Deus Ex. Format: PS2. Publisher: Eidos. Price: £39.99

LET'S face it, first person shoot 'em ups aren't exactly pushing the video game envelope at the moment.

As with the real-time strategy genre, a glut of inferior product has swamped stores making the selection of a really decent FPS shooter the video game equivalent of Russian roulette. Until now.

This month sees two of the very best FPS games for a long, long time making their debut on the PS2 system.

Of the two, Deus Ex is certainly the most innovative. Indeed, some would argue, it's not even a genuine FPS shoot 'em up because it incorporates elements from so many other different kinds of game.

A long awaited port of an award-winning PC game, Deus Ex is set in a Blade Runner-esque future where the world is an unpredictable and tumultuous place.

An unusual strong plot places your character in the thick of a worldwide conspiracy where nothing is what it seems.

As J.C. Denton you are a rookie anti-terrorist agent investigating a mysterious plague known as the grey death. It's up to you to keep the cure - Ambrosia (no, not the rice pud) - out of the hands of the bad guys.

In a conspiracy to gladden the hearts of X-Files fans everywhere, Denton soon comes to the conclusion that the heart of his own anti-terrorism agency is rotten.

Unable to trust his own people, Denton must go it alone if he is to unmask the plot for world domination. The adventure takes him across the world from New York to Hong Kong, where he makes allies and augments his own nanotech-enhanced abilities.

This is not a game for the paranoid. Every time it seems Denton has the plot figured out it suddenly takes another turn. Friends aren't what they seem; everyone has their own agenda. As with The X Files your motto has to be: trust no one.

It's the strong plot that makes Deus Ex such an enthralling game. This is one of those titles that you shouldn't play before bedtime. If you do then don't expect to catch up on your sleep - the infernal twists and turns will keep your brain ticking over hours after you hit the power off button on your PS2.

The game's artificial intelligence is top notch. This is one adventure that adapts itself to your method of play. It makes sense to vary your strategies otherwise a nasty death awaits.

Deus Ex was superb on the PC but it's been around so long now that a sequel is due any day.

The time taken to port it over to the PS2 has given Ion Storm (the much maligned studio set up by Eidos to nuture the talents of games gurus John Romero and Warren Spector) time to improve the character movement and beef up the graphics.

As you'd expect the interface has been dumbed down for a console audience and there's full dual shock compatibility. Taking advantage of the PS2's Dolby digital output, the music has been re-recorded with a full orchestra for an even better cinematic feel.

The intro movie and the finale have also been scrapped in favour of brand new wide-screen FMV that looks absolutely great on a 28-inch widescreen TV.

Otherwise it's all here; the characterisation, the real world locales created from actual blueprints, the multiple branching solutions to problems, nothing has been taken out in the translation from PC to console this is the full Deus Ex-perience.

Medal of Honor: Frontline. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Platform: PS2. Price: £39.99.

I'VE got to hand it to Electronic Arts. The idea of basing a first person shooter on World War II is one of those great ideas that makes everyone ask: "Why didn't we think of that?"

After several abortive attempts at a FPS franchise EA finally got it right with Medal of Honor. The game has already appeared on the PlayStation and the PC.

Medal of Honor: Frontline is the latest version for the PS2 and it's absolutely terrific.

EA employ a real-life veteran to advise on all aspects of these games and it shows. If you have watched Saving Private Ryan - especially the D-Day landing sequence - then you'll know what to expect.

The PS2's ability to pump out a decent soundtrack makes this game the most atmospheric Medal of Honor title to date. As well as the excellent ambient effects, there's a full 70 minutes of movie-style soundtrack to really get the adrenaline flowing. It's a pity game doesn't blast out a full Dolby 5.1 soundtrack in anything other than the FMV, though.

Graphically, Medal of Honor: Frontline is splendid. Everything looks scarily authentic, even down to the features of the German bad guys.

An interesting twist to the usual shooting action is the inclusion of one or two stealth based missions. It's no Metal Gear Solid but I guarantee the hairs on the back of your neck will be standing up when you have to reach a resistance spy in a pub filled with Gestapo.

It's not going too far to suggest this is one of the most eagerly awaited PS2 titles of the year. Thankfully it lives up to all the hype.

* You can win a copy of Medal of Honor: Frontline for your PS2 console thanks to Burton's Byte and Electronic Arts. To be in with a chance just answer this simple question:

Who was the star of Saving Private Ryan?

The first three correct entries will all receive a copy of the game. Entries close on Friday July 5 and entrants must be aged 15 or older.