Shadow of Rome was fun as hell but I hated switching to the stealth missions, it's like watching a cool action scene with explosions and gun fire then switching to a 30 minute house of representatives speech with commercials
I loved this game and the stealth sections were frustrating as hell but I liked where you had a place you customise with the coins you collected and I remember some gladiator boss fights annoying as hell when I was pre teens
I absolutely LOVED this game when i was a child, here on Brazil we used to buy Pirate games for the ps5, It was like 4 games for 5 dollars (10 reais), i got this absolute beast of game boy random.
As soon as I saw the arm on the weapon rack my immediate thought was "What is this, Mortal Kombat?" But then after thinking about it for a second I was like "Oh yeah........this is, in the most literal sense, Mortal Combat..."
dude, this is the first of your videos I've seen. I'm very picky about gaming vids. This was a great vid, and it is SO cool that this was the bones for Dead Rising 2! Very very cool piece of gaming history.
Lets see, it came out 5 years after Gladiator, and we just got Gladiator II last month. ... See you in 2029 for Shadow of Rome II for the PlayStation 6! For real though, so glad you covered this eternally overlooked game. It doesn't get the recognition it has long deserved. If Capcom doesn't see the sense in a remaster (or a _remake_ ), hopefully Sony at least adds it to their roster of emulated PS2 titles one of these days.
Classic! One of the best beat em ups from that era. Definitely needed a proper cooperative mode. Yeah I know about the code for coop but that was very limited.
A very fascinating & enjoyable review my friend! I am definitely adding this to my PS2 games to obtain! You are the master of covering mature violent games, like no other, delightful content man!
This game slaps. I rented it back in the day and beat it twice before returning it. The bonuses you got for different things was such a good feedback loop.
Another game that i think is insanely underrated is Ryse: Son of Rome. It actually had a pretty gripping story and satisfying combat. Sure it can repetitive but it was a solid game. It went under radar of most people because of it's exclusivity to the Xbox One.
Finally! A great review of Shadow of Rome! This is when Capcom back in the day didn't hold back! The brutality and realisim of survival here in the arena was brutal, I love it! Throw an arm to the crowd they cheer your, throw a weapon they boo you and you get "ENEMY OF THE CROWD", still points though and if you get a really high score you'll have the Roman spotlight, heck there's women gladiators here that peed when you steal their weapons even guys without limbs pee, now that's the detail I'm looking for in a video game. Just like that grandpa said, They don't make them like they used too...
There's another high-action game from recent years called Soulstice that has some strong Berserk influences, as well as Claymore. Has its issues or divisive bits but it's still one of my favourite games in recent years. Can recommend looking into it! Same with games like Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (and the Zeno Clash series as a whole), Magenta Horizon, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, Cookie Cutter, Genokids and No Straight Roads. All cool stuff.
I played this so much when it was released, finished it at least 10 Times. Its in my top 3 favorite games of all time 🎉 Capcom was cooking with this one 😁
I remember renting this game over and over from the local video/game rental store [Movie Gallery] back when those still existed because I liked it that much, I hardly ever see anyone talk about it.
I remembered dismembered fighters, and use their dismembered arm as a weapon. The crowd give you weapons that were the size of a truck, and the most fun part is where you German suplex your opponents.
Maaaaan although I've never finished the Game in my early teen years & Just Got Stuck on the 1st or 2nd sneak mission...but I've LOVED it since the 1st time I played it 💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🖤
I just realized this seems to share animations with Dead Rising. In fact, Capcom is known for sharing assets between games, and these two came out a year apart.
Wow, that's no exaggeration about the game not really selling well. Your review is actually the first time I have heard of it. That combat system looks like one of the best the era had to offer. You can definitely tell that Dead Rising was built on the bones of that game as well. I share your hopes that Capcom's penchant for remastering or remaking older titles will someone find their eyes gazing on Shadow of Rome again. Maybe the new-found popularity of Rome as a setting will be a push for them to at least remaster and release this bad boy.
@@MrHammers I see. BTW I caught that Sly Cooper music sneak during the stealth portion. Nice. I also miss when games would come out a year or two after they were announced. Remember how Arkham City came out only 2 years after Arkham Asylum? What happened to those days?
