed between biker thugs and rabid Sex Pistol fans, and they have a habit of starting a fight whenever possible. From the opening brawl, God Hand sends a clear message: There's a story here, but this is about fighting, so enjoy the journey and don't get too antsy to know who's who.

The main character starts off with a few simple moves - a quick punch, kick and drop kick. He can also slide unnaturally fast to the left and right, avoid shots like he's Neo, and spin on his heel to face what's behind him. Because you'll almost always be facing several foes and you can't block, the dodging moves are very handy.

But they aren't nearly as satisfying as knocking the stuffing out of the sleazy bad guys. Whether it's a series of quick jabs or a spinning kick to the head, contact feels and sounds solid and satisfying. And it's often funny, because the reactions from the bad guys are timed perfectly. Whoever works on hit detection for sports games could learn a lot from God Hand, because these guys flop around just right, no matter where you hit them. Their heads snap back, they grimace in pain, and if you get them on the ground, start stomping. You can continually stomp on a downed man or jam your knee into his face over and over again, so at times it's a little bit like a wrestling game, complete with suplexes - but better.

And it gets better still, because you'll want to play around with the Roulette system early and often. It's a special move system that stops time while you scroll through unlocked options. Before a timer ticks down, pick your move and fire away.

Aside from being exceedingly powerful, ridiculous moves, they are also a blast to watch. You can smash into a whole group of bad guys, send them flying into and through pieces of buildings and watch the carnage. Some moves target just one poor sap, but that hardly seems fair. There's even a 'ball buster,' which does exactly what you'd expect. It doesn't do much damage, but when you connect you'll hear a bell ring and the bad guy's face turns bright red. It really is fantastic. The Roulette moves are what makes God Hand.

The more you play, the more Roulette moves, and regular moves, you can buy in the Casino (which also has standard casino games to play). If the 'ball buster' isn't your style (you must be crazy), sign up for a spanking maneuver that's just as embarrassing for the bad guy on the wrong end of it. Of course, you can also pick from over 100 other moves, some of which send the poor chump toward the horizon.

Let's not forget, of course, the God Hand itself. By building up the meter and waiting for just the right time, you can unleash the power of the God Hand. This gives you temporary invulnerability and super speed. If you were having fun slapping away at the bad guys in real time, wait 'till you use the God Hand. Their head snap back so fast it makes the rest of their day look like a walk in the park.

Even if you're not using Roulette moves or the God Hand, you can always pick up scenery - lead pipes (of course), lumber, boxes, gas cans and so forth. Smashing these upside their heads feels every bit as productive as some of the special moves.

On the off chance that you, dear reader, are beginning to feel a little sorry for these bad guys, don't. They aren't defenseless. In fact, one of the earliest flashbacks involves the story of how Gene (our main character) came to need an arm in the first place. Without spoiling it (even though it's very early in the game and if you've read anything about it, you know this already), let's just say the bad guys have it coming.

The difficulty system also leans toward the bad guys. The better you do - bashing and not allowing yourself to be bashed - you'll move up in levels. It's not a level in the traditional sense, which would make you more powerful. These are levels that act as a progressive difficulty. The better you do, the higher the levels of the bad guys and the higher your bonuses. If they get in a few good shots your level drops back down, so it's in your interest to get on a roll and earn more money as fast as possible. But the game is already pretty tough, with enemies that surround you constantly.

There are only a few things holding God Hand back. Visually, most PS2 games are looking worse every month, and God Hand is a little too blocky and blurry compared to what's being offered on the Xbox and 360. It's also repetitive because the game consists of area after area of fights that serve no other purpose but the next fight. They're fun fights, but even with a deep combo and special move system, God Hand is best played in short bursts. Lastly, it's difficult to think of a worse name for an action hero than "Gene."

There's a group of super-powered, demonic bad guys at the heart of the whole thing, and you'll have to face them sooner or later. There are lots of clichés and stereotypes and the scrip makes fun of each one in turn, making for a light, fast story. But even with it's self-deprecating humor and over-the-top boss characters, the story takes a distant back seat to the action. It's not perfect, but God Hand is as entertaining as any action game on the shelf.