Summary
As barbaric as the concept is, fighting in colosseums and arenas as a gladiator still resonates with people. This is perfectly cemented by the excitement of Ridley Scott’sGladiator 2, which once again has audiences flocking to see warriors battle with swords and shields. It’s a meta way of replicating the same excitement people felt almost two thousand years ago in real life.
Video games are no different, with various action-oriented genres providing gamers with ways of living out the fantasy of fighting to the death in an arena. It can be the entire focus of the game, or be a portion of the game that stands out for its depictions of gladiator combat.
9Gladiator’s Arena
Micro Action Game That Mixes Cuteness And Brutality
Fun is the best way to describeGladiator’s Arena, with its cute art style and simplistic combat controls as a lone gladiator surviving hordes of enemies.The game is similar toVampire Survivorswhere it can be easy to turn the brain off and slash away at other warriors, tigers, alligators, and more.
There are also minor RPG elements inGladiator’s Arena. As the player levels up, they can upgrade using coins to make themselves stronger, to the point of slaying most enemies with a single swipe. UnlikeVampire Survivors, the entire game is only on one screen, which can make it a bit repetitive.
Rather than direct control,Gladiushas the player commanding armies of gladiators ina turn-based strategy RPG. It’s all about raising a school of gladiators to be the best of the best, going up against other gladiator factions, with grounded human enemies as well as the supernatural, such as an evil sorceress.
Gladiusis one of the lesser-known games made by LucasArts, but it was praised by critics and gamers alike for its strategic gameplay that can be as fun as it can be challenging. As a bonus, two different protagonists allow for replayability, since each one has a unique story that plays out differently.
7Spartan: Total Warrior
Slaying Armies Of Romans Like Classic Kratos
At the height of popularity for the originalGod Of War,Spartan: Total Warriorwas made to capitalize on it with very similar hack-and-slash gameplay. Green orbs for health, blue for magic, combo counting, and more all combined with a hint ofDynasty Warriorsas it featured an impressive number of allies and enemy NPCs fighting on screen for the time.
While most of the game centers around the rise of Sparta rebelling against Rome, there are multiple arenas throughout the campaign, including a more traditional Colosseum. It received lukewarm reviews on release, but has since gained a reputationas an overlooked gem of the PS2 erathat moves at a break-neck pace.
6Gladius (2022)
A VR Experience Makes Players Feel Like They Are In The Arena
For those who seek a more immersive gladiator experience, virtual reality might be the ideal choice in the 2022 version ofGladius. Gone are the strategies and turn-based gameplay, but instead, the VR controls force the player to rely on their reflexes to counter and fight other gladiators in a massive arena.
There is a campaign with more exploration and quests, but Gladius also provides a more arcade-like experience with the Arena mode, which is a straightforward survival mode with waves of enemies that get progressively harder. Both are ideal for replicating the look and feel of being inside the shoes of the gladiator, akin to Maximus Decimus Meridius from the Ridley Scott movie.
5Shadow Of Rome
A Capcom Adventure That Is As Silly As It Is Fun
Capcom is the studio behindShadow Of Rome, and the result is an over-the-top third-person action game with overacting and cheesy dialogue, but it heavily embraces it. It features a gladiator slaying hordes of enemies with massive weapons in gory ways, chariot battles, stealth sections, and massive boss battles.
Shadow Of Rome is a precursor tothe belovedDead Risinggames, with many elements being similar in style. From the way the character moves and fights to the animations, and even the strangely extravagant writing. Instead of zombies, it’s other warriors in the Roman Empire, leading to a game that is considered enjoyable, but pales in comparison to Capcom’s future games.
Freedom is the key mechanic inMount & Banner 2: Bannerlord, as it is an RPG that allows the player to take their character’s life in any direction after starting as a lowly nobody in the medieval age. From the moment the sandbox is opened, a player can work to become a powerful lord or thrive in gladiator pits to become the greatest warrior in progressively illustrious arenas.
It should be noted thatMount & Banner 2isnot a pick-up-and-play kind of game; it’s a slower RPG that is meant to be played in long portions. Not much happens overnight, which makes it not for everybody, but it is praised for its grounded take on the RPG genre.
Rather than swords and chariots,Ratchet: Deadlockedplants the titular hero into an intergalactic gladiatorial arena to face off against alien beings and robots. Also known asRachet: Gladiatorin some regions,Ratcher: Deadlockedmixes action and platforming much like othergames in theRatcher & Clankseriesbut with a darker tone.
Ratchet: Deadlockedwas praised for its gameplay additions while featuring expressive characters and comedy straight out of an animated movie. The darker tone is more fitting for the action-packed battles inside the televised game show, mixing in new gameplay battle mechanics and weapons that makeRatchet: Deadlockedstand out from other games.
While it is far from the main aspect, there is a gladiator-centric storyline inThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. After creating their fantasy character, the player can freely explore Cyrodiil to their heart’s content.There are many quests to complete, with multiple guilds and factions to join, including the Arena.
In the Arena, it is as it sounds, with the player able to rise up the ranks as a fighter to earn experience, money, and other prizes, with each opponent getting stronger and the bloody fights getting more brutal. This storyline inOblivionis best for players with a more melee-based build with one or two-handed weapons.
One of the launch titles for the Xbox One,Ryse: Son Of Romefocuses on a Centurion named Marius Titus and his ascent to becoming a leader in Rome’s army. The story itself is short and sweet, focusing on the brutality and grittiness of war that centurions went through, with the combat being the most praised element that features sword-play that issimilar toBatman: Arkhamcombat.
The combat inRyse: Son Of Romeis best experienced in its alternate Gladiator mode, which takes what already worked so well in the main campaign and puts emphasis on entertaining the masses while staying alive. Even Marius' story features a gladiator section that takes a lot of inspiration from iconic movies likeGladiatorandBen Hur.
