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Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance
Developer(s)Acclaim Studios Manchester
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Steve Perry
Designer(s)Jim Bottomley
Programmer(s)Ged Keaveney
Artist(s)
  • Christopher Subagio
  • Carleen Smith
  • Alwyn Talbot
Composer(s)
  • Nelson Everhart
  • Ron Fish
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • NA: 4 November 2003[1]
  • EU: 28 November 2003
  • AU: 15 January 2004
Xbox
  • NA: 4 November 2003[1]
  • EU: 5 December 2003
  • AU: 15 January 2004
Windows
  • NA: 18 November 2003
  • EU: 5 December 2003
  • AU: 15 January 2004
Genre(s)Hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance is a 2003 hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. Developed by Acclaim Studios Manchester and published by Acclaim Entertainment, it was released in North America for all platforms in November 2003. In Europe, it was released for PlayStation 2 in November, and for Xbox and Windows in December. In Australia, it was released on all platforms in January 2004. In 2006, Throwback Entertainment acquired the rights to the game, re-releasing it on the Microsoft Store in December 2016. In February 2017, it was released on Steam.

The game tells the story of Invictus Thrax.

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance received mixed reviews.

Gameplay

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Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance is a hack and slash game in which the player character is Invictus Thrax. Thrax's basic abilities include two different swipe attacks, a defensive roll that can be used during combat, magic casting, and finishing moves that can be performed on weakened opponents.[2] The player can also use context-sensitive manoeuvres in specific locations, such as climbing a rope, using a key, pulling a lever, or jumping from a ledge.[3] Thrax has access to three weapons during the game; a gladius sword, a two-handed battle axe, and bladed gauntlets. The sword is the default weapon, with the axe and gauntlets needed to be unlocked.[4]

The game employs an auto lock-on system to aid in combat, which often involves Thrax competing against multiple opponents at once. When combat begins, Thrax automatically locks onto the nearest opponent, putting him into lock mode. If the player presses the lock button when already locked-on to a target, lock mode is exited and Thrax won't target anyone.[5] Whilst in lock mode, the player also has access to a secondary lock; when the secondary lock button is pressed, Thrax will switch his lock-on to another opponent. As long as the button is held, Thrax will target this secondary opponent. As soon as the player lets go of the button, Thrax will re-target the primary opponent.[6]

During combat, by combining the two attack types in various configurations, the player can initiate combos. If the player combines attacking with rolling, or if they switch opponents mid-combo, the resulting combo can be made significantly more powerful than a standard combo.[7] The better the combo, the more it will charge the "fight gauge", a gauge which rewards the player with mid-combo bonuses. When the player pulls off combos, the gauge starts to fill up, with different markers distributed along its length. Once a marker has been reached, that bonus is awarded to the player. Bonuses include double armour, double damage, shield break, and reflect armour. These bonuses are only temporary, with the gauge emptying when the player is not in combat. Each of the game's three weapons has its own unique gauge with different rewards at different points, and each of the three gauges can be expanded four times to make available to the player more significant bonuses (such as quadruple damage, for example).[8]

The player also has access to "Olympian Battle Magic". Three such powers become available during the game; the Power of Hercules (increases Thrax's strength, speed, and accuracy and grants him temporary invulnerability), the power of Pluto (allows the player to tag enemies and transfer their health to Thrax), and the Power of Jupiter (sends out a lightening wave every time the player lands an attack, causing damage to every enemy in the vicinity).[9] To use a specific magic, the player must fill the "blood meter", a gauge which fills automatically as the player attacks enemies. It needs to be filled once to use the Power of Hercules, twice to use Pluto, and three times to use Jupiter.[10]

Plot

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The game takes place in an alternate history of the Roman Empire and is set in 106AD, shortly after the mysterious death of the noble and popular Emperor Trajan. With the despotic and sadistic consular Arruntius now on the Imperial throne, he ushers in an age of tyranny and destruction, turning Rome into a personal playground named Arruntium, with even the streets converted into gladiatorial arenas for the pleasure of the increasingly bloodthirsty crowds.[11]

The most famous gladiator, and formerly Trajan's champion, is Invictis Thrax, a Thracian who was taken from his mother and sold into slavery whilst still a baby.[12] Due to Thrax's popularity, Arruntius wants him to compete in one final series of games, promising him his freedom if he survives. Thrax does so, fighting his way to the Colosseum, but he is immediately attacked and killed by something unseen. Sent to Elysium, he encounters the childlike spirits of Romulus and Remus, who reveal that Arruntius assassinated Trajan with the aid of black arts and the rogue children of Mars; Phobos and Deimos. They tell Thrax that he has been chosen by the gods to act as their champion, with his goal being to kill Arruntius and prevent the demise of Rome.[13]

Setting out on his mission, he tracks and kills Phobos, before then pursuing Deimos, who flees back to Rome. The brothers resurrect Thrax, who follows Deimos to the Colosseum, where only moments have passed since Thrax was killed. Arruntius is horrified at his return, demanding Deimos do something.[14] After Thrax fights through waves of gladiators and defeats Deimos, Arruntius murders his own daughter as a sacrifice to resurrect Phobos and Deimos.

Thrax manages to destroy them, and then kills Arruntius by throwing his sword into Arruntius' chest. Romulus and Remus congratulate Thrax on his victory before rewarding Thrax his freedom under the order of Jupiter. The brothers then inform Thrax they may need his services again in the future, but Thrax asserts his status as a free man, saying he would fight for Rome again only at a time of his choosing and after he has explored his new life outside of the life of a gladiator. He then recites "The Coliseum At Rome" by Lord Byron.

