LucasArts describes their newest work as an "epic gladiatorial RPG." While this may be a bit nebulous of a description, it actually is rather accurate, since it is the gladiator element that sets this game apart from most RPGs. Gladiatorial combat is the main component of the game; however, Gladius is not merely an arena combat simulator.

Set in a world that has a unique blend of Roman history and Norse mythology (somewhat reminiscent of Reichert’s "The Last Renshai" series of novels), Gladius gives you the option of playing as two distinct characters whose lives differ completely, yet whom faith has selected for great things. Both of these young warriors set out on the path of becoming great warriors, winning fame and fortune in the arenas of Imperia. This is the main focus of the beginning of the game, as you strive to build a gladiator’s school from scratch, growing in strength, experience and of course, wealth.

Valens is the son of a legendary gladiator; Ursula is a barbarian princess. There is little difference actually between the two characters, with the exception that each character begins in their own respective homeland, which vary in difficulty. But both characters, after a rather lengthy training session that the game’s creators wisely gave you the option of skipping, soon find themselves in the thick of arena combat.

Endless successions of gladiator matches can grow tiresome, no matter how bloodthirsty you may be, so it is fortunate that Gladius also contains a much more standard RPG plot involving a Dark God, long dormant, who is going to rise up and kill everybody, as all Dark Gods are wont to do. Guess who’s gonna stop him?

Still, the arena combat is the main focus of the game, and even the battles you experience outside in the real world follow the same combat model. This is not a fast moving game. The fighting is turn-based and can be rather slow at times, especially when your enemies are far away from you. Every battlefield is essentially a grid, and characters only can move a certain amount of squares per turn. There are some fighting skills to be learned though, as Gladius utilizes a swing meter to determine the strength and accuracy of the hit each character lands. This involves hitting the appropriate button at the right time, which is a little more difficult then it sounds. The more complicated attacks, such as combos, have more complicated button sequences, so there is a certain mastery to attain during combat.

There are other factors to consider during battle as well. In arena combat, your characters can be defeated, meaning they are removed from the battle, but they will not die on you. However, outside the walls of the arena, any battle is for keeps, and if a character dies, he is lost to you. While this can be quite frustrating a times, I found it to be a rather refreshing little slice of realism. There are no clerics to resurrect a dead character. Inside the arena, you also need to concern yourself with the crowd’s opinion. While this usually is as simple as winning the battle, pulling off crowd pleasing moves like a one-hit kill will boost your approval rating, which helps you both in and out of the arena. Certain fighters will not join your school, and certain leagues are not available to you, if your approval rating is too low.

The battle sequences are animated well, with numerous sequences for each character. They are also heavily voice acted, with each character class having a slew of sayings. This has always been a tenet of LucasArts games, and it does lend certain realism to Gladius. Unfortunately, during long battles, the dialogue can be very repetitive and quite annoying.

LucasArts was not kidding when they described the game as epic, however. This game is quite large; the sheer number of arena battles is staggering. It is not necessary to fight them all, but the option is there. Gladius also has a large amount of load time between every segment, even when going between different menus. There are times when I wonder whetherthis game is going to cause the motor of the optical drive in my PS2 to burn out.

Gladius is certainly not the groundbreaking RPG of the year, but it is original enough to be worth checking out. If you’re looking for an RPG that will keep you occupied for some time and simultaneously make you think you’re living out the movie Gladiator, Gladius is certainly worth checking out. You won't get Russell Crowe, but you will get to experience firsthand the rush of excitement that comes from hearing thousands of bloodthirsty Imperial citizens cheering your name because you just smashed somebody with a giant hammer.