Full Review for Gladius by Darth Sadist

Introduction

Rivaling nations, blood-thirsty barbarians, battle-hardened soldiers, romance and betrayal. Here is a game that will captivate both action/adventure and rpg enthusiasts alike. Finally a game with a storyline that can't be described as simple or cliche, but rather pulls you in and ultimately breaks your heart, (ah, such sweet sorrow). You play as either Valens, the son of a great national hero, or Ursla, daughter of a Norse-like Chieftain (although they call him the King). Both characters follow the same basic story with minor variation depending on who you choose. You're running an aspiring school of gladiators with intents on achieving notoriety and victory in the Imperial games, but to do so you must travel the realms, enlist new warriors and mages, and defeat many other rival schools. Succeed and national fame and fortune won't be all you recieve.

Graphics

Ok, the graphics aren't breath-taking, but they're still pretty damn good. You also get limited customization of your characters and gladiators, such as hair and skin color, and armor colors. Some of the arenas are pretty sweet, and the cut scenes (or animated scenes) are well done, but don't expect squaresoft magnificence, it is LucasArts after all (at least it's better then Rouge Squadron!). I still think it would have been brutal if you could see damage on your fighters, like arrows protruding and cuts bleeding. But hey, until LucasArts hires me for design we get what we get.

Sound

I'm not very big on video game soundtracks. Actually I can't think of one I've really liked since "the Legend of Zelda", but this isn't bad. Ironically, my friend Trevor would get the theme music stuck in his head from watching me play for hours on end, and end up whistling the tune for days. The combat sounds were acurate, but the in game (action) dialog can be slightly annoying. I recommend playing the "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack, it's perfect for some of the epic battles.

Gameplay

Turn based, tactical battle, strategy. I never really liked it before in games like "Final Fantasy Tactics" or "Vandal Hearts", but maybe I just never really gave them the chance. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it's like playing the sickest game of chess ever. Although the computer has a bad habit of "cheating" in the higher levels (such as taking 5 turns to your one, and being able to shoot you through pillars and combatants when you can't), but that's just the creators making the game challenging, or at least that's what I tell myself to avoid smashing a perfectly good playstation.

Lastability

Alright, you ask, what's the replay value? Well, like I mentioned earlier there are two different characters, and two somewhat different storylines, but both have the same ending. So unless you want to play out both versions, and see things from opposing views, or you're intent on building the most potent school of gladiators since Troy & Trojan, you're not likely to play it once it's beaten. Unless of course you and a friend want to pit your schools against one another in the versus mode, which can provide countless hours of fun and frustration, depending on who has the better school.

Overall

I rented and beat this game a few years ago, and I bought it used a few weeks ago. I don't know if that's saying much, but if it doesn't this will. Buy this game! It's worth it. There are at least a solid 60 hours of game play if you rush through it, and well over 100 if you fight every battle and do all the sub-quests. The storyline is exceptional considering the bulk of crap out there, not since "Final Fantasy 7" has there been such an emotional roller-coaster, and you really do get two for the price of one. Now I'm just hoping and waiting for the sequal.

Final Score: 66%