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	Gladius
	Developer: LucasArts Publisher: LucasArts Genre: Role-Playing Game / Turn-Based Strategy / Action Players: 1-4 Similar To: Dynasty Tactics Rating: Teen Published: 11 :24 : 03 Reviewed By: Ryan Newman (Xbox) Published: 12/02/03 - Matt Heart (PS2) Overall: 8.5 = Excellent (Xbox); 8 = Excellent (PS2)

Screenshots

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Starting Gladius, I was immediately struck by the fantastic intro that mixes animation and the look of an oil painting in a unique and completely agreeable way. After the intro sequence ends, the player finds themselves controlling Valens and his old friend, Ludo. Family friend Usus acts as the boys' mentor and also gives instructions to the player along the way.

Starting out in Valens' homeland of Imperia, players will eventually make their way throughout 3 other territories once they beat the various leagues and championships. Valens and gang can't just waltz into a new town and start fighting, though. When entering a new place, it will be necessary to win the favor of the public; in addition they will also need to earn a badge to be allowed to walk around when they first arrive in new portions of the continent.

Upon winning the favor of the locals, additional battles are opened up. For a while, the standard objective of defeating all enemies will be the standard, eventually, though, games like King of the Hill, Point Battles (damage inflicted equals points, whoever has the most at the end of a time will win), among others, will be added, along with class restrictions, to the battles. Each town has a main championship, and these require a number of completed victories to enter, these minor victories come from minor battles that often carry stories (ex: A player-controlled squad must defeat the comptuter's squad, with the background being that the player's fighters are guards and the other side are escaped convicts). These tend to add flair to the fights, and also serve as interesting ways to put restrictions on battles. The bulk of the fights will award the player with gold cups, which work toward meeting the prerequisite amount of cups to compete in that territory's Championship; other battles, which are often a series of fights (mostly consist of defeating waves of enemies), also go towards opening up the Championship and other battles that require specific badges.

Winning a Championship allows for the player to travel to new territories, which sounds fairly easy, but each territory can take 15-20 hours to work through. Oddly enough, most of the top-tier fights are relatively easy when compared to the fights needing victories to compete in them. Battling isn't the only thing that will take time, as there is still a school to run - although, this really just amounts to recruiting and expelling gladiators (the number that can attend the school raises as the respect of the school does whenever victories are achieved), managing their gear, and choosing what abilities for them to have when they level up. Getting fighters is simple, as every town as a deposit of gladiators awaiting a chance to join a school. Their services can either be purchased out-right, or, for a fraction of the cost, they will only fight in one battle and will be under the control of the computer.

The fighters themselves come in three forms: light, medium, and heavy. Based on a variation of paper-rock-scissors, light fighters beat heavy, medium beats light, and heavy beats medium. Although this balance seems easy enough to gain a solid grasp on, and it will be in the beginning, the laundry list of moves that each unit can learn means that the battle preparations become essential as the cut-and-dry method serves only as the foundation of the battle's tactics. The fighters won't be standard units either: animals (wolves, bears, etc.) can be picked, the various inhabitants of the land (Roman-styled Imperia soldiers, Barbaric Nordagh with their unique 'crazy as hell' look, etc.), as well as magical and support (long-range) units will be available to recruit - and all have generic and specific learnable abilities.

Taking a well-groomed squad into combat and obliterating the enemy, is a satisfying feeling. It's also gut-wrenching whenever an orchestrated plan turns on its side whenever the computer initiates some below-the-belt maneuvers. Like in real battles, terrain is crucial. The fighter on the higher plane will deal much more damage to their opponent below them. Because of just how significant a crate or platform can be, proper troop placement is crucial. Pre-battle scenes allow the player to spot where the enemy will be, what kind of units they are, and give certain spots where their gladiators can be placed and in what direction they want them facing; where a gladiator faces is also of importance, since side and back attacks can do ungodly amounts of damage. Since it can be hard to spot terrain differentials and objects in arenas, it pays to pay attention to how the enemy places their units (if it's a King of the Hill match, the computer tends to start out near the area needed to climb). Simply having strong attacks won't be enough in Gladius, it also takes planning and careful maneuvering on the battlefield to come away the victor.

