We’ve all played games that are based on movies – and we’re sure you still shudder to remember some of ‘em – but games that are movies, that’s a different matter...

Such is the premise of Stranglehold from Hong Kong action supremo, John Woo, the director of the awesome ‘Hard Boiled’. It would have been an easy, even sensible task just to lift Stranglehold’s plot straight from that movie, but Woo took the more adventurous decision to make the game an actual sequel – it even stars the digital likeness of Hard Boiled’s embittered hero, Chow Yun Fat, reprising his role as Inspector Tequila.

So, John Woo, Chow Yun Fat and a sequel to one of the best Hong Kong action films ever. We guess that gives you a pretty good idea what to expect? You’d be right too – Stranglehold is a stunning ballet of whizzing bullets, cascading shell-cases, hilarious stunts, destruction on a truly massive scale and gun-toting fun that simply refuses to let up – and all expertly choreographed by the acknowledged master of the genre. Awesome!

There’s another blockbuster incoming soon in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. If you’ve gasped in wonder at the trailers and screenshots you’ve probably been eulogising about the game to anyone who’ll listen – the word ‘intense’ doesn’t begin to cover it! But why just look at the game when you could be playing the pre-release public Beta test? Places are limited and are going fast so head over to www.cod4beta.co.uk to register your interest immediately. Like now!

Finally we’ve just a little space to mention the week’s other big release, Fatal Inertia – a pleasing combination of gravity-defying vehicles, powerful weapons and insane speeds. Nice! And need we remind you that Halo 3 is arriving in just two short (but oh-so long!) weeks? Probably not, right...?

Out This Week on Xbox 360:

• John Woo presents Stranglehold

• Fatal Inertia