Ty, I like to think my song selections are decent sometimes. Lol And I'm not gonna pretend I know anything about game development. But I'm sure with the advancements of technology and large publishing studios checks and balances, it probably takes a long time to make games. But again, I have zero knowledge of game dev, I just like to play games lol
Definitely an interesting game as it very much reminds me of Coliseum Road to Freedom for sure, but I also see what would be the inspiration for Ryse Son of Rome as it very shares those same elements. Over all I preferred Coliseum because of it being that pure fighter game but played on the actual history of Roman Gladiators being prize fighters, you earned money, tore people up, but needed to entertain the crowd and the more entertaining your fighters the more money you got which always gave to a reason to try new things out and see if you get the crowd going.
I remember seeing this game in stores and was intrigued. But I was still a kid with limited funds for videogames and couldn't get every game out there for christmas or birthdays. So I had to pick and choose. I played on both PC and PS2 and this game simply got drowned out by other titles. I still remember the very few people at my school having played it speaking very highly of it though. And I've been collecting for the PS2 in recent years so I finally tracked Shadow of Rome down and played it for the first time last year. There were som infuriating moments due to some PS2 jank. But mostly due to me not being very good at games like this:P But I completed it, and loved the style and atmosphere. And the story was good too. I didn't mind the stealth sections but as you say they feel very arbitrary. Stealth is at its best when there is som leeway and room to explore with mechanics and find your own solutions. This game offers very little of that. Also I liked the Agrippa parts outside of arena fighting because I liked roaming around and explore the streets of Rome. I would have loved a sequel set in Egypt! With improved stealth gameplay and more/better fighting parts outside arena levels!
When I was 14 I played this game and got stuck when playing as Octavianus. I knew I was 3/4th the way through the game but never got around to completing it and ever since this game has been stuck in my mind. I ended up buying a PS2 and finding a copy last year. I am proud to announce after 20 years, I finally beat it. Ironically the last fight against Antonius was short. I was smashing a crate on the left side of the ship and when he tried to jump down from the mast on top of me he glitched and ended up jumping off the ship thus killing himself lol. All I had to do If he landed right was attack him a few times to finish him off soooo technically after 20 years I didn't even get to kill the final boss....he just killed himself. I don't know if the universe is trying to help me out and give me a easy ending because it took 20 years to complete, or the universe is trolling me and taking away that sweet satisfaction of "truly beating the game". I'm not exactly sure lmao.
@@MrHammersabsolutely, 90% being from the stealth sections lol. I was wondering if you've ever played Mark of Kri? It's a very brutal and cruel stealth game for the PS2 that has a vibrant and colourful art style and Disney looking characters. I remember enjoying it back in the day, but barely anyone seems to remember it. I'd definitely recommend checking it out!
@@LeonLein82 Ooooh, interesting to see someone mention The Mark Of Kri! I've played it and came to quite enjoy the stealth aspect of it. Same from the Don Bluth-like art style. I believe that came thanks to a number of artists having worked directly for Don Bluth. It has a sequel called Rise of the Kasai that was originally exclusive to America. If i'm not mistaken, the studio would later be put to work on Splatterhouse 2010, but one of the lead developers, Jay Beard(?), was hijacking the project to force his own ideas into the game. There's a *lot* more to it and i'm not the best person to talk about everything, but there's a fair bit of history there. It's interesting. WOuld also recommend looking into Kya: Dark Lineage! It's a PS2-exclusive game with a colorful art style like the 3D Rayman games, quite solid platformer, but it has a *surprisingly* in-depth 3D combat system like a brawler or beat-em-up. Enemies have some different types and subtypes that "learn" what attacks you use the most at different speeds and are also more aggressive/may use some advanced moves. Some other fun stuff for the player to unlock is things like advanced kick combos, different grabs depending where you stand relative to the enemy, a jump-on/jumpover move, sitting on an enemy's shoulders to send them careening into something, or grabbing them by the tail to - use as a flail - use as a meat shield - kick them into something
As a kid o wasn't able to beat this game, beause my fisrt language isn't English (and sucked in the stealth missions) But loved every time i played. This video made me wanna play again and this time, beat the all thing.