A plan must also take into consideration skill points (SP); which are used every time a character moves or attacks. Each fighter starts out with 5 skill points at the beginning of the battle and earns 1 at the start of each round, with attacks taking various amounts of points it quickly becomes important to budget the points accordingly - there's little as frustrating as have all the gladiators in place for the final deathblow, only to find that two have to attack with a much weaker abilities because they have no points left to use. An awkward feature that makes proper SP usage and, coordinating attacks, a pain is the ability to continue movement. Counting as a half-move, continuing a move means that a unit will take their turn, and before their turn arises again, they will be able to finish the move, it was confusing to compensate for at the beginning and remained so for me; whenever I thought I had a grasp on it, the computer would end up doing an incredible move where a heavy gladiator would end up on the other side of a large arena after a move and a half, completely throwing me off. While this helps to keep the action moving, the downfall is that it feels like the computer gets a few cheap shots every now and then. Even though the process sounds good, watching it being implemented results in muting some of its praise.

When it comes time to launch an attack, a swing meter will appear. This was an interesting approach for LucasArts to take, since it brings a feeling of action to an otherwise strict turn-based strategy aspect. For those who want their action to be strictly strategy, it can be toned down in the options, but its use is recommended for full enjoyment of the game. The meter has three portions: critical (unblockable), standard (which is shown as the predicted damage from an attack), and weaker (more prone to being blocked). Various moves require different actions to get the swing meter to be in specified critical attack zones: for instance, combos require the player to try and get the cursor to stop in the critical area for multiple attacks, but hitting the action key while the cursor is in the weak zone forfeits the follow-up attacking opportunities for that particular combo; firing an arrow or throwing a spear will require dialing in a 3 sequence set of keys before the meter fills up past the critical zone; and other moves, like attacking a head or leg, simply require landing one attack while the cursor is inside the critical zone. The deadliest of all, though, remembered me of my Track & Field NES days, which is the rapid key presses that determined the strength of the attack by where the cursor is when the meter fills up - finger fatigue, ahoy. Covering the mystical side of things, there are affinity points. With affinity powers being based on which god the fighter worships, players can deal out simple attacks (not requiring the usage of the swing meter) that do massive amounts of damage. Depending on what weapon and armor used, the gladiator will not only get an advantage in combat, but also in regaining spent affinity points.

Whew.

That isn't all, though. Being a gladiator also means putting on a show and pleasing the crowd. Although the various spectators are suppose to have varied taste, I found that all appreciated a good four-critical-hit combo - none seemed too adverse to a good back attack either. Pleasing the crowed can bring a variety of advantages, from better accuracy to higher fighting initiative. The crowd's approval isn't crucial, but it can be the deciding factor in some cases.

An interesting note is that the fighters don't actually die in the arena - thanks to some of the best healers in the land. The only time a gladiator will be permanently killed is if the party is involved in a fight on the world map. It's encouraged during some of the game's many - many - loading screens to rest during the night and keep to the roads during the day, less the player want to tempt fate and one of their fighters. Being ambushed on the road wasn't very common for me, but I did lose some good students that way. Fortunately, gladiators available for recruiting are always at the level of the other fighters in the school. While this takes some of the paternal element away (nurturing a weak level 2 fighter to a prized level 12), it is extremely helpful when some quick reinforcements need to be had.

Aside from arenas and recruiting stables, towns also have a shop where weapons, armor, and items can be procured. The shops also serve as a way for the player to get information on the local arena and the town's history - these stories tended to be fairly detailed and pretty interesting. Shopkeepers are also suppose to give quests if they're approach after the initial conversation has taken place, but after the 40 some-odd hours I've put into it, I've yet to been offered any sort of deal. While some items will be given to the victors at the end of a fight, the majority of what will be needed by the fighters is found at these shops; and these shops only cater to specific classes and kinds of fighters. Shields, which can also be used offensively, are important and are prone to being destroyed after a few rounds, becomes important commodities, so remembering and tracking down which town had the shop with the appropriate gear needed became tedious after a while.

Aside from the shops, pieces of the story are told in small portions when new towns are entered, as well as during scripted sequences that use in-game graphics and in actual cutscenes, which use the lovely oil painting still shots. Oddly enough, some battles have characters pre-chosen, but often that won't be done when necessary; for instance, during a scripted sequence a character will be praised for their effectiveness with magic, with them responding accordingly, but the problem comes from the fact that they were never in the fight. The story is good though, and the mishaps in presentation aren't common.

What Gladius has in its favor is that it's just a unique - and fun- experience. Sure, there are times when it just doesn't seem right that the computer gets another opportunity to get an extra hit or when a unit is shown as weak but able to withstand a good pounding, but it never stopped me from playing. The variety of fighters is a huge plus; with some looking menacing and others being mythical creatures with goofy moves, there is something for everyone. The swing meter also does a good job in keeping things lively, and the ability to walk greater distances (while it could be more polished) also helps in shortening the length of battles. After a while the fights will drag on and some inconsistencies with displayed battle difficulties will creep up, but the overall experience is a positive one.