Development

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During development, the game was titled I Gladiator.[15]

A GameCube version was cancelled.[16]

In Germany, the game was released in a censored and uncensored version.[17]

Throwback Entertainment acquired the rights to several of Acclaim's properties in 2006, including Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance.[18] In May 2015, during Microsoft's IGNITE conference, it was announced that Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance would be made available on Xbox One and the Windows and Windows Phone stores later in 2015.[19] The game was eventually re-released on the Microsoft Store in December 2016 for Windows 10 and iOS 10. Stickers for iMessage were also released on the App Store. In February 2017, the game was released on Steam.

Reception

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The game received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[20][21][22]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Gladiator Sword Of Vengeance Ships". Acclaim Entertainment. 30 October 2003. Archived from the original on 17 August 2004. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Controls: Control System Definition". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. pp. 7–8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Context Actions". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Weapons". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Controls: Control System Definition". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Controls: Control System Definition". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. pp. 8–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Controls: Control System Definition". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. pp. 9–11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  8. ^ "The Fight Gauge". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. pp. 11–12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Olympian Battle Magic". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Olympian Battle Magic". Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Xbox Instruction Manual (NA) (PDF). Acclaim Entertainment. 2003. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  11. ^ Acclaim Studios Manchester (2003). Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance. Acclaim Entertainment. Level/area: Introduction. Invictus Thrax: After the mysterious death of the great and noble Emperor Trajan, the despotic consular Arruntius ascended to the Imperial throne, heralding in an age of tyranny, perversity and destruction. Rome would be levelled to make room for a new city...Arruntium, named after the madman himself. In celebration, Arruntius will stage the bloodiest gladiatorial event ever witnessed. Within the very streets of Rome, gladiators will butcher each other to appease the mob, rapidly becoming as crazed as their emperor.
  12. ^ Acclaim Studios Manchester (2003). Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance. Acclaim Entertainment. Level/area: Introduction. Thrax: And who am I? My real name has long since been forgotten; ripped from the arms of a mother I could no longer remember and sold into the cold embrace of slavery. I was the champion gladiator of a good and just emperor. One who would have set me free.
  13. ^ Acclaim Studios Manchester (2003). Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance. Acclaim Entertainment. Level/area: Elysium. Romulus: You have been chosen. / Thrax: Chosen? For what? / Romulus: Arruntius should not be emperor. The glory days of the empire are nearly at an end. The death of Rome draws close. / Remus: That murdering pig killed our beloved Trajan and upset the gods' plans. And so, bloody retribution must put things right. / Thrax: But why me? Cannot the gods punish? / Romulus: The vices of Arruntius have become the vices of the citizens; as the gods are neglected, their power wanes. A champion is needed, one who by heroic deed will restore the glory of Rome and the gods. / Thrax: What must I do? / Remus: You must face such monsters and forgotten terrors, spoken of now only in storytelling. / Romulus: The power of Arruntius is not his alone. He was aided in his deceit by the rogue children of Mars; Phobos and Deimos, the gods of terror and fear.
  14. ^ Acclaim Studios Manchester (2003). Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance. Acclaim Entertainment. Level/area: The Battle of Hades. Arruntius: Thrax? THRAX? Again he arrives unwanted and still alive, spoiling everything and taking my glory. [to Deimos] You promised me that he would be dealt with, yet the Thracian grows in power. I can smell the stench of virtue even from here. / Deimos: Be still Arruntius. This beautiful, manufactured horror invigorates me and I too grow in power. More than a match for even the greatest champion. I will deal with him when the time comes.
  15. ^ "I Gladiator, New Name". IGN. 14 March 2003. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  16. ^ "E3 2003: Gladiator Leaves Cube". IGN. 16 May 2003. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  17. ^ Kaurz, Paul (23 August 2003). "Gladiator: die Versionsunterschiede". 4Players (in German). Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  18. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (7 July 2006). "Throwback picks up Acclaim properties". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Throwback Entertainment Unleashes Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance on the World of Windows". Throwback Entertainment. 6 May 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance (PC)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance (PlayStation 2)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance (Xbox)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  23. ^ a b Byrnes, Paul; Fielder, Joe; Baker, Chris (January 2004). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (PS2, Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 174. p. 108.
  24. ^ Reiner, Andrew (November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (Xbox)". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  25. ^ Navarro, Alex (22 December 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (PC)". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  26. ^ Navarro, Alex (1 November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (PS2)". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  27. ^ Navarro, Alex (1 November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (Xbox)". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  28. ^ Meston, Zach (7 November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (PS2)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  29. ^ Meston, Zach (9 November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (Xbox)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  30. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (18 November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (PC)". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  31. ^ a b Dunham, Jeremy (3 November 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review (PS2, Xbox)". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  32. ^ Baker, Chris (December 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 75. p. 162.
  33. ^ "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review". Official Xbox Magazine. No. 25. December 2003. p. 92.
  34. ^ Klett, Steve (April 2004). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 18 October 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  35. ^ a b Fiechter, Bradley (December 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review". Play. No. 24. p. 85.
  36. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (Christmas 2003). "Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review". PlayStation: The Official Magazine. No. 79. p. 48.
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Official website (site dead; Archived 3 August 2004 at the Wayback Machine)

Category:2003 video games Category:Acclaim Entertainment games Category:Beat 'em ups Category:Cancelled GameCube games Category:PlayStation 2 games Category:Single-player video games Category:Throwback Entertainment games Category:Video games about gladiatorial combat Category:Video games about the Colosseum Category:Video games based on Greek mythology Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom Category:Video games set in the Roman Empire Category:Windows games Category:Xbox games

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