I still have this & the strategy guide.. I really suck tho for whatever reason.. I think I made it past the opening area about once lol IDK I guess it’s me! The other gladiator game on PSP i think is really good too
Adored the game but despised the Octavius parts and I legit broke my controller getting gold medals in every single gladiatorial game especially the team death matches literally grab halberd and do spin attack cut everyone's arms off god there was a whole system 😂
The story is absolute bollocks, but this is still a great game. The strealth sections are... hit or miss. I wouldn't say they are 100% terrible, but we definitely could have done without them.
Shadow of Rome was fun as hell but I hated switching to the stealth missions, it's like watching a cool action scene with explosions and gun fire then switching to a 30 minute house of representatives speech with commercials
I loved this game and the stealth sections were frustrating as hell but I liked where you had a place you customise with the coins you collected and I remember some gladiator boss fights annoying as hell when I was pre teens
ah hell yeah. this game is the shit bro
Good to see you here Ghost. You both make quality videos
Such a cool game from back in the day!
No way! it’s the host of ghosts himself.
I played this one and I remember being angry when the game got me out of the arena to do some other bs
Stealth
playing as that kid too
The Blonde Brat sections will forever haunt my memories 😅
@@dudeguy7812 boo 👎
I really hate those stealth section, the only reason why I never bother replaying it again
I absolutely LOVED this game when i was a child, here on Brazil we used to buy Pirate games for the ps5, It was like 4 games for 5 dollars (10 reais), i got this absolute beast of game boy random.
In former Yugoslavia we did that too for our Pegasus and dendy game systems.😂
PS5? Are you a time traveler?
As soon as I saw the arm on the weapon rack my immediate thought was "What is this, Mortal Kombat?" But then after thinking about it for a second I was like "Oh yeah........this is, in the most literal sense, Mortal Combat..."
Just finished "Ryse Son of Rome" for the first time. About to replay it lol IT'S SO GOOD.
Banana peel slip is Hilarious nice way to use a stealth in this game
dude, this is the first of your videos I've seen. I'm very picky about gaming vids. This was a great vid, and it is SO cool that this was the bones for Dead Rising 2! Very very cool piece of gaming history.
Thanks man! Appreciate that
I remember loving this game so much I’d rented it twice.
Worth it!
Man does this bring me back.
Lets see, it came out 5 years after Gladiator, and we just got Gladiator II last month.
...
See you in 2029 for Shadow of Rome II for the PlayStation 6!
For real though, so glad you covered this eternally overlooked game. It doesn't get the recognition it has long deserved. If Capcom doesn't see the sense in a remaster (or a _remake_ ), hopefully Sony at least adds it to their roster of emulated PS2 titles one of these days.
man, i loved this game
i actually liked the octavianus sections, probably because i enjoy quiet time and puzzles about the same as action
Urban reign
Classic! One of the best beat em ups from that era. Definitely needed a proper cooperative mode. Yeah I know about the code for coop but that was very limited.
A very fascinating & enjoyable review my friend! I am definitely adding this to my PS2 games to obtain!
You are the master of covering mature violent games, like no other, delightful content man!
Thank you! Appreciate the kind words my friend
This game slaps. I rented it back in the day and beat it twice before returning it. The bonuses you got for different things was such a good feedback loop.
I love seeing how the Chanel has grown so much
Another game that i think is insanely underrated is Ryse: Son of Rome. It actually had a pretty gripping story and satisfying combat. Sure it can repetitive but it was a solid game. It went under radar of most people because of it's exclusivity to the Xbox One.
Actually started playing that game after beating this one, it's pretty fun!
I forgot about that game it was super cool I might have to give it a go again
Brrroooooooo! Thank you for unlocking this childhood memory of mine. What a legendary game this was 😁
Charged attack with large weapon into enemies is incredibly satisfying in this game, with enemies' chunks flying and all.
