What's a video gamer to do while waiting for blockbuster titles such as Madden NFL '08 (August 14), Halo 3 (September 25) and Grand Theft Auto IV (October 16)?

The answer: Rent some games for the weekend. We suggest Atari's Bullet Witch, an average but enjoyable sci-fi shooter for the Microsoft Xbox 360.

This third-person shooter takes place in the year 2013, after our planet has suffered billions of fatalities because of natural disasters, war and infectious diseases. As if this weren't enough, an inter-dimensional portal allowed demons to seep through and attack the few survivors. You play as Alicia Claus, a beautiful witch who is as powerful with her magic spells as she is deft with a trigger finger. She wields a huge "gun-rod," a broom-shaped weapon that can be upgraded over time. You start with the gun-rod as a machine gun, but in time it can be switched to a shotgun, sniper rifle and Gatling gun.

But gun battles with hoards of demons get tiring after a while. For one, while some might run for cover, the not-so-bright creatures basically stand there and let you shoot them down one by one. The action sequences get repetitive, as well. You fight baddies, move ahead and watch a short-story sequence, and then fight more baddies and move ahead toward the end of the level.

Magic spells produce a more exhilarating effect than the predictable gunplay. Pressing the left or right shoulder button brings up a magic wheel, whereby you can spin and select what kind of magic spell to invoke -- if you've earned enough skill points to unlock it. And at only six or seven hours of play, you can easily tackle this single-player shooter in a weekend. That should keep you occupied until the arrival of the season's blockbuster games.