After victory, these goods can be collected and either worn as-is, or combined with other pieces in order to increase attack/defense, or to decrease the weight of the item. Gladiator Begins scratches that same obsessive itch.ĭuring each match, it’s common for the player to knock pieces of armor, shields and weaponry off of opponents. However, even with a streamlined control system, the game would become repetitive if not for the wealth of options at the player’s disposal.Īs a person who has spent hundreds of hours tinkering with mechs in Armored Core and hundreds more crafting weapons in Monster Hunter, it’s safe to say that I find mixing and matching parts to be an endlessly entertaining activity. It’s simple, it works like a charm, and most of all, it makes sense. Tapping square (the left face button) will attack left, and the other buttons follow suit. For example, the triangle button (at the top) will produce a head strike. Looking first at the elegant controls, I admire how they’re mapped with each face button corresponding to a certain type of strike. While it was certainly risky to base the game solely on fighting in an arena, the developers’ gamble paid off thanks to smart controls and tapping into the OCD tendencies of players who enjoy tinkering with weapons and armor. The vast majority of playtime will take place inside a coliseum, with the player participating in team battles, three-against-ones, free-for-alls, and even historical reenactments of famous Roman battles. It’s fair to say that Gladiator Begins is all about the combat. After creating a character from a decent suite of customization options (male/female, heavy/light build, and so on) the player enters training and then chooses one of four weapon styles: single sword, double sword, sword and shield, or bare-handed. However, it’s a real shame that’s so-for players of certain stripe (like me) Gladiator Begins is a fantastic, addicting experience from start to finish.Ī third-person hand-to-hand actioner, the player takes on the role of a slave who’s been purchased to fight in the gladiatorial games of the Roman Empire. Given the factors stacked against it, it’s understandable that this title remains utterly unknown.
#Gladiator begins psp review portable
Third, who plays the PlayStation Portable (PSP) these days, right? Second, the game is 90% combat with no world to explore or any non-combat tasks. I’m sure most readers of this review have never heard of Gladiator Begins, and to be fair, there are a good number of reasons why it disappeared off of the radar before it was even a blip. WTF Why aren’t there more bull, tiger and elephant battles? LOW Taking humbling beatdowns from the Egyptian fighters. HIGH Improving my favorite sword and killing an opponent in two strikes.