Me and my Brother passed this up for Spartan: Total Warrior. That game was fun but damn this one looked violent as hell lol
OH MY GOD THIS GAME WAS AMAZING
Finally! A great review of Shadow of Rome! This is when Capcom back in the day didn't hold back! The brutality and realisim of survival here in the arena was brutal, I love it! Throw an arm to the crowd they cheer your, throw a weapon they boo you and you get "ENEMY OF THE CROWD", still points though and if you get a really high score you'll have the Roman spotlight, heck there's women gladiators here that peed when you steal their weapons even guys without limbs pee, now that's the detail I'm looking for in a video game. Just like that grandpa said, They don't make them like they used too...
It's the little details that make this game special haha
"The MC kinda looks like Guts"
Yeah I can see it a little
*Casca shows up to save the MC*
Damn... Didn't even connect that one lol
There's another high-action game from recent years called Soulstice that has some strong Berserk influences, as well as Claymore.
Has its issues or divisive bits but it's still one of my favourite games in recent years. Can recommend looking into it!
Same with games like Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (and the Zeno Clash series as a whole), Magenta Horizon, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, Cookie Cutter, Genokids and No Straight Roads. All cool stuff.
I played this so much when it was released, finished it at least 10 Times.
Its in my top 3 favorite games of all time 🎉
Capcom was cooking with this one 😁
I remember renting this game over and over from the local video/game rental store [Movie Gallery] back when those still existed because I liked it that much, I hardly ever see anyone talk about it.
With the release of The Great Circle, I’d love to see you check out Indiana Jones and The Emperor’s Tomb. Fantastic 6th Gen Game.
Colosseum Road to Freedom is so GOATED and also Shadow of Rome holy fuck... was playing colosseum recently again... ughhhhh better days
Im big fan of stealth but I hated those Octavio levels
Some of them were so tedious. You had to know the exact steps to complete it
I wish we still we got games like this.
I’m gonna tell my kids this was Assassins Creed Odyssey
I love this game. It has stuck with me since it came out and I just started playing again a couple weeks ago
😂 no company would dare make anything like this now
I wished we got a sequel
Def need to add this to my PS2. I missed this one somehow, unfortunately, because it looks damn good.
I remembered dismembered fighters, and use their dismembered arm as a weapon. The crowd give you weapons that were the size of a truck, and the most fun part is where you German suplex your opponents.
Maaaaan although I've never finished the Game in my early teen years & Just Got Stuck on the 1st or 2nd sneak mission...but I've LOVED it since the 1st time I played it
💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🖤
Never finsh the game as a kid, and was on the gladiator part, now you made remember i need finish this masterpeice
a fucking classic, I had totally forgotten about this game I loved it
Loved the combat in this sooo much. So brutal and fun
I hope we get a remaster or a remake that would be amazing.This game is deserving of one
Spartan totle warrior and Gladiator were the underrated bloody goats that deserve a remake or better a remaster.
I loved this game as a kid!! I also never realized this was basically an early version of dead rising gameplay lol I wish this game would come back!
I got this classic still, I haven't played it in years, I've clocked it but it was brutally hard.
My favorite game! I played this game many many times and still enjoy it.
I just realized this seems to share animations with Dead Rising. In fact, Capcom is known for sharing assets between games, and these two came out a year apart.
I played this game for the first time a month ago and really liked it.
I remember this game. I love it cause I remember seeing your cell mate lose another part of his body while he cheers you on after each win.
I played this game yesterday for the first time lol you scaring me
😈
I loved that you could dismember with blades and smash heads with maces. It was brutal for the time.
Wow, that's no exaggeration about the game not really selling well. Your review is actually the first time I have heard of it.
That combat system looks like one of the best the era had to offer. You can definitely tell that Dead Rising was built on the bones of that game as well. I share your hopes that Capcom's penchant for remastering or remaking older titles will someone find their eyes gazing on Shadow of Rome again. Maybe the new-found popularity of Rome as a setting will be a push for them to at least remaster and release this bad boy.
I think a current-gen gladiator game with a decent story like this would do amazing in the current game market. We can only hope! Haha
Octavianus being voiced by the guy who plays Robin in Teen Titans will never not be funny to me.
I remember seeing the trailer for this as an extra for Onimusha 3. Color me more surprised when it turned out to be the great ancestor of Dead Rising!
