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INTENSE, FUN & Addictive

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 22 / 24
Date: March 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Wow! I have to say, this game has kept my growing by the second rearend glued to the couch ever since I got it in the mail.

SHADOW OF ROME is truley what a Gladiator game should be, with a great story to go along with it.

The opening scene leads you out into the arena and it quickly initiates you into the blood splattering, heart pumping fun.

The best thing about SHADOW OF ROME is the fact that the motion while you're fighting is surprisingly free. Your movement is not restrictive and the controls are fantasic. Dodging by rolling away at the last second as the MAUL drives into the sandy ground where you were a second ago. Numerous ways to fight, attack and kill. I keep finding more.

Holding up your bloody hands to the crowd and they throw you food, better weapons and... yes... an occasional ROSE. They really like it when you hold up a recently severed head.

SHADOW OF ROME sometimes leaves the arena, to fill in backstory and you take on another character who is trying to discover and prove to everyone that the wrong person is set to be executed for the assassination of JULIUS CAESAR. When it does this, I won't lie, I'm slightly disappointed because I want to go back to the arena... but... all in all... the story makes the battles in the arena that much more intense and meaningful.

This is a fantastic game! Oh... did I mention the arena of Tigers?

Good gladiator fights, crappy filler stealth missions

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: March 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The story is basically between gladiator fights and stealth missions. The stealth missions are bad. At the end of the game you just control Agrippa over and over again because even the creators couldn't find an interesting way to end the game with Octavionus. The gladiator fights are the highlights of the game.

You control Agrippa, and you must complete different objectives, in order to obtain victory. There are team battles, rescues, sieges, animal fights, dominations, chariot races, and one called sword struggle which is real fun.

You can get tons of weapons to cut off foes arms and head. Halberds, mauls, schimiters, gladius', maces, torches, bows, daggers, rocks, spears, slings, and an awesome two-handed sword. There are several variations on these weapons, such as power gladius' and apollo's spear. The fun thing about the game is killing your opponents in different ways. The game rewards you with different salvo moves. You can cut people in half and watch blood shoot everywhere. You can grab a chick from behind, cover her mouth, and stab her in her stomach. You can suplex someone off a really high castle. There are so many creative ways to keep yourself entertained that you will want to fight gladiator battles over and over again.

Once you play these missions once on normal, or hard, you can play them again whenever you like in battle selection. You can unlock new salvo moves and get more salvo points. Although these salvo points don't count to your total salvo points in the actual game, you can get better trophies. Unlocking all bronze trophies in normal gives you a stupid art gallery, but I plan on unlocking more stuff later.

The stealth missions of this game are stupid. Some people like them, but I can't do stealth missions like this after playing games like Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid. You do the same stuff over and over again.

First, you get a disguise. Then, you are forced to walk around for 15 minutes in that disguise. If you run for .8 seconds, a guard will run up and kill you in one hit. You are not allowed to run at all. Any running whatsoever results in the guards killing you. Occasionaly guards will stop to talk to you if you have a disguise on. They may say a few different things, but I have learned that only once choice out of the three is correct. Actually, I once encountered a guard who would kill you no matter how you responded. I constantly had to reload and I finally realized that I should just run past this guard into the next room, where the guards won't follow me. That's another thing. If you hide from a guard for 3 seconds, they give up and stop looking for you. If you were a guard and saw someone sneaking around, would you look for 3 seconds and then give up on him? The AI is stupid like that.

You can buy stuff with the coins you find. This stuff doesn't really do anything. It makes your room look cool, but that doesn't save the Octavionus missions.

Imagine walking around for 15 minutes, while hitting guards on the back of their heads with urns. Now imagine running around in an arena filled with blood, while a crowd cheers you for breaking the arms of a man then slicing his head off while he begs for his life. The gladiator fights are awesome and fast-paced, the stealth missions are stupid and slow. The gladiator fights are perfect, and If you can put up with some stupid crap you won't be dissapointed.

To the battle, soldiers!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: April 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Fight the gladiator games to win your revenge in the Roman era and uncover the plot of Julius Caesar's murder. In a storyline akin to the movie Gladiator you play Agrippa, a centurion in the Roman army who is betrayed by the Senate and must fight through gladiator matches to bring justice to his family, and the assassinated Caesar of Rome.

