The subversion of morality adds spice to gaming. Continually being thrust into the role of Butch McMuscles and forced to do good deeds can get pretty tedious. Sometimes you just want to cause wanton mayhem, without feeling as though it’s being committed in the name of truth and justice. Controlling an evil character is, in a perverse way, far more honest. You’re not massacring people for a higher cause. You’re doing it because you’re bad.

Thanatos is a name which oozes badness. In Greek mythology, he’s the personification of death - which is pretty bleak by anyone’s standards. In Speccy land, he’s a winged creature of indeterminate species. The ability to breath fire suggests a Dragon, but a lack of forearms points instead to a Wyvern. Just to confuse things further, a dangling neck-flap indicates that our scaly chum may actually be a heavily disguised chicken. That’s for Cryptozoologists in the audience to decide. All the player needs to know is that Thanatos is mean, green and ready to cause a scene (of mass destruction.)

There’s fun a-plenty to be had from roaming the sideways-scrolling skies, swooping on irate townsfolk and burning them to a crisp as they ineffectively attempt to fight back with sticks and rolled up newspapers. If you’re feeling especially malicious, you can grab these hapless folk in your talons and cast them back to earth with deadly velocity. Bonus points are on offer if you can land one broken body on top of another adversary. Hurrah!

Strictly speaking though, that’s not the point of the game. In actual fact you’re supposed to be breaking into castles and sweeping girls off their feet. Well, just the one girl - a friendly sorceress, who’ll eagerly clamber onto your back if you touch-down nearby. These castles can only be breached by wandering up to the door and torching them. Simply nipping over the walls isn’t possible, because Thanatos adheres strictly to localised no-fly zones. Or something. Giant wasps, sea monsters and falling rocks will also try to thwart your devious cause. In the best Durell tradition, any harm inflicted by these perils (represented by an increasingly erratic heartbeat) can be cured by having a bit of a breather. Wearing a tactical hat pays off here, as trying to have a rest in the midst of an arrow storm will inevitably lead to disaster.

In the best tradition, any harm inflicted by these perils (represented by an increasingly erratic heartbeat) can be cured by having a bit of a breather. Wearing a tactical hat pays off here, as trying to have a rest in the midst of an arrow storm will inevitably lead to disaster.With bold graphics, a moody theme tune and would-be Saint Georges striving to prevent your winged monstrosity munching on fire-replenishing virgins (crikey), Thanatos delivers a terrific dose of darkness. Grab your Speccy emulator and start acting like an immolator.