All roads lead to Rome
@@MrHammers I see. BTW I caught that Sly Cooper music sneak during the stealth portion. Nice.
I also miss when games would come out a year or two after they were announced. Remember how Arkham City came out only 2 years after Arkham Asylum? What happened to those days?
Ty, I like to think my song selections are decent sometimes. Lol
And I'm not gonna pretend I know anything about game development. But I'm sure with the advancements of technology and large publishing studios checks and balances, it probably takes a long time to make games. But again, I have zero knowledge of game dev, I just like to play games lol
I never beat it but my friends and I loved playing Shadow of Rome.
This is a remaster Capcom needs to make.
Capcom isn't shy about remakes, there is a chance!
Definitely an interesting game as it very much reminds me of Coliseum Road to Freedom for sure, but I also see what would be the inspiration for Ryse Son of Rome as it very shares those same elements. Over all I preferred Coliseum because of it being that pure fighter game but played on the actual history of Roman Gladiators being prize fighters, you earned money, tore people up, but needed to entertain the crowd and the more entertaining your fighters the more money you got which always gave to a reason to try new things out and see if you get the crowd going.
This game still looks fantastic for the time too. It could easily pass for an early PS3 or Xbox 360 game
Upscaled gameplay looks pretty good on emulator, but those 480p cutscenes can't be saved lol
You know if they re introduced the gladiator arena it would be the top sport instantly 😂
agrippa was actually a skilled admiral and friend of caesar son augustus
Yeah, just as represented in this game. Augustus birth name is Octavianis
Mark Antony didnt die after the battle of Actium, Cleopatra fled with her fleet and they lived for another year before dying
Gladiator begins was very underrated as well ,one of my favorites on the Psp
Capcom, looking at MGS 2: Can I copy your character?
Konami: Sure! Just make sure you change his name and don't make him look too much like Raiden!
7:55 NOW THIS
Is Class 😂
I love this game, hope they add this as a classic on the PS collection or somewhere else. Definitely underated
CAPCOM!!!!! I demand the obvious sequel you were planning!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Never heard of this before! Definitely wish I had when I was a kid 😭
Well I already saw tehsnakerer vid on this but I guess I'll have a second serving
He just did Colosseum Road to Freedom recently I think. I didn't know he did this game too!
Spartan Total Warrior is definitely my favorite tho tbh
Same here!
Absolutely love Spartn: Total Warrior. And Shadow of Rome is also an enjoyable romp.
Yes omg this games a core memory, the ps2 demo disk was fuckin sick. To this day I'm still trying to source this demo disk.
I remember seeing this game in stores and was intrigued. But I was still a kid with limited funds for videogames and couldn't get every game out there for christmas or birthdays. So I had to pick and choose. I played on both PC and PS2 and this game simply got drowned out by other titles. I still remember the very few people at my school having played it speaking very highly of it though. And I've been collecting for the PS2 in recent years so I finally tracked Shadow of Rome down and played it for the first time last year.
There were som infuriating moments due to some PS2 jank. But mostly due to me not being very good at games like this:P But I completed it, and loved the style and atmosphere. And the story was good too. I didn't mind the stealth sections but as you say they feel very arbitrary. Stealth is at its best when there is som leeway and room to explore with mechanics and find your own solutions. This game offers very little of that.
Also I liked the Agrippa parts outside of arena fighting because I liked roaming around and explore the streets of Rome. I would have loved a sequel set in Egypt! With improved stealth gameplay and more/better fighting parts outside arena levels!
When I was 14 I played this game and got stuck when playing as Octavianus. I knew I was 3/4th the way through the game but never got around to completing it and ever since this game has been stuck in my mind. I ended up buying a PS2 and finding a copy last year. I am proud to announce after 20 years, I finally beat it. Ironically the last fight against Antonius was short. I was smashing a crate on the left side of the ship and when he tried to jump down from the mast on top of me he glitched and ended up jumping off the ship thus killing himself lol. All I had to do If he landed right was attack him a few times to finish him off soooo technically after 20 years I didn't even get to kill the final boss....he just killed himself. I don't know if the universe is trying to help me out and give me a easy ending because it took 20 years to complete, or the universe is trolling me and taking away that sweet satisfaction of "truly beating the game". I'm not exactly sure lmao.
