PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PC; £30-40. Age 16+

The popular TV series Lost makes a virtue of its mysteries, and this new game gives fans of the show a chance to dig deeper into its secrets. You play a new character slotted into the cast – an amnesiac photojournalist trying to find his way home. As in the series, a man’s destiny is linked to his past, so our hero explores not just the gorgeous island scenery, its caves and mysterious Dharma Initiative installations, but also his own dark history, through ingenious flashbacks.

If the premise is intelligent, the execution is less so. One minute, Lost bogs you down with uninspired puzzles, the next it traps you in exasperating action sequences with abrupt bouts of instant death. Characters look the part but interaction with them is limited. You can chat with Jack and trade aphorisms with Locke, but everything feels flat and artificial.

What saves the game is also what saves the series: atmosphere and plot. From the distinctive theme music to the “previously” and cliffhanger sequences that book-end each of the game’s seven short episodes, the essence of the show just about survives intact.

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