My wife’s been playing this a lot, so while she was in the bath last night I started my own game, as the 360 was on and the disc was in the drive. I chose to be Kasumi because… well, because I’m always Kasumi. I bought her a hat, bought some presents for Ayane and Lisa, got to be good friends with them, played some volleyball, took some photos and did an awful lot of jet ski racing. (Which made me long for some Waverace action on the Gamecube, but I’ve got the US version and no way to play US Gamecube games at the moment.)

It’s quietly compulsive, which is all down to the freedom of choice. If I don’t want to do pool-hopping – which I don’t – then I don’t have to. It’s all a bit strange – especially how certain parts of the characters’ bodies move – and no one element is outstanding, but it’s more than the sum of its parts.

Hardest game ever to get an achievement on, though. I didn’t get one in the couple of hours I played last night and my wife, who’s played a lot more than that, still hasn’t got any.