When Gladius was first shown at E3 2001, the general consensus would have to be "average at best". The characters looked around goofily while waiting for turns, and though the battle system looked rather interesting (or at the very least different), there was no guarantee it would play well. Though LucasArts is well known for PC adventure titles, console strategy games are a very different beast. Giving it a cursory glance, and making a personal note to "check it out" at some point to see the results, Gladius was forgotten.

Until now.

Gladius has certainly risen above all expectations, and then some. Beautiful art, sweeping score, excellent voice talent, and insanely addictive gameplay have all come together to form a very inviting package. From the opening movie, it's clear that a tremendous amount of effort went into the presentation of the game. Beautiful hand-drawn paintings bring the grim scene to life, whilst the somber voiceover tells the tale of the war that resurrected a Dark God and of those who fought to still the beast.

Of course, any game can draw in a crowd with pretty movies and high production values, falling flat in the most important factor: how it plays. However, Gladius does not only excel in the realm of unessential presentation, but it has a significant battle system, unique character classes, interesting skills, and a good variety of gameplay goals.

While LucasArts toned down the goofy animations, Gladius does suffer from graphical flaws. Most apparent are the models themselves. Characters could use more polygons and sharper textures, and animations still seem to be on the funky side, especially with animals. It becomes most noticeable during cutscenes. Effects, such as spells and other skills, do little to tax the GameCube's hardware, nor does the polygonal world map. On a positive note, most of the arenas are quite pretty, and the crowd is made up of polygonal spectators. Rotating the camera while panning around the field does nothing to disturb the solid framerate.

As with many games within the genre, Gladius does well in bringing a vibrant soundtrack to one's ears. Tracks are the sort more familiar within a historical film, orchestrated and very impressive. In addition, the voice talent is well above average. Cutscenes are voiced in their entirety, with subtitles available in the options menu. During battles, characters randomly say different things depending on their condition or what skill they are using. Fortunately, characters never repeat themselves to the point of irritation.

The game's plot revolves around one of two characters. Ursula is the daughter of King Orin II of Nordagh. After being born under the stars of the Bear during a full moon, there is a mysterious power she is able to control. The Galdr witches had foreseen that her destiny is tied up with the Dark God, the foul beast that had been defeated only by the sacrifice of the Queen of the Immortal Valkyries, warriors of Light. Valens, on the other hand, is a young man from the land of Imperia who swears to bring his family's gladiator school to the highest rank, after his father was murdered.

Dealing with tournament-based gladiatorial combat, the object of the game is to win battles and popularity from the local fanbase and eventually win the High Games at Caltha. This is no easy feat. Starting out in either the Rome-like Imperia or the Gaullish country of Nordagh (depending on which character is chosen when starting a new game), players amass their team by hiring willing gladiators from various arenas and training them in the art of combat. There are many classes, but each falls into one of four major types: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Support. The game is set up so that Light will defeat Heavy, which will defeat Medium, which will defeat Light. Support characters are left outside of this Triangle of Power and have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Just because a certain unit is inherently weaker to another does not mean all is lost. Other influences, such as higher ground or skills, can quickly turn the tables upon a confident foe.

However, though classes fall into one of these four general categories, similarities end there. A Barbarian (medium, Nordagh) will learn different skills and will level up differently than a Legionnaire (medium, Imperia), not to mention require entirely different equipment. This variety gives players extra incentive to try new classes as they travel into different lands. As units level up, they gain Job Points, which can be spent to learn new skills. Units will only gain so many Job Points over their career, so spending wisely is recommended; save up for more expensive skills instead of just spending them completely in one go. Skills themselves take up SP when used in battle. With the regeneration rate of one SP per turn, there's no need to worry about using up all options at once.

In addition, there are certain skills that use Affinity spheres. The four Affinities of Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth have a powerful influence in the world of Gladius. By attacking opponents, units build up Affinity power and can unleash learned attacks. By equipping weapons with a high affinity rate, they will charge faster and be able to unleash devastating spells in but a few turns. However, the power of the Elements goes both ways. Defensive items also have an Affinity rating. When characters are hit, their defense is raised towards whichever Affinity they have within their armour. Sound convoluted? It really isn't; once you've seen it work in battle, everything falls into place. Just remember, to cancel out an Affinity, you must be protected by the same.

Instead of gaining experience per successful attack or enemy defeated, Gladius awards contestants after completed matches. Since this is gladiatorial combat, players are given more objectives than merely "destroy all of the enemies". Each arena has certain rules and a variety of goals. For example, many arenas have a "King of the Hill" contest, in which the goal is to get as many points as possible by holding the top of a heap of crates. Or there's the "Rival Nations" contest; the object here is to destroy the opposite statue before the enemy can get to yours. "Points Battle" allows your characters to remain at full HP, as the point of this match is to get the highest damage score out of all contenders.

By winning matches, characters build points into winning League Cups. After gathering enough League Cups, the team is ready to face off in the local tournament. Once all tournaments have been defeated and you win the Regional Championship, you are free to explore a new country. Does this sound like much to do? It certainly is. This is not even including the side quests that become available by speaking with the rumour-mongering merchants who set up shop in each Arena town. The game will take over sixty hours of a gamer's life, if not more.

There is one dim aspect that must be brought to attention. The loading in the game is simply horrendous. For example, after the GameCube has finished its boot sequence, you are treated immediately to a "Now Loading" screen, just to get to the title screen. Things only get worse from then on. When doing just about anything there is a lengthy load time required. From entering towns to entering a contest, there's a good ten second delay whilst your GameCube makes noises that resemble a cat in heat. But even in this horrid negative, LucasArts did make a good decision. On the loading screen is a random question taken from the in-game FAQ to read while you're waiting. Once the game's done loading, you may press the A button to continue.

In the end, Gladius is a highly addictive SRPG that appeals to veterans with its complex battle system and skills tree, while allowing players to customize and micromanage to their heart's content. The amount of things to do in the game is absolutely astounding, and LucasArts should be commended for the excellent game they've created. Even with the horrific loading times, Gladius deserves a spot in every gamer's library.