Play Octavianus as a spy seeking the truths of the Senate as he sneaks his way to uncovering the biggest plot of the Roman era. The sneaky and mischievous Octavianus explores the high places of Rome and furnishes his home with accessories and Romanesque get-ups, including playthings like little dogs and banana peels. Yes, banana peels play a big part in tripping up enemies and can lead to quite creative feats of stealth, distraction and thievery. This stealthy approach expands the options of how to complete the level and steers Shadow of Rome away from a simple Action/Adventure genre. In fact, the linear switching between Agrippa, fierce gladiator, and meek Octavianus becomes predictable and some might say easy. However, this variety is a welcome change and adds depth by constantly advancing the plot.

Enraged and heavily built centurion Agrippa must fight in an assortment of cool Colosseum gladiatorial battles. Such variety and visceral styles of gory demise are sure winners amongst hack-and-slash players, but the Octavianus levels will drive off players not content to sneak around and hide in pots and dark places, collecting coins.

The graphics are not impressive, since the in-game action remains blurry throughout. On the less critical side, the merits lie in this game's intensity and satisfying kill sequences, and the length of this game. I played around 40 hours without getting bored to death, unlike my Roman soldiers, falling asleep while on duty. The age rating may be a bit harsh, but who knows what the Censor's Office is up to these days? There is a way to switch off the gore if it's too much.

Kill Them All!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: December 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Oh my god.. The minute I pop the disc in my PS2. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I am extremely gald to have purchase Shadow Of Rome now even though it came out about a year ago. I guess I was just kinda slow. Nevertheless this is one incredible game to play. The unbelievable gladitorial fights in the arena is on hell of a hack and slash game. The crowds adores you for killing other gladiators. It is an incredible experience to win them all!!! Bravo!! as the lady crowd cheers and calling your name while you fight in the arena...Here, use this!! Here try this!!! As the crowd occasionally throws food, weapons and items into the arena for you to use.....Very interactive and extremely addictive. I love playing Agrippa the gladiator!!! Cause you have to fight to survive. Big animals like Tigers, Vultures and Yes!! Elephant in the arena!! Getting yourself to the end of the game is one hell of a journey. I can honestly tell you that right at the end of the game, you have to fight at least 5 to 6 bosses b4 it ends. The moment you think it is gonna be over, think again.. Capcom surprises you even more.... Adding more battles at the end putting the player at the edge of their seats. My my!! A BRILLIANT MASTERPIECE. I finished in 30 hours plus. And guess What?? I am gonna play again as there are bonuses for reply value. If you love God Of War, Onimusha, Lord of The Rings genre. This is for YOU!! The sneaking segment of the game gives the player a totally different gameplay and feel to the game. You need to disguise yourself with whatever you can find to seek for the truth of who kill Julius Caesar. Octavianus is the character you play using stealth gathering pertinent informations. You have to be patient though as sneaking missing is not as easy as it looks. But with perseverence and determination, you will get yourself thru and prosecute those who kill Caesar. You constantly switch between 2 characters back and forth as the plot advances... This game has an Epic story line and Hollywood grand scale movie making. When you play the game you will feel as though you are watching a recently release Blockbuster movie. A must buy game for 2005 and the years to come!! I have never played such an incredible hack and slash game in a very long time. Totally worth every penny!!! Hoping for Shadow Of Rome 2 if there's any for PS3. Highly recommended!!

LOVE THE KILLING BUT HATE THE SNEAKING AROUND!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: July 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Ok this game could have been AWESOME if they only kept half of it and dumped the rest. The fighting is awesome with huge combat areas, blodd and gore, gruesome death scenes, a huge variety of weapons, and tons of combos to discover. BUT!!!!! Nooooooo, Capcom had to add these stupid stealth/sneaking around missions. 1/2 the game you play as an awesome gladiator but the other half you are this wimpy roman Dewey who tries to sneak into rooms and houses without being seen (this is required over and over for no real purpose). What do you get out of all this stupid sneaking around? Coins!??? That's it? Oh how exciting, I can buy new outfits for my character...BIG DEAL! (Yawn). The sad part about it is that you are forced to play through these tedious levels in order to advance through the story. You also can't skip the long and often stupid cut scenes. I couldn't wait to get to the next big gladiator challenge but kept getting interrupted by these stupid sneaking missions. Do yourself a favor and go online to get a walkthrough for these sections. Don't get me wrong though, this game has some great parts (the fighting!) Even the chariot races are kind of cool, however, if I wanted stealth sneaking I'd buy Metal Gear Solid for goodness sakes. Overall the action/fighting should get 5 stars while the sneaking around missions should get 1 star. It really detracts from an otherwise great game. The story is nice too.

