Shadow of Rome is another strong title from the reputable Capcom company, known best for the numerous Street Fighter titles. SOR has a distinct graphical style akin to the aforementioned games. The characters in the arena are bulky, muscle-bound warriors, with numerous details shown throughout their armor sections, shields, and weapons. In Rome, we see a sleeker assortment of individuals dressed in flowing robes and gowns befit for the greatest nation known to man. Agrippa, one of the main characters, has an uncanny likeness to a certain “Gladiator” from recent cinema fame. The other main character, Octavianus, is more lith and cat-like; very useful features for his sneaky missions to uncover the dubious assassination of Caesar.

This is a VERY bloody game, so be forewarned; it is full of spurting decapitations and disembowelments. Luckily, I loved the Soldier of Fortune series, which is infamous for its gore, and this game felt deliciously pleasant to dismember your enemies with a host of sadistic weapons.

Environment wise, SOR does a great job of capturing the feel of ancient Roman civilization, from the gorgeous architecture to the Germanic northern lands with their huge forests and hardy barbarians -- Capcom did an excellent job with ambience.

Speaking of the latter, sound wise, this title captures a lot of the sounds of the aforementioned “Gladiator” movie, sans Enya’s vocals. A lot of trumpets and some Arabic influences abound in the score; it doesn’t overload the senses, even in the hectic battle moments. The sound effects are solid as well, with lots of clashes of fighting, roaring of the crowd, and cries of death that bring home the horrors of the arena. Octavianus’ musical backdrop is much more subdued, but heats up when he is spotted by enemies a la Metal Gear Solid. Voice work is excellent, and I swear I heard many recognizable voices from TV work, especially Cicero, who reminds me of Brian Winter’s Agamemnon character in “Troy.”

Shadow of Rome’s main plotline throws both Agrippa and Octavianus into the middle of a Roman tragedy: the assassination of Caesar. Agrippa’s father is blamed for the death, and Octavianus, Caesar’s younger nephew, sets out on a mission to uncover the truth behind the plot while Agrippa joins him from time to time.

SOR has two main gameplay modes: Agrippa’s gladiatorial hack ‘n slash and his friend Octavianus’ stealth missions. Both are blended well, with more of the emphasis placed on the combat missions. At times though, the shift to sneaking missions is a bit jarring from the last sequence, where you may have hacked an entire Germanic base camp to shreds and fought their 10-foot tall bearded leader. The battle sequences are the game’s strong point and comprise about 60% of the story. They vary from hostage rescue, team play, and free-for-all events. Weapons are cast about the arena, from both spectators and fallen warriors alike, and have a durability factor making it wise to pay attention lest you become unarmed. Thankfully, you can disarm other fighters easily enough by tapping on the X button furiously to yank away their weapons (something that is made even more gloriously sinister when you lop off their defenseless limbs afterwards). As mentioned before, Octavianus must rely on hiding and sneaking to uncover the assassination plot, and he uses many tools. From taking clothes to knocking guards unconscious with pots and choking ropes, the items are placed in straightforward ways that don’t lead to much variation. Speaking of which, the game has a very linear feel. Capcom guides the player along this ancient adventure, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing at all. There is even a map with all the enemies and items clearly laid out on the screen, making it too easy sometimes to evade detection.

The gameplay is straightforward and pleasant, and has an “old-school” feel to it, especially the fighting scenes where I had visions of the Final Fight series with all the combos and art direction. You can get sucked in quick and play several missions in a limited amount of time. This is no time sink for sure, thankfully.

Shadow of Rome isn’t too terribly hard. I played it on Normal and only had to retry a few missions in the arena. Octavianus’ sneaking missions are even easier. There is a nice tutorial in the first few missions explaining the controls and moves of each character. Later on, Agrippa can even practice in the arenas to hone his skills. With the simplistic combo systems, limited list of items, and straightforward gameplay, SOR is an adventure, not an arduous task to complete.

The save and continue system is forgiving as well, allowing you to carry on after pivotal moments. And since most missions, especially ones in the arena, are short (10-15 minutes), you won’t feel lousy if you have to restart one.

Shadow of Rome is played in third-person perspective, but you can view in first-person mode to look around and aim better when firing missile weapons. Controls are solid and mapped out well, but in the heat of battle you may fumble a bit to grab the crowd’s attention (they throw down health and weapons) as it requires two button presses in a diagonal motion (X and Square), during which some behemoth with a halberd is trying to take your head off. Blocking is also a bit odd being at the L1 button. Thankfully you can adjust all these controls to your liking. You can tell it’s a Capcom game from the responsive feel of the characters, something a maker of fighter games excels at.

With two different play modes and a healthy and intricate plot involving legendary characters and settings, Shadow of Rome offers an awesome experience for gamers. I just wish it was a bit longer. Of course you can always fill in your extra cravings for more Roman action by checking out Rome: Total War for the PC or some of the great flicks like “Spartacus,” “Ben-Hur,” or the more recent “Gladiator.”