You can impress pretty German exchange students with the knowledge that 'Geist' translates as both 'ghost' and 'mind'. Just don't mention you learned the wo🔥rd while wandering the world in spirit form and merging your brain with a bowl of dog food.

Gamecube exclusive Geist has been spookily elusive since E3 2003. But, at last, we've finally had the chance to control the game's body-hopping 'Spectral Operative'. He ain't got no body - literally, because it's been nicked by evildoers unknown. The idea is to scare up the locals, then take their bodies for a tes🦂t drive, using their skills, guns and even memories to eventually snatch back your skin.

We popped inside a mouse and scurried through tiny tunnels, used our electricity-fiddling power to put the frighteners up a scientist sitting in front of his laptop - and gave a dog the Scooby Doos by possessing the aforementioned bowlful of Pedigree Chum. Ha﷽untable objects are highlighted as you enter a room but it takes a fair chunk of brain to puzzle out the beﷺst way to use them.

Thing is, it's all a bit lacking in the shooting department. We did manage to possess one gun-carrying guard and give his u🐠nsuspecting colleagues a very bad day. But we're hoping the final version - which promises at least 12 different types of bo🦋dy to snatch - provides a better balance of ghosting and gunplay, and gives rival spectral thrillers like Psi-Ops and Second Sight the goosebumps.

While Geist was due to be released for Gamecube this Christmas, recent reports suggest that it now won't hit shelves till 2005