Sunshine in the Shadow

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: February 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Friends, Romans, Gamers- lend me your controllers!! Shadow of Rome has finally been released on PS2 after much anticipation since its E3 preview. Capcom thrusts you into an all too realistic reincarnation of ancient Rome amidst the assassination of Julius Caesar setting the backdrop for a gory adventure with the direction of an empire resting on your shoulders- but not yours alone. Utilizing unique character switching Shadow of Rome enlists the brute centurion Agrippa and the brainier, shall we say slimmer, Octavianus to give the title a duality of fighting and stealth that enhances game play and the plot. I have read positive reviews for the game but some critics were unsatisfied with the stealth missions but I think they are a welcome respite to constant carnage and added a smarter edge to the game while reminding me of the Metal Gear Solid series at its finest. Besides those comments were probably because the game flat out rules and gamers were having too much fun being rambunctious with Agrippa's scenes. And they are scenes at that. The grandeur of Shadow of Rome is very cinematic, reminiscent to Ridley Scott's Gladiator, and the visually pleasing graphics give credence to this. I was pleasantly surprised with the fluidity and movement based on only screenshots I had seen but I should have known better when I found out Shadow of Rome was developed by the Onimusha team. Overall, Shadow of Rome gives the best of both worlds to gamers while it is deathly intense and well thought out it can be a classic hack-n-slash that your friends will enjoy just watching you. The only thumbs down involved with this one will be the emperors signal to kill your opponent with unabashed and merciless candor. Highest Recommendation.

You gotta play this game!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: February 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is an awesome game. Everything from the graphics to the gameplay is well structured around the storyline. What was really exciting about this game was that you get to play two different characters simultaneously. (It'll switch between the two characters automatically) One character relies on brute strength while the other uses stealth to solve puzzles and missions. Because of the two character gameplay you will never get bored of this game. I was also surprised by the fluidity and movement of the game's characters. Just a great game to play and enjoy.

You're in for a real treat

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: February 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I have a friend who once told me that the game "Colosseum" was really fantastic. It mixed the Roman backgrounds with all of the fantasy of being one of the hallowed 'sports stars' in one of the most bloody "games" in all of history. COOL! Doesn't that sound cool??

Let me just say this about "Colosseum", though: it sucks. My favorite thing about it is how the camera is situated right in front of you the whole time so that you remarkably can't manage to see straight in front of you as people run up to stab you in the face. And not being able to leave the one dingy little forum that the game offers is really thrilling, too. But I digress...

Because of this, I was understandably wary about investing in "Shadow of Rome". But when I ordered it from Amazon, I had just finished watching the extended edition of "Gladiator" and I was in the mood for some more Holy Roman Empire-based fun.

I can honestly say that now, having played this game, I handed my copy to my aforementioned friend and told him, "trash 'Colosseum' and play this instead. But forget to give it back to me, and I'll do such horrible things to you that the gladiators in this game will envy me."

The plot goes like this: Julius Caesar has been murdered! I think I can pretty much safely say that that's not going to be a spoiler for anyone, unless you 1.) skipped all of your English classes in high school, or 2.) are an idiot who knows nothing about anything. But what is different about this approach is the clever retelling of the famous story through the eyes of a gladiator and a simple peasant boy. Agrippa is the son of one of Caesar's most trusted advisers, Vipsanius, and Octavianus is an orphan boy who was raised under Caesar's benevolent care. Despite their entirely different backgrounds, Agrippa and Octavianus have somehow forged a deep friendship (and considering their Roman heritage, I have to wonder if it doesn't go deeper than just friendship). I don't know how historically accurate Caesar adopting some random kid and taking him as a nephew is, but it's still kind of fun, and at least the characterization strives for a level of authenticity that many games wouldn't even bother with.

The peasant boy is named Octavianus, and he will serve as your "story" character. That is, his levels may be slow-paced, but if you have any romantic soul in you whatsoever and wish to know just what the PURPOSE behind this game you're playing is, you will enjoy the levels playing as Octavianus. The main reason he exists in a game that is primarily meant to attract aggressive, hormonal gamers is to explain the story playing behind all of the horrific bloodletting. His dedication to his best friend, Agrippa, is quite admirable, and his ability to extract information will depend on whether or not you can lie your way out of risky situations. That being said, he's a total wuss and will die with only one hit from a shield or sword or any other weapon. He's not exactly the human tank that his pal is, and to that end, he can get kind of aggravating to play (if you're good at talking your way out of things, though, you won't need to worry about this). Nevertheless, he's still an interesting character, and certainly deserves the same amount of respect as your other guy.

