When Capcom announced it was going to produce a brand-new action game for the PlayStation 2 with the European gaming market firmly in mind, no one really knew what to expect. It turns out that a team of Capcom developers not unfamiliar with the highly popular Onimusha series were all set to craft a game steeped in Roman history -- something that the Euro-audience could readily identify with. Shadow of Rome attempts to capture the sinister assassination of the legendary Julius Caesar and wrap up it up in a Gladiator-style gore-fest which is regrettably hindered by below-average stealth elements. The result is a game that oozes potential but ultimately fails to deliver greatness.
We're whisked away back to ancient Rome and introduced to the game's two main characters. Agrippa is an honorable centurion in the Roman army who is currently defending Rome's borders from the encroaching Germanic savages. Octavianus is Agrippa's best friend and also nephew to the late Caesar. While leading quite separate lives, the brutal murder of Caesar stands to bring them both together as they work their own unique style of gameplay to ultimately uncover the truth and supplant the darkness from power over the nation.
Shadow of Rome plays in two distinctly different ways. The game is at its most fun when the player is controlling Agrippa as a soldier, or as the game progresses, a rock-hard gladiatorial champion. Capcom is known for its robust fighting engines, and although Shadow of Rome is not anywhere near as in-depth as those beloved 2D and 3D fighters, it's certainly the saving grace of the overall gameplay experience.
The other mode of play has the player take on the persona of Octavianus. This weedy-pigeon boy must rely on sneaking, creeping, and disguise to progress. The problem arises, however, when you realize that the stealth elements of Shadow of Rome are distinctly bland, and above all else, poorly designed. Octavianus cannot even sustain one blow from an enemy, so make one mistake and you're screwed. You can try and run away, but more often than not, it's quicker to take one for the team and restart the level, remembering the trail-and-error methodology that rapidly serves to irritate you.
Agrippa's action is great, however. You'll go through a small training regime as you are taught to use the various swords, mauls, clubs, and shields that litter the battlefields of Shadow of Rome. Crushing combos and bloody bouts rile the on-looking crowds, elevating your coolness to new heights. A combo system uses Salvos to enable you to bust out insane specials and moves, usually resulting in severed heads and spouts of crimson showering you and your foes. It's not entirely un-reminiscent of Yuke's Berserk in terms of the over-sized two-handed weapons and graphic violence, and as such, the action keeps you rooted to the PS2's controller from one bloody encounter to the next.
As the story progresses the game flip-flops between the two main characters. Octavianus' merits include eavesdropping on key conversations between the evildoers, while Agrippa spends most of his time in a state of anger-driven slaying. It transpires that Agrippa's father -- Vipsanius -- has been wrongly accused of assassinating Caesar, so along with the help of a few of other NPCs, our heroes must prove his innocence and stop the unknown plotters from getting away with murder.
Capcom's usual high standard of voice acting and CG cutscenes are nowhere to be seen, but laden with some fairly wooden voice work instead. This hardly endears the player to the characters, and in fact, you'll simply be glad to power through the tedious monologues in order to get back to the fighting sections of the game. Spread out across a number of chapters, Octavianus' tasks become increasingly risky -- and therefore frustrating and tedious -- while Agrippa's road to infiltrating and conquering the Roman gladiatorial life gets more and more fun and challenging.
There are some unlockables to seek out including new costumes for the characters, an art gallery, and a bunch of mini-games which add to the longevity and replayability of the game. Other little bells and whistles include a nice Dolby Pro Logic II interpretation of the sound effects and musical score, and a fairly constant 60 frames-per-second along with some really nice motion-capture animations for the characters. On the whole, though, the graphical feel of the game is a little sparse -- there's just not that much going on at any one time in any of the locations.
Obvious direct influences from Ridley Scott's Gladiator movie aside, the overall theme and premise of Shadow of Rome ends up coming across as a missed opportunity for gaming greatness. The pacing is thrown out of whack on a regular basis due to the crippled stealth elements, so it's a little hard to justify picking this one up over, say, the much more approachable and enjoyable Onimusha series of games.
Maybe the fact that the Onimusha games are so popular should have been an indicator to Capcom that Western gamers aren't necessarily bothered about a game tied to their own history. Maybe all they want is something fantastic from the publisher's own country of origin. Shadow of Rome is easily eclipsed by any number of well-rounded, story-fed action games on the PlayStation 2. But if you're still interested in getting to the bottom of Caesar's untimely demise, then maybe you want to give it a whirl. Everyone else should probably try it before they plop down a fifty spot. And Capcom, one more thing ... it shouldn't be easier to kill two crazed tigers with your fists than it is to kill one diminutive hunchback wielding a tiny dagger. Just a thought...
