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Preview:
Gladius
Due Spring 2003 for Xbox, PlayStation 2,
Gamecube.
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 Gladiator games sure
seem like they’ve been a long time in coming. After all, it’s been over two
years since Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe duped the academy into thinking that Gladiator
was anything more than a remake of Braveheart set in Rome (which, ironically enough, was a
remake of Spartacus set in Scotland). With America’s seemingly insatiable lust for
all things Gladiatoresque, it seems like we should have had a deluge of coliseum based
games on all systems.  We’ve really only had one sub-par Gladiator game come out in
the last few years, the dismal Circus Maximus. Everything about Gladiator life is suited
to the video gaming industry; you’ve got the restless fans screaming for blood and
carnage and more instruments of death than you can shake a fist at. I have little doubt
that if Jim McMahon weren’t hampered by societal standards, he’d make gladiator
games the most popular event on cable. But because people actually get a little squeamish
when the subject of killing for sport comes up, gladiator battle is the one sport that can
really only thrive in a virtual world.
 Gladius is the story of Ursula and
Valens, two ‘young heroes’ who recruit and train a group of warriors to compete
in the Gladiator games. You know you’d be lying to yourself if you didn’t admit
that you’ve always harbored a secret desire to run your own gladiator school. As the
game progresses you learn of a plot to bring back an ancient god who will wreak havoc upon
all mankind.
 I only got to spend a little time with Gladius, but what impressed me most
about the game was the incorporation of the stadium fans. This game takes crowd pleasing
to a whole new level. Depending on the arena, different crowds are going to react
differently to fighting styles. The Romanesque crowds are going to reward heroic
confrontations whereas the Barbarians are going to be more pleased with backstabbing and
sneak attacks. The turn-based RPG elements of the game threw me off a little because I was
really expecting an all out brawl in the arena. RPG fans should feel more than at home in
this world. The battle animations were impressive, and the few deathblows that I witnessed
were sufficiently creative.
 The thing that makes me hesitant about this game is its incorporation of magic
and mysticism. It’s as if the developers felt that it wouldn’t be a
‘real’ RPG if gamers couldn’t execute at least a few spells. The magical
elements really seem to take away from the game’s potential to put players into the
world of Gladiators and Roman decadence. With all of the competitions and the management
of your gladiator schools, it seems almost as if it’s too much to worry about the
revival of an evil ancient god. If LucasArts can effectively balance the historical and
fantasy elements, it may prove to be an exciting game, but we’ll just have to wait
and see. The game will also feature exhibition battles against the computer or 4 player
co-operative modes. Gladius should show up on all three platforms by the spring of 2003.
 
 
 
 
Jason
Frank (06/28/2002) |
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