
Another instance of the mechanic being helpful comes in the story-related ambush battles, in which a number of fighters would corner my defenseless gladiator and I’d have to pick up whatever weapons I could find (or loot from my opponents) to defend myself. They would promptly put my helmet onto their head and I would have to run around the arena looking for something to protect my beautiful (and very sword-susceptible) face. For instance, there were a number of times when I would have an enemy cornered and be removing their armor, when they would suddenly strike back and remove my (totally awesome) skull helmet. Not only does it allow you to experiment with items that you may not have seen before, there are times when it becomes an absolute necessity. Reequipping dropped items on the fly is actually a pretty interesting mechanic. However, when a piece of equipment is separated from its owner, it remains on the ground in the arena either to be tripped on during an unlucky dodge or (if it’s a helmet or weapon) reequipped by one of the combatants. Each successive color implies that the armor or weapon is closer to being lost. The piece of equipment will flash either white, yellow, or red. Removing armor is done with repeated blows to a particular area. Removing a shield will make the opponent easier to hit, whereas knocking off a helmet allows easier access to the debilitating head strikes. A large part of a battle in Gladiator Begins is simply removing some of the opponent’s equipment. Using triangle will attack the opponent’s head, X will attack their legs, and circle and square will attack their left and right arms, respectively. Generally there are three, but you can only choose one a day.īack to the combat itself, the game assigns attacking different parts of an opponent’s body to the face buttons.
GLADIATOR BEGINS ARMOR FREE
At this point you’re given free rein to go participate in whatever gladiator events are available that day. Over the course of four in-game days, you learn elements of gladiator combat and participate in events sponsored by the four patrons in the game. With that, you’re given basic gladiator training and thrown into battle. Gladiator Begins starts out very simply, you create your gladiator (either male or female), are informed of the fact that you are a slave and cost your owner a lot of money, which he expects to have reimbursed in blood. To be frank, even after I’d beaten the game the first time, I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. One part straightforward (yet varied) arena combat, one part Persona’s Social Links, and one part choose-your-own-adventure it’s a challenge to get a handle on. Your goal? Dominate the arenas of each province.Aksys Games’ Gladiator Begins is a strange animal. It takes you through events that unfold throughout Utica, Leptis Magna, Brundisium, and Rome. Keep their morale high, their pay good, and their health in check, and they will fight to the death for your honor.Ĭampaign Mode: is the only game mode in Age of Gladiators. All while killing in order to grow your business as a gladiatorial icon.ĭetailed Character Sheets: This is a screenshot of the character sheet for the gladiator Crispinus. There are side missions, stables to upgrade, and wealth to manage. Your staff members will scour the local provinces for more fighters to hire, manage their morale, and equip them for battle. You set your gladiators up in matches to level them up and gain expertise points to add to your fighter’s attributes and abilities. This single-player game allows you to manage your own gladiators, building their attributes and abilities to create the fighter of your dreams.
GLADIATOR BEGINS ARMOR SIMULATOR
Age of Gladiators is a strategy/management simulator set in Ancient Rome.
