Real-time strategy needs as many shots in the arm as possible. While a few recent entries in the genre have been stellar, they are unfortunately formulaic. The Gladiators, lovingly crafted by Arxel Tribe, is one heck of a shot. This is Arxel Tribe's first game to be published in North America, and if it is indicative of what is to come, strategy gamers have a lot to look forward to.
As its title implies, The Gladiators is all about gladiatorial combat, but this is certainly not ancient Rome. Fast forward to the 1970's and go halfway across the galaxy. There you'll find the home of the extraordinarily enormous gladiator competition called the Deathbowl. A hardened military man named Greg Callahan is sucked into a black hole during a top secret shuttle mission, transported there, and forcibly pitted against the best gladiators the planet has to offer. This serves as the basis for the story, which plays out through a number of in-game cut scenes with some very over the top, but likeable, characters.
Over the course of eighteen missions players get to control three distinct gladiators; the aforementioned Callahan, the Imperial Maximix, and the demonic Fargass. The assortment of units each gets to control is quite distinct, though not wholly original. Callahan leads the typical grunts, tanks, and choppers. Maximix brings the most technologically advanced Imperial units. Robotic monstrosities, heavily armored jetpack troops, and laser toting praetorians are among his arsenal. Fargass is an otherworldly character that can control flying demons and hordes of speedy impish creatures that can quickly overwhelm the enemy. The selection of units lends each campaign a certain uniqueness, which certainly keeps you playing to completion.
Each mission takes place in a distinct arena. They are quite big and allow for sprawling landscapes. In fact, the terrain is just as varied as any other RTS. These aren't barren arenas, but rather chains of islands, dense jungles, vast deserts, and rolling hills. Starting out with your gladiator and a few select units, the announcer will narrate the course of each competition, signaling your next objective. It may be to hold a key area against an enemy onslaught, make it across open terrain, defend against ambushes in a narrow pass, or make the final assault on the enemy. This mostly point A to point B gameplay does make the game quite linear. However, this is where the great tactics-based gameplay shines. Since there is no base building, you can rarely afford to throw your units at your enemy in a blind rush. In order to preserve them you must make intelligent decisions based on the surrounding terrain, as well as the all-important powerups you can acquire.
Besides the contours of the terrain itself, strategic features that can dot the landscape include watchtowers, stone walls, and bunkers. Units placed in or on top of these gain damage and defense bonuses. A squad of troops on top of a watchtower can seriously weaken an enemy army before it reaches you, or destroy it altogether.
The powerups that are distributed around the map can be picked up by any unit, but are used solely by your gladiator. They run the gamut from simple health bonuses that will heal all nearby units to special attacks for your gladiator that can be truly devastating to enemy troops. Saving your bonuses for just the right moment is the key to surviving many encounters. For instance, your gladiator can be given increased speed, allowing him to infiltrate enemy territory and lead troops into an ambush. Or you could simply charge in and instantly increase the firepower of your gladiator, taking out twice the amount of troops he could normally handle.
The most important item to secure, however, is the warp portals. Capturing these allow you to spawn new troops, often the sole way to acquire reinforcements. Deathbowl cards scattered around the map give you the necessary points to do this. More powerful units cost more points, so players must be judicious in how they spend them.
The sum of The Gladiator's parts is a RTS game that plays a bit like Commandos. Any gamer familiar with that series knows how many reloads it takes to successfully complete a mission. The Gladiators is no exception. You can rarely get through a map your first time through, as sudden ambushes or a missed keystroke could end up in disaster and lead to a decimated army, or worse yet, the death of your gladiator. I often had to inch my way through a map, reloading until I developed a sound strategy for each new challenge. This is certain to frustrate some gamers, I was certainly grinding my teeth in frustration on some levels. The satisfaction of a finely planned and executed strategy, however, more than made up for it.
Arxel Tribe has taken a minimalist approach to the interface, which works just fine considering the lack of base building. Icons on the side of the screen help you keep track of any powerups you have picked up. They can be used with a click of the mouse, or by a keystroke. On the bottom is a map, as well as a few icons for your troops. These commands let you perform a few basic maneuvers such as putting your troops in formation (sadly, there is only one), telling them to attack while moving, or ordering them to hold their position. The friendly AI will annoyingly move in to engage enemy troops, even if it means leaving the safety of a tower or bunker. Therefore, you will need to baby-sit them and utilize these commands. Last but not least, Arxel Tribe thought to include a quick save. Since missions can take a fair amount of time to complete, being able to quickly save your progress eases some of the burden. Although, those that decry the use of constant saves will have plenty of masochistic moments to enjoy.
On a technical standpoint, Gladiators looks good, and at times can be impressive. While the units are your average polygon players, everything is nicely textured, especially the terrain. Reflective surfaces like water, as well as shadows, are handled nicely and give the terrain that extra pizzazz. Overall, the game has a sharp, clean look. Terrain and weapon effects spice things up as well, though some slowdown occurred when the action really heated up. The map can be rotated and zoomed easily with the mouse, essential in a game where a good view of the terrain is so critical. On the audio side, the music is a collection of techno riffs and beats. It is nothing memorable, but serviceable considering the “death sport” theme of the game. The sound effects are your typical collection of machine gun fire, laser blasts and explosions. A great touch that really lends to the atmosphere is the sounds of the audience. Upon completing objectives or defeating enemy units, the crowd will congratulate you with a roar of pleasure.
The most serious criticism I can level at this game is the lack of a skirmish mode, which seems like a no-brainer. While there is a multiplayer mode with an array of arenas to compete in, this is sadly not a mainstream RTS in the sense of a C&C or Warcraft. Therefore, there is a lack of players online at this time. Most times that I logged on to play, there were only a handful of people. The lack of a skirmish mode could be due to the fact that the enemy AI is largely based on triggers. At some points I could see waves of enemy units just standing still, waiting for their cue to attack me. While they do a good job once they join the fray, I don't believe an AI is in place that would allow a computer player to formulate an overall strategy. I hope Arxel Tribe proves me wrong with a patch that adds this much needed game mode.
Simply put, The Gladiators is a solid game that takes a great idea and runs with it. The game emphasizes deliberate planning, though this can lead to some frustration and repetition. Some players will find the game works best in short spurts. Like any well designed title, however, the satisfaction of working through each mission is there. I truly hope that Arxel Tribe finds its niche in the North American market. Strategy gamers will be all the better for it.
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Reviewed by Anthony Micari.
