Gladius
Developer(s)LucasArts
Publisher(s)LucasArts
Director(s)Robert Blackadder
Producer(s)Rachel Bryant
Designer(s)Derek Flippo
Programmer(s)Charlie Skilbeck
Artist(s)Jim Rice
Chris Voy
Writer(s)Robert Blackadder
Justin Lambros
Composer(s)Mark Griskey
Platform(s)GameCube
PlayStation 2
Xbox
ReleasePlayStation 2, Xbox
  • NA: October 28, 2003[1]
  • EU: November 28, 2003
GameCube
  • NA: November 3, 2003[2]
  • EU: November 28, 2003
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gladius is a tactical role-playing video game developed and published by LucasArts. It was released in 2003 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Gameplay

The game allows the player to build a school of gladiators and take them into battle against opposing schools in a quest for fame and glory. The plot focuses on several of the main characters and slowly affects the decisions of the group, eventually leading to a final large battle that tests the skills of all members of the school. Upon starting the game, the player can choose between a school in Imperia, home to a strong military mentality and soldiers who consider their northern neighbors uncivilized and bullish, or a school in Nordagh, where witches and woodland beasts dwell, and who in turn detest the Imperials for their desire for greater conquest.

The gladiators have the opportunity to travel through four distinctly different regions on their road to the ultimate championship. Depending on the player's school choice, they begin in either the Northern lands of Nordagh (Barbarian school), which has a culture similar to that of 'Nordic' lands, or Imperia (Gladiator school), an Imperial Roman land. Upon completion of these two stages of play one proceeds onto the Windward Steppes, a grasslands region dominated by archers and beasts, reminiscent of the steppes of Asia, followed by the Southern Expanse, a desert region filled with spellcasters, nomadic warriors, and insects. The latter is an area reminiscent of Ancient Egypt; the main insects of this region are beetles, which held a high importance in Egyptian mythology, and scorpions, a staple arachnid in any desert region. The conclusion of the game takes place in and around the large central arena of Caltha in the Imperial Region.

Players outfit their characters with gear to increase their abilities, and as they win fights, they gain experience which allows them to don new equipment and undertake new quests. Additionally, winning certain hidden or difficult contests allows the players to recruit unique character classes such as yetis, minotaurs, and the undead.

Fighting in Gladius uses a turn-based mechanism, but with a twist. There are "swing meters" - like those found in many golf games - that determine the accuracy and effectiveness of strikes. The meters can be disabled in the options menu.

Multiplayer

Two game modes are offered here: co-op which allows up to four players to play in the story mode and complete the game side by side. The first player controls the movement throughout the world map and also the menu screens. Once player one engages in battle, the other players can enter and control the gladiators of their choice from the school. The other mode offered is the Versus mode. Here, up to four players can compete in an exhibition battle. The PlayStation 2 version of the game only supports up to 2 players at once.

Reception

The game received "generally favorable reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[22][23][24] It was rated as one of the "best Xbox games most people never played" by Official Xbox Magazine.[25]

References

  1. ^ Moseley, Bob (October 6, 2003). "Gladius goes gold". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 15, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2003.
  2. ^ IGN staff (November 3, 2003). "Gladius Gamus Outus". IGN. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c EGM staff (December 2003). "Gladius". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 173. Ziff Davis. p. 185.
  4. ^ Kato, Matthew (October 2003). "Gladius (GC)". Game Informer. No. 126. GameStop. p. 130. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  5. ^ Reiner, Andrew (October 2003). "Gladius (PS2)". Game Informer. No. 126. GameStop. p. 116. Archived from the original on August 6, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  6. ^ Zoss, Jeremy (October 2003). "Gladius (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 126. GameStop. p. 137. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Ferris, Duke (November 2003). "Gladius Review". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Four-Eyed Dragon (October 27, 2003). "Gladius (PS2, Xbox)". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Kasavin, Greg (October 27, 2003). "Gladius Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  10. ^ Meston, Zach (November 26, 2003). "GameSpy: Gladius (GCN)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  11. ^ Meston, Zach (November 7, 2003). "GameSpy: Gladius (PS2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  12. ^ Meston, Zach (November 7, 2003). "GameSpy: Gladius (Xbox)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  13. ^ Surette, Tim (November 19, 2003). "Gladius - GC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  14. ^ Lafferty, Michael (November 4, 2003). "Gladius - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  15. ^ Hopper, Steven (November 10, 2003). "Gladius - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  16. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 28, 2003). "Gladius (GCN)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  17. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 30, 2003). "Gladius (PS2)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  18. ^ Irwin, Mary Jane (October 29, 2003). "Gladius (Xbox)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  19. ^ "Gladius". Nintendo Power. Vol. 174. Nintendo of America. December 2003. p. 139.
  20. ^ Baker, Chris (November 2003). "Gladius". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Ziff Davis. p. 130. Archived from the original on January 15, 2004. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  21. ^ "Gladius". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. December 2003. p. 154.
  22. ^ a b "Gladius for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Gladius for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Gladius for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  25. ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (November 2, 2007). "The 20 Best Xbox Games You Never Bought". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2019.

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