Graphics: 7.5/10
Fantastic character designs and a unique art direction really set Gladius apart from most games on the market. The fighters all look great and, thanks to some nice animations, have their own character; the ability to customize each fighter is also a plus. The various pieces of armor and weapons are modeled well, giving the fighters a touch of realism. There were two things that I did have problems with: one was that during custscenes, the flesh of the characters made their skin look like clay - and, is it me, or do the characters have monstrous hands during the cutscenes?; secondly, there was a consist problem with blood on the ground - it would either have complete straight edges (like it was running into an advisable box) and a particularly annoying problem with it constantly flickering.

Sound: 7/10
Some of the voice-overs are hammy, but they are of good technical quality and are used effectively when a representative from each town greets the gladiators as they first enter. The sayings during combat can get old, as well as the general sounds of combat, so a bit more variety would've helped some. The music is good, with a tone that fits the game well. I wouldn't have minded a bit more of a dramatic tone - something more in-line with the intro and cutscenes.

Control: 9/10
Everything, from shopping, navigating, pre-battle planning, and the battles themselves, is handled with well. Aside from menus getting fussy when the acknowledge button is hit too much and the direction of the gladiator going nuts in the pre-battle phase (which might be due to the controller, although it has yet to mess up for other games), the only other fault is a design one, and it's that an attack support unit has to move the cursor around elevated terrain, as opposed to the cursor just skipping over the elevated portions. The camera does an admirable job, although it can get hung up at times; but the hang-ups tend to work themselves out after the first few seconds. The actual combat is a breeze, with menus set up well and directional paths being easy to follow - just be prepared for some tired fingers after a long session.

Overall: 8.5/10
There's a good deal of loading, the computer seems to get in a few extra hits every now and then, displayed difficulty is skewed, and the game can drag on after a while - but the problems are minor when compared to the joys of directing and leading a school of gladiators. The mythical world is well thought-out, if simple, and the atmosphere is fantastic. With 2 main characters, around 40 hours for each, there's plenty to play - not to mention the game does a great job of sucking chunks of hours away at a time. I would say to rent this first, since it is more of a specialized title, but for those hungering for a solid turn-based strategy title, Gladius is awaiting you on all consoles.

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Additional Reviews:

PlayStation 2

Like all multi-platform game releases, there are some differences between versions. And while the PS2 retains all the great gameplay found in the other versions, there are some small differences that gamers should be aware of when making their choice (if they have a choice) of what console's version is best.

Obviously, the biggest difference is graphics. The PS2, being a bit older, is naturally a little underpowered when compared to the Xbox and GC, and the graphics in Gladius reflect that. The color palettes are bit more bland and the animations are a bit more choppy than other versions. It's noticeable, but not inhibiting. Take a trip around the forums discussing the game, and you will undoubtedly stumble on gamers complaining about PS2 lag problems. However, in the hours and hours I spent with Gladius, I noticed no such lag or skipping. Sure, the animations weren't always fluid, but they were never laggy, and not once did the game skip on me. Luckily, Gladius is a strategy RPG, traditionally not a graphically innovating genre. Instead, Gladius focuses on the gameplay, and like the other versions, the PS2 delivers.

But one problem that can only be described as a bit annoying is the looong load times one must endure for a battle, cut scene, or menu to load up. In fact, before a large battle, I was able to microwave myself a plate of pizza rolls and sit down just in time to see the last segment of the loading bar finish up. This, combined with the already time-consuming gameplay (what with the strike meters and the whole being a strategy RPG thing), and we have one long-ass game. Additionally, the multiplayer modes in the PS2 version of Gladius are limited to only 2 player modes as opposed to the other versions 4 players-not a huge setback, but a setback nonetheless. And finally, no, there is not flickering blood in the PS2 version, which is confusing. I thought we got over this whole blood issue back when Mortal Kombat was released blood free to an angry audience for the SNES. Whatever. The point is that Gladius is a great strategy RPG featuring gladiators (!!!) regardless of what console it's played on. Gamers who own multiple consoles should probably opt for the Xbox or GameCube version, but PS2 owners, don't dismay. Gladius, despite its lengthy load times, its not so multi multiplayer, and its lack of flickering blood, is still a great game and comes highly recommended to any Tony Curtis/Russell Crowe fan hankering for a little fantasy gladiator strategy RPG action.

8/10 = Excellent

Matt Hart

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