Shadow of Rome has got to be one of the best gladiator type games around. This game is for the ps2 and was released in 2005 by Capcom. In this game you play as a Roman Legionary gone gladiator; and a Roman boy to find out who murdered the famous Julius Caesar.

This game has a winding plot in it. It is of course all set around the murder of Julius Caesar. I will not reveal much, but in this plot you slowly find out who killed Caesar as you play as Octavianus and learn things in the senate; and as you play as Agrippa in the arena. In Short, Agrippa's father is framed for Caesars murder so this is what gets the plot going as Agrippa and Octavianus race against time to free him before execution. It has many twists and turns in the plot that keeps you on your toes and it includes a good amount of historical evidence to back it up so it is by no stretch what you would call boring.

The characters in the game are great. You play as two main characters in Shadow of Rome, Agrippa and Octavianus. They all have their own thoughts and feelings that make them very original and likable. Agrippa is a Centurion in the Roman legions who becomes a gladiator, and Octavianus, who is the nephew of the great Caesar; and wants to learn about who killed his uncle, and free Agrippa's father who is facing execution after being framed unjustly.

I shall now talk a bit about the gladiator battles in Shadow of Rome. The battles are by far the highlight of the game. They are gruesome (as you would expect in this type of game) but they also have little aspects of the fights that makes the game unique. One of the most unique things about the game would have to be the weaponry. You can wield swords, maces, halberds, bows, but the twist is is that they break after too much use. This includes a nice strategy aspect in the game, because it means you can not hold the same weapon throughout the whole fight. Some weapons break easier than others (like the scimitar, dagger) while some take longer to break (gladius, mace). Shadow of Rome is also unique because they have put a lot of effort into how you can kill your foes. You can kill them in many ways, including 'Head Bashing' and 'Torso Slashing'. Their is also a funny aspect to all this as each move has a name like 'Juicy Tomato' and 'Red Volcano', which makes players enjoy the game more.

The other aspect of Shadow of Rome would be the Octavianus stealth sequences. This involves playing as Octavianus as he infiltrates the senate and try's to find "Caesars will' and other documents. Octavianus is not strong like Agrippa (although he is the same build as a boxer) so he has to use his brain to figure out situations. This can involve stealing guards/senators uniforms, distracting people, or just sneaking around in a basement. Granted, these sequences are not as intense and action packed as the gladiator fights; but they still have a nice feel to them. I like these sequences because they encourage players to use their brains to think out situations. There is usually one Octavianus sequence every 3 gladiator battles. I think that it is very well done how they have incorporated stealth in with action packed battles, because they have a nice flow when you play the game; and stop it from becoming boring.

This game also has some chariot racing in it. It is an Agrippa battle and while it may not sound very gruesome; it actually is. You can use axes, spears, even whips to stop your opponents crossing the finish line before you. Everyone in the chariots is armed with a weapon and so the happy races can soon turn into bloody messes very quickly. This is another aspect as to why Shadow of Rome is unique; because it, like the Octavianus parts can be a refreshing change from could be called 'monotonous gladiator battles.'

There are a lot of extras in Shadow of Rome. Some of the in-game ones are how Octavianus can pick up little silver coins that can buy him things for his room and for himself. This can be quite fun to do and I even went back after I had finished the game to find all the extra coins I had missed. There are the challenges, which can be unlocked if you win trophies when you play as Agrippa in battles. My favorite challenge is the 'Last man Standing' where you face an endless stream of hostile gladiators and you have to last for as long as you can. There are quite a few challenges that even I have not un-locked and so it usually always has something that you can still complete which makes Shadow of Rome very re-playable as you try to finish all the un-lockables and extras.

So, I think that Shadow of Rome is a good game. It has memorable characters, game play (I came in just under 14 hours finishing it) and of course a great storyline. It is a fun game and if you play it, I hope you have as much fun as I have had with it.