n Gladius, the Great War rages between the Viking-like land of Nordagh and the warm southern land of Imperia. Players begin by selecting a school: Will you start with Ursula, magical daughter of the barbarian king? Or, feeling more advanced in your skills, will you pick Valens as he seeks gladiatorial glory?
After a lengthy introduction that includes both a "documentary" about the war and an animated conversation between the hero and his or her sidekick, Gladius kicks into high gear. Players learn the basics of battle and catch a glimpse of the lengthy list of character classes, special powers, "affinities" (earth, air, water and fire) and weapons to come.
Character classes include humans such as Ursula and Valens, archers, Amazons, bandits, Barbarians, channelers, Legionnaires and more. They carry swords and axes for close fighting, or spears and pikes for long-distance hits. But Gladius also has a full array of playable magical creatures for you to recruit for your school, including the Cyclops, the tattooed Berserker, the clawed Mongrel, the Minotaur, the Ogre, the mocking Satyr and the truly creepy Scarab.
A turn-based role-playing game set in the mythic past, Gladius offers a fair amount of action with every battle. In typical RPG style, players select a move from a roster of attacks likely to inflict the most damage. But players also administer the hits based on their own reflexes—the better your hand-eye coordination, the higher the points counted against your opponent. (The game also includes an option to shut off the swing meters and calculate damage automatically.)
A deep game that's sometimes repetitive
Within the first few minutes of firing up Gladius in beginner mode, players are forced to sit through a cutscene between Ursula and her brother, Urlan. The overall plot immediately seems, in a word, dumb. It doesn't help that the actor who plays Ursula, supposedly a Nordic princess-warrior, sounds like she's asking her mom for a ride to the mall, instead of setting out on an epic quest. Uh-oh.
The training, too, is painful. Players are introduced to the first battles, where armed-to-the-teeth warriors fight ... to remain "king of the hill" or to destroy the most barrels first. At this point, many gamers would probably do what we did: check the strategy guide to see if Gladius gets better. Luckily, it does.
Gladius succeeds because of the basics of the battles. The fights are well designed and, after each, players receive just the right amount of money and items as a reward. As characters improve, their new skills are immensely gratifying, and the animation that accompanies each is often clever.
Just about any RPG fan will get hooked on Gladius. Nitpickers, like us, will find things to be annoyed by, like the fact that it's really hard to tell the difference between the "water" and "air" affinity icons when shopping for weapons. But overall, the character classes are inventive, unique and impressive. (We're partial to the Berserkers, especially in "rage" mode.)
In the opening stages, battles in Gladius are often right around five to 10 minutes long. When only a few points stand between you and buying a combo attack upgrade, it's easy to settle in for just one last round. Next time you look up, two hours will have passed.
When I see fake umlauts anywhere in an RPG (a sure sign the game maker is trying too hard), warning signals start to ring in my ears. But Gladius is a keeper—a many-level RPG treat for console game players.
— Jennifer
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