Without
risk, rewards will diminish. Without publishers willing to step outside their
usual fare, and explore new ideas and take a few new directions, the videogame
industry will become staid and stop growing at the phenomenal rate it has in the
past.
Unfortunately, a risk is just that – and when the new idea is bogged down in
clichés, the chance that the game will be well received dwindles. KOEI is well
known for its series of titles that delve into the rich history of the Far East
and allows players to take part in frenetic battles on a grand scale. It was
surprising when the company moved to the roots of Western civilization, and gave
players the opportunity to participate in more personal battles, which still
qualify as a spectacle.
Colosseum:
Road to Freedom is the story of a slave trying to win his freedom by earning
enough coins in the colosseum to pay off his owner.
That is the
story in a nutshell. Colosseum does take some liberties with the gladiatorial
experience, but tries to immerse gamers into the lifestyle of the gladiators.
There is training, there are ways to build up and fortify yourself for the
battles ahead through proper diet, and you can enter contests (which you have to
pay for the privilege of so doing) to earn a lot of coins, which can be spent on
better equipment and tucked away to pay the outrageous sum of money your owner
demands of you.
The game
begins with players creating a customized avatar. You select previous
occupation, the gladiatorial path you will follow, and the Roman god you believe
in. The choices seem to have little to do with anything initially, but may
influence the way you develop (the jury is still out on that).
The time
frame for this game is the same as the Russell Crowe feature film, Gladiator.
Caesar Marcus Aurellius has died and the gladiatorial games are in full swing.
(In
fairness, it should be noted that the version used for this review was the same
version sent as a preview build. The review was embargoed until today. However,
as it is the same versions, nothing has changed from the preview story written
in June.)
Colosseum is
all about the combat, and therein lays the major stumbling block this game has –
targeting in this three-dimensional world is a task in itself. Your avatar can
move in the four major directions easily enough (up, down, right and left) but
turning the increments in-between is troublesome and targeting an opponent who
may be at 5 o’clock on your thumbstick can be a chore.
During the
course of a battle, the crowd may throw items, or your opponent may drop
something. You can use the shoulder button pick it up, if you get the right
distance and at the right angle to the item. You can literally be standing
almost on top of the item and still be unable to pick it up.
The game
does sport several ways to play – there is the story game mode, but you can also
just hop into the arena with a pre-built gladiator or by importing your own.
There are several different types of combat options available, including match
type, objective and time limit, and you can choose an opponent if you like.
As you
fight, and you get hammered, it is not uncommon to see items – armor – fall away
from the pounding. You can also pick up items that will lead to skills you can
learn and assign to the d-pad or combat.
The crowd
will, on occasion, throw items and other warriors will drop skill tablets that
can lead to new skills you can use.
The game is
graphically sound, with the battle and cutscenes sharing a similar look. The
sound is rife with clichés and redundant phrases. The camera and targeting
problems, along with the audio setbacks really stop this game from being more
than a passing look.
The game
itself suffers from repetitiveness and while it can be challenging, this is a
game that could have been much more than what it winds up being.
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Gameplay: 6.2
Picking up items
and targeting are a problem in this game. The load times are kept relatively
short, but the controls can be a pain.
Graphics: 7.0
The game looks
good and the animation is strong, but the game falters in regards to targeting,
which can mean life or death against multiple foes. You do not what to be
stumbling with that element while multiple enemies come at you.
Sound: 5.5
The music is
fine, but the dialogue is full of clichés and repetition.
Difficulty: Medium
There is a bit of
a learning curve when it comes to understanding all that you can accomplish with
your avatar, but players are really hampered by some of the control elements,
especially where picking up items during the heat of battle is concerned.
Concept: 6.0
Unfortunately,
this is not so much an innovative step forward for KOEI. The controls can be an
effort, when taken in stride with the camera position and targeting systems, and
the storyline follows a well-trod path.
Overall: 6.2
Give KOEI credit
for trying something apart from the deep lessons in Chinese history that are a
staple of their publishing house. While Colosseum tries, it fails on many levels
to deliver an immersive experience, bogging down in staid and tired dialogue
clichés, and struggling with camera angles and targeting.
