Since the beginning of the medium, video games have done one thing predominantly well: action. Fists, bats, guns, cars, explosions, etc. If you can create action around it, a game has done it. Pursuit Force may be built around a simple action concept, but the game is nothing short of intense.

In one of those video game cities run by crime, the Pursuit Force is formed, and their training must consist of nothing but performing acrobatic jumps, insanely stupid driving, and shooting. The concept is basic: drive a car, jump to an enemy's car, blow them away, and repeat. It's car jacking in Grand Theft Auto on the most massive steroids nowhere even close to being allowed by law.

The mechanic is a little loose, and it's not always possible to make the jump you want, or even take it at all. There's no worry about missing the target (a wise gameplay call) since it's automated once the circle button is pressed, but in a melee involving multiple cars, it's tough to make the move to the proper vehicle. Also, if you're not in the right spot, the coding doesn't allow for the jump either.

These instances are rare however. Once the leap of faith is made, it's a matter of hanging on, dodging, and shooting. Every encounter, whether on the front or the back of the car, is thrilling. A few more defensive moves wouldn't have hurt (the provided dodge is woefully ineffective at times), though you're usually concentrating on shooting too quickly hijack a vehicle to make the destination.

Wisely breaking the monotony of the back-and-forth jump mechanic, Pursuit Force offers on-foot levels and a few brief helicopter shooting galleries (that play out like light gun shooters). On-foot levels fare the worst of the lot, with a tough targeting system that requires a lock on before a shot can be fired. Granted, it's an admirable attempt to avoid the plague that is the lack of a second analog stick, but these brief segments could have been cut and there would be little complaint.

There are a few levels that feel like they were part of a bigger plan too. One of the game's brightest moments is a rip off of action movie classic Speed, putting the player at the wheel of a bus, trying to maintain a constant speed to avoid a bomb explosion, and attempting to save the hostages. It's a brilliant bit of action gaming, tied in flawlessly with a soundtrack that provides a nice sense of production values (even more so given the PSP). There should have been more like this.