Sanity: Aiken's Artifact is a comic book. If, like me, you also spent untold hours of your misspent twen—er, youth following the Marvel Comics escapades of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and yes, the X-Men, you should get a real kick out of Monolith's action-adventure title. It's got everything that a former member of FOOM (Friends of Ol' Marvel) could ask for, including all the cheesy settings and dialogue your mind can stand. Just add your own "THWAK!"s and "KA-CHOK!"s and get ready for a senses-shattering trip down memory lane.

Unfortunately, if you don't possess the peculiar frame of mind that equates the early writing of Stan Lee with Hemingway and the legendary artistry of Jack "King" Kirby with Picasso, you're not likely to enjoy this one. The plot is faintly ludicrous and as subtle as a WWF storyline. The voice-acting is (hopefully, for the sake of everyone involved) intentionally so far over the top that you'll often feel like a pole-vaulter. The suffering will be unparalleled if you can't appreciate these things.

Sanity is set in the mid-21st century and follows the exploits of Cain, a super-powered agent for the Department of National Psionic Control (DNPC). He's part of a new breed of humanity genetically engineered to possess psionic energy powers in the wake of Dr. Joan Aiken's discovery of an ancient artifact in the Arabian sands in 2028. This handy little item allowed the good doctor to unlock the unused part of the human mind that, in true pulp fiction fashion, contains the ability to blow stuff up real good. A little simplistic? Sure. But who wants to bother with learning speed reading and developing a photographic memory with that missing 90% of grey matter when you can shoot fireballs instead?

Nobody in this game, that's for sure. Many of those chosen for psionic experimentation have turned to a life of crime. This necessitated the creation of the aforementioned DNPC to keep these baddies in line. Sanity follows Cain as he investigates a number of these nasty psionic criminals, a lineup that includes his own brother, unsurprisingly named Abel. These adventures aren't easy. Even though you can use all manner of psionic powers, or talents, acquired throughout the game in card form, there's a catch: use them too frequently, and you'll go insane. Every point you drop below zero on the sanity meter takes you down a point of health. Go so bananas that you exhaust your health and you will explode in a ball of flame. You can also take "regular" health damage from more generic weaponry like rifles and baseball bats. Both your health and your sanity can be replenished with powerups, but heavy battles will often require a little strategizing to make sure you don't go crazy.