Hands-onCircus Maximus

Kodiak Interactive and Encore Software stopped by today with an 80-percent complete build of Circus Maximus, Kodiak's chariot racing combat game for the Xbox. First revealed at this year's 2700373GDC , the game has come a long way in the months since that appearance. Featuring tighter graphics and unique gameplay, the game is shaping up to be a unique Xbox offering. Kodiak's visit marks the first time the game's ever been playable.

The game will offer an assortment of modes for players to test their skills in. You'll be able to choose from arcade mode, empire mode, tournament mode, and academy mode, and there will also be a "hall of heroes" that will let you check out high scores in the game. In arcade mode, you'll be able to hop into and play the game on any of the tracks that have been unlocked--the game will offer a total of 37 unlockable tracks (which include reversed versions of regular tracks, and the like) spread out over seven worlds. Empire is the game's multiplayer mode, allowing you to play with up to four players in a variety of configurations, ranging from four-player split screen to four-player cooperative, where one player controls the driver and another controls the warrior. Tournament mode is the game's "career" mode, through which players will go earning money and making their way up the competition ladder, using their money to earn their freedom and eventually tour the ancient world. Academy mode is the game's training mode, featuring 17 training challenges that walk players through the basics of the game and ease them into the more advanced gameplay techniques, such as balancing your chariot on one wheel, à la Starsky and Hutch.

When entering a race, you'll select a team to use in the game. A team consists of four components: a driver, a warrior, a chariot, and horses. You'll select from a pool of characters, horses, and chariots to create a team that best suits your play style. A few of each of these is available at the outset, and a bunch more are unlockable. Each of the different components features variables to take into account. Chariots have different handling, horses have varying stamina and speed, warriors feature different signature moves, and drivers have different racing styles. Once you've selected your team and begin a race, you'll have the option of handling both the driving and combat or letting the AI handle one or the other. Races consist of going through a track, taking out as many of your opponents as often as possible (they'll respawn) and trying to finish first. During a race, you'll be able to collect different power-ups such as health, speed boost, throwing weapons, and damage modifiers that increase the amount of pain you dole out. You'll be able to take opponents out in a variety of ways in the game due to the nature of the teams. The onscreen life meter represents the health of the entire team, and, as such, it can be whittled down in a variety of ways. In addition to bashing an enemy's warrior, you'll also be able to damage their chariot, attack their driver, and stab at their horses. Combat is broken down into a basic system that will allow you to perform a variety of attacks using the Y and B buttons and block using the X button. The white and black face buttons on the Xbox pad also allow you to perform a double swing attack and a "finisher" attack that does a great deal of damage but is slow to come out. You'll maneuver your warrior with the left analog stick, and pressing it in will cause him to taunt an opponent. The right stick will let you lean your warrior during a race. Leaning definitely becomes a large component of the gameplay, as the game's physics engine will require driver and warrior to work in tandem--leaning to make tight turns, for example. When you play as the driver, you'll control the horses with the left analog stick, gradually accelerate with the A button, and slow your horses with the left and right triggers. The most effective way of gaining speed, however, is to use the right stick as a button, to which is mapped the "whip" function--repeatedly press the stick in, and your horses will gallop ever faster. Once they pass a certain threshold, however, they'll start to wear out. The trick is to keep them in the area within which they're most effective, and slow them when they start to extend beyond it.

Each of the characters, horses, and chariots hails from a particular part of the ancient world. Among Circus Maximus' ranks are Amazonians, Africans, and Huns, Greeks, and Romans. Including such classics as the trident-wielding Talos, the game's figurehead Minotaur, and the polearm-swinging Charac from Alexandria, the cast is as colorful as that of any character-based fighting game, and they all feature historically faithful designs. The drivers are just as thoughtfully designed and include a canny African, a wild Celt, and a battle-hungry Hun. The chariots all have different handling and weight characteristics that dictate how they'll perform on the sands of the coliseums, and the teams of horses all have speed and endurance ratings that determine how they're best driven.

The game's graphics are a solid showcase for the various bells and whistles the Xbox has to offer, and it runs at a smooth frame rate. The character models boast a generous poly count and feature a good amount of shading and detail. The shields even feature specular lighting and environment mapping. The chariots and horses are also well detailed, although their animation is a bit stiff. The environments are large and detailed, offering some lighting and environmental touches to give them a suitable atmosphere. The tracks themselves will offer shortcuts to help skilled players cut off the competition. Hazards such as boulders and trees will pop up during a race to add even more challenge. The sound is very well done, with the various warrior taunts and horse's hooves adding to the game's ambience. Certain levels will feature a crowd that reacts to your performance. In addition, the game will feature an original 43 minute soundtrack.

So far, Circus Maximus seems to have quite a bit of potential. We tried our hand at the multiplayer mode and were suitably impressed by how fun it was. The frame rate held steady during a two-team four-player game, which helped the experience considerably. Circus Maximus is set to ship Q1 2002 for the Xbox.