System: Sony PlayStation 3

Also available for: Microsoft Xbox 360, Windows PC

Publisher: Sega

Reviewer’s rating: ***

ESRB rating: Mature

Game type: Shooter

Kind of like: “The Running Man”

Best feature: In a nice throwback to the old-school arcade days, your score actually matters.

Worst feature: The multiplayer action is lackluster.

The bottom line: If you think “American Gladiator” is depraved, wait’ll you see this. “The Club” is an exclusive, underground association of the wealthy, powerful and bloodthirsty. Its purpose? To compete in ruthless kill-or-be-killed tournaments, all for a not-so-cheap thrill.

If such a thing doesn’t already exist, it will soon. And the pay-per-view numbers will be through the roof.

As a video game, though, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Playing as one of the game’s eight twisted reprobates, you charge through arenas blasting everything in sight. Sometimes the goal is to find the exit before time runs out. Other times, the goal is merely to survive as waves of enemies relentlessly attack.

But in all the events, what matters most is your score. You earn style points for each kill, based on difficulty and accuracy. Stringing together kills will multiply your score.

The eight arenas look great — they range from a decaying cruise liner to a former asylum for the criminally insane — but they all play the same. Same goes for the characters — some are a bit quicker, others can take a bit more damage, but the differences are negligible.

Adding to the “retro” feel is the fact that there’s no cover system.