I've always been a really big fan of Gladiator games since I had an obsession with Colosseum: Road to Freedom on the PS2. It was janky as hell, the control scheme was rough for a kid to learn and some of the systems were very unforgiving. But whenever you did learn the controls and get to do some fun builds, got good armor and weapons ... it was a super fun fighting game that could be very challenging and downright unfair at other times.
So you can imagine that whenever I discovered this game, not long after they added the 3rd person camera, which is my preferred way to play, I was elated. My childhood obsession renewed with a new game that was still in development. I typically like to wait for games to be either close to release out of Early Access or out completely, but I saw this on YouTube and immediately purchased it.
My first initial impressions were almost the same as Colosseum to be honest, as I learnt the systems, how to best strike opponents with certain weapons, targetting armor to wear it down to more easily kill opponents, etc, I had a ball. I struggled very hard to complete my first run for some time, just trying to learn the game and get better at the combat, which does feel incredibly rewarding in just about every facet somehow? Whenever I did have that run, it was relieving in a way few games are after the road there.
I find just as much as fun whenever I'm a struggling slave fighter who's got no gear and is having to desperately pick things up off the ground to claw his way to victory at the start or when I'm a famous gladiator who's close to retirement and takes an easier match to rest for the week, cleaving his way through easily.
Overall, I am extremely excited to see what 1.0 will bring and I am desperately trying to keep myself from playing out every bit of content before then, but every update since I purchased it has brought me back to play it for a whole day or two before I force myself to stop.
