MEMBER PROFILE FOR kingleg
Average Overall Score Given: 10.00000 / 10
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Reviews
Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars
Overall: This game is hands down, one of the most innovative, entertaining, and refreshing games to come along in a long time. I have wholeheartedly given this game a 10, an accolade I rarely bestow upon anything. The review is as follows!Controls- 10- In the professional reviews posted, this has been the major complaint against the game. This complaint, however, is unfounded. It is true, that the game requires the use of all buttons, however not at the same time. As well, the game offers an in-depth tutorial mode, which is almost like a separate game. In it, you are guided by Sallus through a series of challenges that gradually acclimate you to each and every button, and how to use them. The controls have been well thought out, and will cause you no problems or feelings of discomfort while playing. They are as follows: all the face buttons (except a) control blocking and the numerous attacks at your disposal, while the triggers are leaning, the left thumbstick moves, and the right one shifts your fighter. The a button and click of the right thumbstick serve the same purpose, and can accelerate and whip your horses. Now, had the controls been set up so you had to control movement, acceleration, and fighting at the same time, with all buttons used, maybe it could get confusing. However, Circus allows you to whip your horse to a certain pace, at which point you can lean off with enough time to fight enemies and not have to worry about acceleration. The timing is well done, and often, when you are not thinking about acceleration, you don?t need to, because the other chariots are not racing past you, but often fighting beside you. As well, for those who feel fit (though I never use this) Circus even allows you to have the computer Ai focus on controlling your chariot, if you would like to focus on the fighting for a minute. This is not done by entering a menu, but just simply tapping up on the dpad to enable/disable. Overall, the controls are extremely enjoyable, and Kodiak has put a lot of time into making them plausible. 10/10
Gameplay: Gameplay- This game just keeps on shining. The game is designed to be fun. I have not fiddled with the multiplayer, but the one player modes are super satisfying and entertaining. Even the practice mode (which is really like a separate game) is replayable, with awesome missions like ?collecting 500 dinari in one lap by running over as many volunteers as possible.? Very fun. The career mode, however, is what will ultimately hook people, so I will tell you. I have completed the game once on novice, and am three quarters of the way through on moderate. The story is basically the same for everyone, though the game does offer you snippets of background on your character ambitions during loading screens. You are fighting to reach the circus maximus, and get there by paying your way with dinari. Now, the developers could have gone the ?come in first place route,? but they instead opted to allow you to progress by getting dinari. Ultimately, I feel this decision tremendously adds to the fun of the game, since your dinari total is calculated not just from what place you came in, but also; how many volunteers you killed, how much you attacked (and which attacks), and how many charioteers you killed. Now, seeing as how it could be slightly redundant to just get money and progress, kodiak went even further by adding awesome death levels, where the emphasis is not at all on dinari, but instead (in special little ?rings?) fighting other charioteers to the death to prove you have what it takes to continue. The blend of these two modes makes for a highly enjoyable career mode. In addition, as you play and unlock new characters and chariots (and, by the way, they all have their own cool little bios), you can change your team at any team and fight with the new characters. I cannot describe how fun this game can be. It also reminds you why replays exist, as Circus has some of the coolest replays I have ever seen. Seeing your character die is always shown in a quick replay, that must be seen to be believed. The game also have a manual replay mode allowing you to replay snippets of game and single frame them if you like. I had fun just flying off of cliffs and watching the gruesome animations as my horses died, sometimes even smacking into walls! As for replay, I have no doubts that I will still pick this game up in a few years, especially after watching a movie like Sparcticus. The career mode is set up leisurely enough that it will be fun to just play and save,and the aracade mode is perfect for quick melee battles. And for those with friends (unlike myself), there is even the multiplayer mode, though I can?t really comment on it because I have not played it. The bottom line is this; This game is nothing like you have ever seen, and (especially with kodiak going under), probably like nothing you will ever see again. It is the rare anomaly in videogames that attempts in this sequel-laden decade to do something new.
Graphics:
Graphics- 10/10 I am honestly blown away by these graphics. The attention to detail is astounding. Beginning with the chariots and their fighters, the animation is topnotch, and the movements are often fierce and violent, as they should be. The game even allows you to put together a custom chariot, deciding on horses, fighter, driver, and chariot type. The environments are an even better story. Kodiak continuously touted in previews that the producer had a history degree in roman culture. Well, now we see why. Each environment is teeming with aesthetic touches that really make you feel like you are racing a stretch of path on the way to Rome. Boundaries are not the invisible walls of many games, but instead high cliffs that allow for death to all should your unlucky chariot misteer or be pushed off by an enemy (which by the way, is immensely enjoyable to do to someone else). As you proceed though the career mode, you will actually feel like you are taking the hard road to the Circus Maximus, as the environments proceed from more rural to urban. The game also glides at a speedy frame rate, and these chariots move fast. What is so breathtaking, however, is the attention to detail. ?Volunteers? inhabit the tracks, and happen to be the pedestrians that you are urged to mow over with your chariot. Wipeouts are simply breathtaking, and the detail is astounding. Say you drive your chariot straight into a tree that is in the middle of the track. Watch as your fighter gets knocked out, and your driver gets pummeled in the face, only to be caught in the reins and dragged face first down the track by the empty chariot. Watch as you go off the cliff edge (overlooking another cliff wall in several meters ahead), your horses and fighter all separately die (in their own morbid animations), and your driver is forced forward, causing him to smack into the next cliff wall, with a painful bashing sound and an animation that screams pain. Overall, this game reeks of atmosphere, and is like nothing you have played before. As well, unlike many games, the camera here is a blessing and has never once been a problem. 10/10
Audio: Sound- The sound is incredible as well. However, the default balance is rather odd, and does not allow you to really hear the incredible soundtrack composed for this game (you can adjust it with the lever bar-just lower sound effects and leave music at the peak). The music is downright awesome, and kicks in whenever you enter an especially tough battle or tense part of the race. It is Gladiator, Sparcticus type music, and it is amazing. When the music is not playing, the sound is filled by ambient sound effects (water running, birds, your horses, the sound of the chariot on the ground), and the sounds of fighting, which are satisfying and differ from fighter to fighter. The game also features taunts. There are many taunts, about five or six for each character, and they are performed simply by tapping the left thumbstick in. The game repeats some taunts from character to character, though the developers have taken the time to still record the taunt in that individual characters voice. The one complaint I have, however, is that while the game features many excellent taunts, there are a few such as ?I?m gonna kick your **s, that just do not fit in this otherwise excellent game. To hear something like that when you are in the heat of battle, temporarily reminds you that you are just playing some game. Though a small gripe, I can?t understand why Kodiak would include that, when this game feels like so much effort went into developing its authenticity. Great music and sounds overall though. 8/10
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
