Gladius Updated Preview
We try out a near-final version of LucasArts' upcoming strategy RPG.
We've been following Gladius since LucasArts showed off the game in May 2002. The internally-developed product is an ambitious role-playing game that covers the hallowed ground once exclusively owned by Japanese developers, such as SquareSoft (now Square Enix). LucasArts manages to offer a pleasant surprise. We logged in some time with a near-final version of the game and are pleased to report that Gladius is shaping up to be a fine, original RPG that fans will want to keep an eye out for.
Gladius features two individual stories that intertwine to tell one epic saga. You play as either Ursula, the daughter of a barbarian king from the northern land of Nordagh, or Valens, the son of one of the greatest gladiators from the land of Imperia. At the start of the game you choose which of the pair you want to play and then go through the entire game from his or her perspective. As you make your way through your respective character's story, you interact with the character you didn't pick as he or she goes about his or her business. The dual narrative ends up serving two main purposes. First, it offers a broader scope to the story. Second, and most importantly, each character's tale offers a set level of difficulty. Ursula's story is the easier of the two and is a good place for beginners to start, while Valens' adventure is better suited for advanced players. The setup actually works pretty well. You obviously want to play through the game at least twice, anyway, to get the whole story. The greater challenge keeps the game experience fresh on your second pass, and it tests the combat skills you learned while playing the game as Ursula.
The basic structure of Gladius offers a mix of linear and open-ended gameplay. As with every RPG, the game features a distinct linear path that you follow from start to finish. The main story in the game follows Valens and Ursula as they set out to build up their gladiator school and keep the world from a war that could spell the end of everything. However, you'll also find a plethora of side quests as you go through the main story. Thankfully, the impending apocalyptic war isn't on a tight timeline, which allows you to take your time on your adventures. The side quests end up being quite beneficial thanks to the experience and special items you earn from them.
The gameplay mechanics in Gladius draw on elements from traditional console RPG and tactics games to offer an engaging experience. The time you spend exploring the world and interacting with characters in the various towns you journey to is right out of any console RPG made in the last decade or so. You talk to locals for information on current events, stock your team of gladiators by dropping gold in shops, and engage in battles to earn items you need to progress. Party management and combat offers the same range of options you find in most any tactics-style game. You can recruit new members to your school by interacting with them or just throwing gold at any gun-for-hire you find in your travels.
As far as combat goes, the turn-based battles are firmly rooted in the tactics genre, although there are a few tweaks to keep you engaged. You pull together a team of fighters from your school based on whatever configurations are required by the battle. The nice touch about combat is the implementation of a "swing meter" which ensures you'll be doing more than reading a book and zipping through combat menu options with one button press--as is sometimes the case in RPGs. When you initiate combat, the meter comes up--if you manage to press the A button at the right time--and, the more the cursor travels across the meter, the more damage you inflict. As with most tactics games, you have to carefully position your fighters during combat, making use of terrain--if you can--to give yourself the best advantage possible.
Gladius Quick Links
Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices
Games you may like…
-
Gladiator
(XBOX) -
Knights of the Temple II
(XBOX) -
Knights of the Temple
(XBOX) -
Spartan: Total Warrior
(XBOX) -
Barbarian
(XBOX)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
0 Comments