This is one of those amazing Cult Classics that you've never played.
Thats what happened to this game. It got a mild reaction from gamers when it was scheduled to release, but it went off the radar in days. If you're one of the lucky few that actually got a copy, you're in luck. Because this game rocks. This game follows the lives of Agrippa, the pacifist who kills for justice and for Rome, and Octavionus, the nephew of the late Caeser who investigates his death. These two characters start off together and end together, and both stories intertwine. See, after Caeser dies his will states that Antonius is the heir, and Octavionus knows something is wrong. He is forced to sneak into senate houses, bars, estates, and even fight a little to find the truth. He is the calm side of the game, and his missions are comprised of navigating through complex houses without detection, stealing uniforms of senate members or soldiers at will, and even bashing in heads with flower pots to get past guards. His missions are very fun, with hilarious voice work ("What was that noise?!" or octavionus' death cry of "AUGHHGUG!") and strategic thinking. Yes, you have to think in this game. You can set up spills of honey to slip guards up, throw rocks that they go off to investigate, and use what tools you have to get to the truth. Also, theres a part where he imitates a female maid flawlesly. Anyway, this is the part for the action fans...
Agrippa's part. His story isn't calm. At all. Imagine an arena filled with soldiers. Now imagine body parts and blood spouting everywhere. Yeah. If you think the voice work in Octavionus' missions were campy, you ain't seen nothin'. From giants that scream "Augh! Help me!" to their mothers after you dislocate both of their arms to the tiny guys that scream "Aha!" as they poke you with tiny knives. Agrippa's moments are so campy, you'll barf out the Rocky Horror Picture Show and swallow this game whole. Break both of someones arms and they attack you by shouldering you. While their broken arms wiggle like jelly. Set someone on fire and watch them scream and flail, or smash someones head in with a rock and watch their decapitated boby sit down. Oh yeah. Also, their are "moves" that you can pull off. Basically, they are just killing people in certain ways. If you use a Chain 'n Ball to beat down enough people, you've just pulled off the "Balls of Steel". Smash someones head into their body with a geiser of blood spraying everywhere and you've just mastered the "Juicy Tomato". Executions, Combos, Wrestling and Catapults keep this game very, very interesting. There are literally hundreds of ways to kill people, and it is so fun and rediculously campy to throw someone someone under a spike press and be greeted with the words "Impression". Bad puns, awesome graphics.
I won't, or can't, say any more. I won't ruin it, just try this game. It actually has a strong anti-violence message hidden in there. Hidden very, very deep in there. Very, very, very deep.