There was time when the phrase 'television tie-in' was a handy euphemism for 'cheap game rushed out to cash-in on the success of a popular TV show'. Thankfully, with games like Alias playing more like an episode of the programme that inspired them than a shameless copy of of another console hit, the tide of shoddy spin-offs is finally beginning to turn.
Scripted by Alias creator J.J. Abrams, the game perfectly captures the atmosphere of the show, right down to the music and costumes that were also created by the team behind the thrilling series. The digitial doubles of the main players - voiced by Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Victor Garber and others - are also spot-on, and the interactive environments that allow players to use a myriad of items as weapons add depth to the undercover action.
Although the stealthy gameplay will be familiar to fans of Splinter Cell, the adventure creates moments of tension by using innovative split-screen techniques; if you're picking a lock, for example, a window will open to show any approaching guards, turning even the simplest task into a moment of pant-wetting panic and making Alias one of the most authentic television spin-offs around.