The other guy being, of course, Agrippa. Agrippa is your "action" character. He's a musclebound general with mad fighting skills and a chest that probably measures about six feet in diameter. I have to laugh whenever the cut scenes have him talking to someone, though, because with that body and that voice, he comes across as a real dumb-jock-with-a-heart-of-gold type. Which would be annoying if it weren't so charming somehow. At first he seems uninteresting and one-dimensional, but as you keep playing, you'll find yourself becoming more dedicated to him. He goes to such lengths to prove that he's fighting for a noble cause, after all. How could you not like a guy like that?

...Okay, okay, personality be damned, the main reason to like this guy is because he looks cool mashing other people into dog food.

Much like the two versions to "Kill Bill", Octavianus' and Agrippa's adventures play as two deceptively separate epics, when in fact, they are two halves of an intimately linked coin. I won't go into the details, but your stealth levels playing as Octavianus and your action levels playing as Agrippa are both very crucial to unraveling a very complex mystery. I've read the other reviews here, but I have to say that the folks who can't find the value playing as Octavianus just because his stories don't feature gore seem to be missing something very important. I found the stealth levels to be nice supplements to all of the violence that I was bombarded with the rest of the time. Once you've fought your way through countless ogres wielding war axes, it's kind of nice to be able to play a level where your only objective is to blend in with your surroundings enough to deflect the suspicions of characters who will try to thwart you from your goal of gathering information.

What about the other aspects of the game, though? Well, first of all, I can say that I was also immensely impressed with the length of the game. It took me over 30 hours to finish, which is rare for an action/adventure. Usually it takes me somewhere between 9-10 hours, and this is always disappointing for me. But the game designers weren't playing around with this one, and wanted to make sure that dedicated gamers would have a good challenge to work with. Without a doubt, the story could have been abridged, but I'm thankful that they didn't go the easy route by cutting it down. Instead, it is a very thorough investigation into Caesar's death and how it affects the lives of the Roman citizenry.

The sound and graphics are standard, nothing too spectacular there. But you won't care. Trust me.

All in all, I can't recommend this game enough. It's fantastic. If you're reading these reviews in depth at all, you're probably seriously considering it anyway. Go with your gut instinct and just buy it already! You're going to love it.

Brutal, hard hitting action, and a great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: March 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Shadow of Rome is truly an idea done right. Various companies tried the idea of Gladiatorial Games and does it right.

The idea here is that Julias Ceaser has been assassinated and your father is the accused. He is to be executed by the winner of the Gladiatorial Games. You play as Agrippa a Roman Commander who abandons his ranks and becomes a Gladiator in order to save your father. This is the action of the game. The Other part you play Octavionas, the nephew to Ceaser who is trying to uncover the truth, this is the stealth of the game.

The action is truly intense however. The violence is definetly at the M Rated level. You can litterally chop off both your opponents arms, beat him with them, and then take a huge Axe and cut him in half, with the top half spinning in the air before it hits the ground. Or you can take a spear, and throw it through your opponents. Yes this definetly gets the M rating. In the stealth though is where it gets tricky. You can't defend yourself. So you must sneak up on your opponents and knock them out. This is also where you can have the most fun at times. In the stealth missions you can buy stuff for your room. From a sofa to a Tiger, you can have it all.

Overall though the real reason anyone would play this is the games themselves which are unlocked at the main menu as soon as you complete it. This increases the replay value some. However the only painful flaw in this game is the lack of a Multiplayer option. Imagine going online and fighting against other players in Gladiatorial games, fighting to the death. I believe the only reason they didn't was because they couldn't find a way to do the dismemberment right for a mutliplayer setup. This is the only flaw, that and the fairly steep difficulty latter on.

Overall buy this game.

I'm hooked!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: February 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

For a long time I have been a great fan of Civilization style games. I have always been fascinated by ancient history and its cultures. On the other hand I have always been a huge fan of fighting games such as Street Fighter, Tekken and so on. Now, I have finally got a game that incorporates both worlds!
The game is really realistic with great characters and an interesting story. I'm totally hooked!

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