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Shadow Of Rome PS2 Capcom  Have
you ever wanted to cleave a man in twain with a mighty halberd? Pop
their head open like a ripe melon with a maul and watch the blood
gush forth in a torrent from the stump? Do you even know what a halberd
is? If the answer is 'yes' to any of the above questions then baby,
do I have the game for you.'Shadow Of Rome' is set in 44 BC, at the time of Julius Caesar's assassination. The crime has been pinned on a man named Vipsanius. It is up to you, as both Vipsanius' son, Agrippa, and Caesar's young ward Octavianus, to solve the crime and bring the true killers to justice. Through a story rife with twists and turns, Agrippa is set on the path of a gladiator in the hope of staying his father's execution, while Octavianus creeps through the streets and buildings of ancient Rome, gathering evidence to free his friend's father. It is as Agrippa that you must fight in a series of gladiatorial battles. The makers of the game have had enough sense to vary the style of battles enough to keep the game interesting, including missions outside the Collosseum, beast battles and the classic Battle Royale. Success within the Collosseum is dictated by the crowd and they demand that things be as gory as possible. One of the high scoring moves includes lifting a decapitated opponent's head aloft for the audience. In addition to this, it is also possible to use the aforementioned head as a weapon, along with other severed appendages. This is definitely not a game for the weak of heart. It is Octavianus' role within 'SOR' that has divided camps on the internet forums. His stealth missions are likened to 'Metal Gear Solid' and are a welcome and challenging addition to the game for some, while being a tedious waste of time for others. While sneaking around and hiding in giant vases may not be everybody's cup of tea, the tedium is alleviated somewhat with the inclusion of disguises and some formidable strategy puzzles. Thankfully, a player can skip straight to a particular battle, once completed in the story mode, straight from the main menu. In addition to this there is a huge range of extras to unlock, including an assortment of armour and costumes, a gallery of production art and hidden arenas. This increases the replay value immensely. While I personally found the stealth missions irritating (yeah, I admit, I much prefer the hack and slash of the Collosseum), what I found even more irritating was the anachronistic nature of the script; upon hearing Caesar's last words, one of the characters states "Hmm, 'Et tu, Brute'... that means 'You too, Brutus!'". Honestly, would a Latin-speaking native of Rome need a translation? The game itself looks absolutely amazing, with much of the architecture of ancient Rome reproduced in lush detail and the frame rate does not dip in quality, even with up to twenty individual gladiators battling it out in the one arena. While some of the cut scenes betray the game with some very odd facial expressions on some of the characters, it is not enough to sway the overall magnificence of the game. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some chumps waiting for me to separate them from their limbs.  |
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