A true underrated gem.
This game was amazing , sad to see it never got the love it deserved
The real crime was there was never a sequel
I really like the Onimusha games, so I might give this game a try someday.
This game was incredible and fucking abysmal in equal measures
Some very frustrating moments for sure lol
@@MrHammersabsolutely, 90% being from the stealth sections lol. I was wondering if you've ever played Mark of Kri? It's a very brutal and cruel stealth game for the PS2 that has a vibrant and colourful art style and Disney looking characters. I remember enjoying it back in the day, but barely anyone seems to remember it. I'd definitely recommend checking it out!
@LeonLein82 never heard of it! Sounds interesting though
@@LeonLein82 Ooooh, interesting to see someone mention The Mark Of Kri! I've played it and came to quite enjoy the stealth aspect of it. Same from the Don Bluth-like art style. I believe that came thanks to a number of artists having worked directly for Don Bluth.
It has a sequel called Rise of the Kasai that was originally exclusive to America. If i'm not mistaken, the studio would later be put to work on Splatterhouse 2010, but one of the lead developers, Jay Beard(?), was hijacking the project to force his own ideas into the game.
There's a *lot* more to it and i'm not the best person to talk about everything, but there's a fair bit of history there. It's interesting.
WOuld also recommend looking into Kya: Dark Lineage! It's a PS2-exclusive game with a colorful art style like the 3D Rayman games, quite solid platformer, but it has a *surprisingly* in-depth 3D combat system like a brawler or beat-em-up.
Enemies have some different types and subtypes that "learn" what attacks you use the most at different speeds and are also more aggressive/may use some advanced moves.
Some other fun stuff for the player to unlock is things like advanced kick combos, different grabs depending where you stand relative to the enemy, a jump-on/jumpover move, sitting on an enemy's shoulders to send them careening into something, or grabbing them by the tail to
- use as a flail
- use as a meat shield
- kick them into something
As a kid o wasn't able to beat this game, beause my fisrt language isn't English (and sucked in the stealth missions) But loved every time i played. This video made me wanna play again and this time, beat the all thing.
Shadow of Rome is one of the best games I’ve played from capcom
Gladius was awesome
One on that list I haven't played, looks interesting though
Take one for the team.. take some for the team.. Hostage down!
This game has similar mechanics as Dead Rising.
Guess who is back!! 🎉❤
Sword of Vengeance was a great game!
Do GTA SAN ANDREAS next!!
Funny you say that..
Loved this game on the ps2 i remember me and my bro playing it but some parts i wanted to throw my controller i probably did 😅
Class this!
I still have this & the strategy guide.. I really suck tho for whatever reason.. I think I made it past the opening area about once lol IDK I guess it’s me! The other gladiator game on PSP i think is really good too
I wish they put him in MVC4.
God damn i love this game. Juicy Tomato all the way ❤
Adored the game but despised the Octavius parts and I legit broke my controller getting gold medals in every single gladiatorial game especially the team death matches literally grab halberd and do spin attack cut everyone's arms off god there was a whole system 😂
This game has a lot of similar mechanics as Dead Rising 1 for xbox 360
Oh! Awesome game!
The story is absolute bollocks, but this is still a great game. The strealth sections are... hit or miss. I wouldn't say they are 100% terrible, but we definitely could have done without them.
The story was decent for a PS2 hack and slash I'd say. I agree on the stealth though, not the best but not the worst either
I just downloaded Unreal Engine 5.5 and this video appeared on my timeline. And just like that, I have an idea.
The one thing I didn’t like about this game was the bussy mechanic they forced the player to use
I'm instantly sad this Spartan: Total Warrior.
I'll still watch it, but still....
Never heard of this game before. Sure my ma wouldn't've wanted me playing with all the gore tho.
"historical" gore
Awesome game.
Gladiator (game) 2 good for PS2
I love the vibe but I could never get through it. There's only so many "What? Julius Caesar has died?" a person can take.