Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance (PlayStation 2)

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance is an action game that takes place in the times of the Roman empire. You take control of Invictus Thrax, a Roman slave, who ascended through the ranks to become champion of all gladiators. Favored by the emperor, Invictus was to be granted his freedom. Mysteriously though, the emperor was killed and replaced by a crazy man named Arruntius. Arruntius, so full of himself, has decided to destroy Rome and replace it with a city named Arruntium. As the game begins, an epic event is staged with Invictus as the gladiator. Invictus fights bravely, but he is killed by an unknown and possibly un-human creature. In the afterlife, Invictus meets the sons of Jupiter. They inform him of how Arruntius’ power came from help of the gods of terror. They charge him with the task of eliminating Arruntius and restoring Rome to glory.

Gladiator is essentially an 3d action/combat game which features hand to hand combat with weapons, combos and magic. The action also includes maneuvering around, from gliding down ropes to jumping traps. Challenges are scattered around the game world, which when defeated, unlock magical powers granted by the gods, such as Pluto’s power, which raises spirits from the dead to help you in battle. A unique feature of the game is the execution maneuver. Upon the near death of certain enemies, you can execute this maneuver which will result in a cinematic random brutal execution by Thrax.

The game’s graphics try to recreate the atmosphere of gladiator films such as Ben-Hur. A wide range of characters are featured from opposing gladiators to mythical enemies like cyclopes, demons. and skeleton warriors. Audio features include a blend of soft and hectic tunes, and voice over acting.