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[Mejilan]

I think we had a few topics about this game pre-Neo GAF, but I never gave this game a fair shot. I picked it up when it first came out (GCN version), but I think Prince of Persia Sands of Time came out like, the same week or something. So I played a few hours of Gladius, then dropped it for PoP.

PoP was amazing, but I regret never having gotten into Gladius again. I just cleared the first regional tournament, and opened up the game world (and expanded the ill-conceived level cap a bit) and must admit that it is a DAMN fine SRPG experience. Possibly one of my favorites on consoles this gen.

I love the artistic look to the game, the animation, the g-dly score, the relatively tight and balanced (so far) gameplay, and especially the various skill meters. Nothing is more satisfying than ripping victory from the jaws of death thanks to a sequence of perfectly timed "Crits". It's one of the few games out there that actively allows you to participate in the hit/miss/crit scoring of RPG (or their hybrids.)

G-d, I wish the game hadn't tanked, because a more varied, more fully realized sequel could have been amazing. Now all Lucasarts seems inclined to do are Star Wars games (again.)

So, who's got something to say? Anyone have sales for the three versions?

 

[Ristamar]

I picked up Gladius for $5 during the TRU green tag sale last year. Solid game, though a bit front loaded and repetive with the 4 level/tier approach (the same can be said of Lucasart's other recent non-StarWars title, Mercenaries).

The swing meters are a nice touch, and it's cool that it allows 4 players to participate in the battles. The combat rules remind me of some sort of lite version of the D&D/D20 combat system.

I'm glad I didn't pay $50 for it, but it's a great buy for $20 or less.

 

[Mejilan]

Yeah, I had no idea that there was a coop multiplayer mode built right into the core adventure. Discovered it two days ago with my brother (he's playing Valens' quest, I'm playing Ursula's), and now we started helping each other out in combat. Well, actually, I'm helping him, since he can't time the swing meters as well as I.

 

[UtadaBarkley]

One of my favorite games @ E3 2003.

 

[flarkminator]

I remember this game being awesome, and then my old ps2 ate the disc like a greedy fat kid with a snickers bar. Then I bought a new ps2, but I fogot to get this game again. Damn. Thanks for reminding me, now I have to spend more money.

 

[Mejilan]

You should be able to find it quite cheap, I'd think. It really did tank, as far as I can recall.

 

[Varian]

Yeah, I had no idea that there was a coop multiplayer mode built right into the core adventure. Discovered it two days ago with my brother (he's playing Valens' quest, I'm playing Ursula's), and now we started helping each other out in combat. Well, actually, I'm helping him, since he can't time the swing meters as well as I.

I had a lot of fun with this too with my bro. Only got to part II of Valens' quest, where we met up with the Germans and the Norse gods, or G-ds for Mejilan.

The battle system was nice. The one we quit on had us undermatched against four barbarians, and we spent hours trying to figure out the tactics that'd work on the ten or so squares we'd been given. I ended up giving all of our armor to the low-level slaves we bought, since I'd grown so attached to them.

I never had the chance to play with the swing meters off. Has anyone tried it?

EDIT: Finally did! Too hard!

 

[GDJustin]

Don't believe the hype! I got this game free to review, and still somehow felt ripped off. I couldn't get into it at all, and I'm generally an SRPG whore.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Don't listen to GDJustin (no offense) but after the initial sluggish opening, it's really fun. I mean, it's no Fire Emblem (the GC game is absolutely faptastical) but it's really nice, and definately out of the JSRPG norm.

I'd definately recommend it.

 

[Mejilan]

Yeah, I'm REALLY loving it. It's got a slow beginning, but it just opens up really nicely. When I started seeing some of the more, uhh... mythological enemy classes open up, I was like, "shiiiiiiiit". I think I'll continue playing now...

Yeah, I handle all of my own swing meters. As I suggested in my opening post, I can't count how many times I was able to overcome odds stacked against me simply because I'm ace at nailing all crits on my Combo Attack II or Combo Attack III skills, and whatnot.

 

[Drensch]

Gladius was really cool, but it really died in the polish/presentation department.
It had poor textures and sound. The game had bad loading and was pretty buggy. That said, I wish Lucasarts would have been able to make a sequel, it could have been really good. Maybe they can target the game at the portables.

 

[Mejilan]

What system did you play it on?

The textures are a mixed bag. Some good, some not so good. But the characters and locations are pretty distinct, and the animation is all kinds of fantastic. As it is, it's still one of the prettiest Strat RPGs I've seen... since most of them (regardless of system), look like high rez PSOne games.

But I'm really keen on the sounds and especially the music!

Loads are excessive, even on the GCN.

 

[Shaheed79]

Can someone tell me if the whole game takes place in a Collesium because thats what my friends told me which turned me off completely.

 

[Varian]

Can someone tell me if the whole game takes place in a Collesium because thats what my friends told me which turned me off completely.

Nah, you fight in enchanted German forests too. And a Volcano.

 

[Drensch]

What system did you play it on

GCN

 

[Mejilan]

The combat takes place in one of dozens of arenas. You go visiting towns and cities divided up into four distinct countries (or regions), and participate in various leagues and tournaments. Combat plays out in traditional SRPG fashion, though each region has it's own flavor, and each town has it's own types of combats and rules (and arena types.)