We're whisked away back to ancient Rome and introduced to the game's two main characters. Agrippa is an honorable centurion in the Roman army who is currently defending Rome's borders from the encroaching Germanic savages. Octavianus is Agrippa's best friend and also nephew to the late Caesar. While leading quite separate lives, the brutal murder of Caesar stands to bring them both together as they work their own unique style of gameplay to ultimately uncover the truth and supplant the darkness from power over the nation.
Shadow of Rome plays in two distinctly different ways. The game is at its most fun when the player is controlling Agrippa as a soldier, or as the game progresses, a rock-hard gladiatorial champion. Capcom is known for its robust fighting engines, and although Shadow of Rome is not anywhere near as in-depth as those beloved 2D and 3D fighters, it's certainly the saving grace of the overall gameplay experience.
The other mode of play has the player take on the persona of Octavianus. This weedy-pigeon boy must rely on sneaking, creeping, and disguise to progress. The problem arises, however, when you realize that the stealth elements of Shadow of Rome are distinctly bland, and above all else, poorly designed. Octavianus cannot even sustain one blow from an enemy, so make one mistake and you're screwed. You can try and run away, but more often than not, it's quicker to take one for the team and restart the level, remembering the trail-and-error methodology that rapidly serves to irritate you.
Agrippa's action is great, however. You'll go through a small training regime as you are taught to use the various swords, mauls, clubs, and shields that litter the battlefields of Shadow of Rome. Crushing combos and bloody bouts rile the on-looking crowds, elevating your coolness to new heights. A combo system uses Salvos to enable you to bust out insane specials and moves, usually resulting in severed heads and spouts of crimson showering you and your foes. It's not entirely un-reminiscent of Yuke's Berserk in terms of the over-sized two-handed weapons and graphic violence, and as such, the action keeps you rooted to the PS2's controller from one bloody encounter to the next.
As the story progresses the game flip-flops between the two main characters. Octavianus' merits include eavesdropping on key conversations between the evildoers, while Agrippa spends most of his time in a state of anger-driven slaying. It transpires that Agrippa's father -- Vipsanius -- has been wrongly accused of assassinating Caesar, so along with the help of a few of other NPCs, our heroes must prove his innocence and stop the unknown plotters from getting away with murder.
Capcom's usual high standard of voice acting and CG cutscenes are nowhere to be seen, but laden with some fairly wooden voice work instead. This hardly endears the player to the characters, and in fact, you'll simply be glad to power through the tedious monologues in order to get back to the fighting sections of the game. Spread out across a number of chapters, Octavianus' tasks become increasingly risky -- and therefore frustrating and tedious -- while Agrippa's road to infiltrating and conquering the Roman gladiatorial life gets more and more fun and challenging.
There are some unlockables to seek out including new costumes for the characters, an art gallery, and a bunch of mini-games which add to the longevity and replayability of the game. Other little bells and whistles include a nice Dolby Pro Logic II interpretation of the sound effects and musical score, and a fairly constant 60 frames-per-second along with some really nice motion-capture animations for the characters. On the whole, though, the graphical feel of the game is a little sparse -- there's just not that much going on at any one time in any of the locations.
Obvious direct influences from Ridley Scott's Gladiator movie aside, the overall theme and premise of Shadow of Rome ends up coming across as a missed opportunity for gaming greatness. The pacing is thrown out of whack on a regular basis due to the crippled stealth elements, so it's a little hard to justify picking this one up over, say, the much more approachable and enjoyable Onimusha series of games.
Maybe the fact that the Onimusha games are so popular should have been an indicator to Capcom that Western gamers aren't necessarily bothered about a game tied to their own history. Maybe all they want is something fantastic from the publisher's own country of origin. Shadow of Rome is easily eclipsed by any number of well-rounded, story-fed action games on the PlayStation 2. But if you're still interested in getting to the bottom of Caesar's untimely demise, then maybe you want to give it a whirl. Everyone else should probably try it before they plop down a fifty spot. And Capcom, one more thing ... it shouldn't be easier to kill two crazed tigers with your fists than it is to kill one diminutive hunchback wielding a tiny dagger. Just a thought...
Personlig virker dette ut som ett spill jeg vil ha! Liker å løpe rundt og slakte på brutale måter. Selv om jeg ikke liker å bytte på mellom to karakterer...
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Flere linker:
http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/shado...e/514094p1.html
http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/shado...e/541503p1.html
http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/shado...e/574902p1.html
Små snutter for IGN medlemmer:
http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/641/641330/....html?fromint=1
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Få høre noen meninger nå da vel!
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