When a popular television show is formatted into a video game, there's always the off-chance that the final result will go somewhat awry, due to too much reliance on the license rather than concentration on what's put into the game. One gander at the many failures of Acclaim, namely the South Park games and most recently Alias, will tell you that. But hand a license to a developer that knows what they're doing and the possibilities are endless- the experience that the show brings can be perfectly copied over into a video game format. That's exactly what Sony Europe is setting out to do with 24: The Game, based on the popular Fox TV show of the same name.

The show 24 focuses on the many bad days of Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland), a member of a counter-terrorist unit based in Los Angeles who works literally around the clock to stop a vicious plan from unfolding, while running into complications with fellow agents and adversaries along the way. The unique trick that makes the show work so well is the fact it runs in real time- each 60-minute episode covers an hour of the crisis exactly down to the second. The game will be covering a similar format, as you have 24 hours to lead Bauer and members of his team through a plot and make split second decisions as time ticks away.

The game's storyline will actually blend in with the events that have happened in the show, dropping in between events from the end of the second season to the beginning of the third season. In case you're not familiar with the show, this means jumping right in on an assassination attempt on President Palmer (played by Dennis Haysbert), who's been infected with some kind of virus on his hand (which could also tie into the Salazars, a group of virus specialists introduced in the third season). As the game unfolds, Bauer must find out who was behind the attempt. The game will also introduce Chase Edmunds, Bauer's partner from season three, and will drop details on how Kim Bauer, Jack's daughter (played by Elisha Cuthbert), joined her father's agency.

24: The Game will incorporate several different sequences very close to the format of the show. Some segments will involve Jack or one of his cohorts running on foot, taking down suspects and finding clues leading to the next target; others involve driving in high-speed chases; others will put a sniper rifle in your hands, protecting the innocent as you take out sinister targets with efficiency; and then you have the occasional decryption puzzle, which will give you specific electronic tools in order to unlock files or access new data systems. This mixture promises to keep your brain working throughout the day as it unfolds, fulfilling the need for stealth and action fans.

To make sure that the game carefully follows the brilliance of the TV show, Sony Cambridge is working directly with numerous sources from the show. Parts of the production team are directly involved, as well as script writer Duppy Demetrius, who has penned the entire script for the game. Sean Callery, the show's composer, has produced a brand new score that changes pace as events take place in the game. And then you have the voice cast, with Sutherland, Cuthbert, and other actors from the show providing the dialogue, as well as faithful motion capture, so you actually feel like you're controlling the characters and not lame look-alikes. And, yes, if you liked the split-screen cut-aways, they're here as well, along with the timer.

24 is one of the better series on television, so there's something extremely crucial about making sure that the game follows suit in terms of top quality. Sony's got their hands full, but early footage indicates that they have the right idea to pull it off. You can bet that we'll be watching the seconds tick away as 24: The Game nears its fall release date. There's nothing like waiting on a good cliffhanger.