There is an overworld to explore, though it is by no means huge or comprehensive, and plenty of menus to wade through, of course.

The arenas themselves are exceedingly varied, and range from Ancient Rome styled colloseums to dirty, muddy pits in the ground. And everything in between. Some are huge and allow large, spread out fights, some are tiny and cramped and call for completely different tactics. Some are multi-tiered, allowing for height advantages, and some are complete flat. Some are peppered with hazards such as pits and broken columns to form natural terrain and bottleneck choke points, and some are sparse and open.

The mechanics of the game are rather formulaic (range from town to town, completing all of the major tourneys for that region, before facing off in that region's major championship, in order to gain access to the next region), but it's a fully functional and rather well developed game (if a bit rough around the edges.) Plenty of conversations, and even the occasional cutscene, sprinkled throughout to develop the characters and further the story. And, of course, PLENTY of customization.

 

[Ristamar]

Just to add to what Mejilan wrote, there's also a bit of multiplayer. 3 others can join in to assist in controlling your gladiators during the battles. Also, you can pit your school against a friend's school once the first region is completed, I believe. Never tried it, but it sounds interesting.

 

[Speevy]

Pathetic presentation, fun game.

 

[Speevy]

Multiplayer is a blast. Although unless you're really good at the game, try to make a rule to only play with equal level teams.

 

[johnjohnson]

I absolutely loved the game! Too bad there was a showstopper production error on my DVD in chapter 4.

I would kill for a Star Wars game with the Gladius Engine.

 

[Prospero]

I loved Gladius. I played through it with the female character as the lead, and I'm going to go back to play through with the male character as the lead eventually (supposedly that makes the game a bit harder).

It really did remind me that Lucasarts can put out some great games when they're not just cranking out Star Wars products. The sound design was great--when you hack another gladiator in the shoulder with an axe and she yells "Nnnngraagh!" then you understand that, damn it, getting hacked in the shoulder with an axe hurts.

A lot of good strategy, too--the stages were always well-designed, with terrain features that you had to exploit in order to succeed. It's one of the only SRPGs I've played where terrain height actually made a serious difference in overall combat strategy--usually in SRPGs attacking someone who has the higher ground is just inconvenient, but in Gladius it can be fatal.

 

[DarienA]

I started this awhile ago... interesting game... love the look of it, I ran in to some difficulties with the female character's storyline early in where there is a match that has all light vs. light characters though. Tried that battle a few times and couldn't get through it... my characters special attacks just didn't seem to be doing much damage, I'm kinda foggy on it now but I'm sure I'll revisit the game at some point.

 

[Sysgen]

I just finished it for the second time. Last time I played was a year and a half ago. This time around it was Valens quest. I know the game exteremely well having spent over 200 hours with it. I'm really enamored with the Roman gladitorial theme and this games just has the atmosphere that brings the experience home.

The complaint about presentation is unwarranted. The menus are well done, the musical score is wonderful. The characters may be the best animated this or any generation. The game looks absolutley gorgeous on my 34" HDTV. The colors are vibrant and the game is beuatiful. IMO Gladius is the best relaized cross platform game of this generation.

Gladius is basically a game of rock paper scissors. Light characters are faster than heavies. Heavies are stronger than medium characters and medium characters are stonger than light characters. Arcane and ranged characters fall somewhere in between. Some light characters can also backstab for double damage also making them dangerous.

There are many animals in the game that have abilities to counteract the other characters. Wolves can attack in groups of as many as four and can regenerate health. Tigers can petrify and have phenomenal movement capabilities. Bears can retailate after being hit and also regain health. Scorpians have lethal ranged attacks.

Other characters have abilities that you assign via earned job points when characters level. There are many of these abilities and they play a major part of the game. They are really well thought out and for the most part fit the characters perfectly. Centurions for example can "motivate" their teammates for extra damage. Channelers can help characters regain hit points or increase other abilities. Orgres or Samites can push other characters back tiles. Mongels gain a boost on their initiative if Orges are on the battlefield.

The game also has many optional side quests that can extend the life of the game.

I do have some complaints. Some of the character attacks are too strong and you wind up just relying on a few. Eg. Why use Tiger bite when you can use Tiger swipe which can petrify an opponent and do massive damage and is also applied via an easier type of meter to achieve criticals. The ranged characters do way too much damage. Their Long Throw 1 attacks for example are way too powerful and it's too hard to achieve criticals with Long Throw 4 so why bother. True Long Throw 4 allows you to have a longer ranged attack but its cost to use is too high anyway.

The concept of a character dying in combat out side the arena and losing them permanently is misplaced. This should of been enforced by having the game auto save. Otherwise it's just a simple restart. I've spent hours upon hours building a character and I'm not going to give that character up so easily. Reload for me.

All in all not a perfect game by any means and one that could of used another couple of months of balancing but from my perspective a great srpg with a gladitorial theme.

For those on this forum interested in Roman Alternate History Fantasy pick up the King of Ys by Poul Anderson. 4 books in 2 science fiction book club volumes.