It's safe to say, Gladius is the first turn-based strategy RPG with a gladiatorial setting we've ever encountered. The historic setting, management aspects and unexpectedly tactical battles make it a mixed bag of a game - but we welcome anything that defies easy categorisation and makes us sit up and pay attention.

You control either Valens, the son of a murdered gladiator hero, or the barbarian princess, Ursula. Both stories eventually interweave in a romantic way (Aahhh). In either case, your goal is to build a gladiatorial school from the ground up, recruiting warriors, equipping them with a variety of weapons, and entering arenas to win fame, fortune and defeat the ubiquitous Dark God.

The actual battles aren't the bloodsoaked frenzies you might imagine; they play out much like Final Fantasy Tactics. If you please the crowd, they will grant bonuses, but be warned, their whims will vary from arena to arena.

Wander the world taking on random encounters, get sidequests from shopkeepers, there's use of a magic system called Affinity... and we're clearly running out of space to cover all the details in this rich, complex game.

It's not perfect. The pages of statistics and options can bog you down, and in the beginning it's a case of standing next to someone and trading blows 'til one of you falls over, but Gladius will have you hooked... if, that is, you can survive the first couple of hours.

Graphics 80%
Expressive models, lovely painted artwork.

Sound 70%
Full-on orchestration, and decent voice acting.

Gameplay 70%
Addictive, once you get your head around it.

Lifespan 80%
Two main characters, loads of battles.

Overall 70%
Initially perplexing, gradually more and more engrossing, and eventually tremendously tactical.