Maybe it's a hangover from the space race, maybe not, but it seems like developers from the former Soviet republics always have to shoot for the moon. From Operation Flashpoint to STALKER, it's the same thing - a boundless, almost foolish desire to push the limits to their utmost.

The latest preposterously ambitious title from the region is Boiling Point (formerly known as Xenus), a vast freeform shooter-cum-role-playing adventure set in the jungles of South America. We've been putting the Beta code through its paces this month, and have to admit it's an impressive undertaking.