Gladiator Begins

North American box art
Developer(s)	GOSHOW
Platform(s)	PlayStation Portable
Genre(s)	Action role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Gladiator Begins (剣闘士 グラディエータービギンズ, Kentōshi Guradiētā Biginzu) is an action role-playing game developed by GOSHOW and published in Japan by Acquire on January 14, 2010, and in North America by Aksys Games on September 14, 2010. It is the prequel to the 2005 video game Colosseum: Road to Freedom, which was originally released for the PlayStation 2.

Plot

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the last of the “Five Good Emperors”. He was gifted with a brilliant mind, and his influence brought peace, both at home and abroad. However, as Marcus entered his final years, the question of succession was raised, and tempers flared. A secret feud flared up between the aristocrats and soldiers who supported Commodus, Marcus’s son, and those who supported General Cassius. The feud grew more desperate, and less secret, day by day. As Rome’s days of peace began to draw to a close, a new gladiator arrived at the Colosseum…

Main Characters

Magerius: A lanista and the owner of the player at the beginning of the game, chosen as his top gladiator. He had to begin anew after a match led to the death of most of his ludi. The only thing that concerns him is money and any affairs of his ludi is none of his concerns. Despite losing his finest ludi, he has connections to many other ludi and often uses it to help his prized gladiator in hopes of obtaining a patron. He was the player's owner in the first game.

Patrons

Brosius: A famous ex-gladiator and ex-slave, now a lanista, who earned his freedom and started his own ludus with his winnings. Even as a free man, he is subject to scrutiny by the nobility of Rome. The fact that his ludus is struggling does not help matters. He was once the mentor of Castor, who was once his favorite gladiator. Castor later left Brosius for the money offered by Dominicus, a patrician and a rival lanista. Later, he had managed to purchase Medeia's services as a gladiator, thus saving her life from judgement in the Roman law courts. But so as long as Brosius' enemies are aristocrats, he has little power to change his situation. He holds a strong belief that to truly have a dream, one must be a free man - a dream not shared by Castor.

Elisaveta: The wife of Vispanius, the treasurer of the Roman Senate. She is beautiful and charming to both her husband and the many ludi who won her affections through victories in the Colosseum and the gladiatorial events. However, due to the fact her husband is often away, she often spends her nights with many ludi and has broken many hearts, inciting the wrath of her ex-lovers. She recently had another ludi who was planning on winning her heart but with word has broken out that her husband is returning, she has chosen the player to be her assassin whose goal is to eliminate any ludi with a grudge against her.

Pomponius: A Roman senator who adores the gladiatorial sport as a valuable part of Roman culture rather than as a diversion for the people. Years in the political field has made him the target of many assassins and he is quick to assume his fellow senators are against him. Pomponius hopes to eventually retire from politics to become a writer. When the gladiator revolts start occurring more often, he becomes a target of several assassination attempts that are aimed at taking the lives of patricians who support Commodus.

Aquila: The daughter of General Aquilius Drusus, who is currently away on a campaign in Syria. Publius, a former gladiator and the most trusted servant of the Drusus family, is sworn take care of Aquila while her father was away. When word has broken out that her father is missing and possibly killed, she finds herself in a conspiracy that could dishonor the Drusus family's reputation. She also has to deal with the possibility of marriage to Clodius, a centurion who once fought under General Drusus' command. General Drusus has also served faithfully under the banner of Marcus Aurelius during the Germanic Wars.

Commodus: The upcoming Emperor of Rome. Thinking himself the reincarnation of Hercules, he is preparing to become the ruler of the Roman Empire. In truth, he is hedonistic and arrogant, alienating many subjects who are genuinely out for his best interests. Despite his flaws, he holds great confidence in the player who would help him in his rise to power.

Rival Gladiators

Danaos: A mysterious gladiator, known as the "Demon". No one knows the story behind this dark and sinister fighter other than the fact that he is the greatest gladiator of his time. Danaos fights with two deadly battle axes and wears only tattered black clothing and a helmet fashioned to resemble a horned skull which can survive even the most devastating of attacks. Pomponius once considered having the player fight Danaos during a promotional match at the Glory of Campania event but quickly decided against it, believing that Danaos would kill the player far too quickly.

Celadus: A gladiator known as "The Red Right" for the red armor that encases his entire right arm and the powerful crimson warhammer carried by that arm. Among all the gladiators of Rome, Celadus is second only to Danaos in power and prestige.

Sextus: A formidable, legendary gladiator, nicknamed the "Honor of Rome", who fights with a sharp gladius and a tall shield. Sextus is a warrior from Germania who once personally fought against General Aquilius Drusus, Aquilla's father, during the Germanic Wars. He lost and was then taken back to Rome as a slave. He later became a gladiator under the patronage of the Drusus family. Despite his general hatred of patricians for his enslavement, Sextus holds General Drusus in the highest regard and holds no grudge against him. The general did not kill prisoners and actually treated Sextus and his comrades with respect. However, Sextus has vowed to never help the Drusus family directly for the sake of his fallen comrades. He is a major boon to the popularity of the Smile of Bellona event.

Spartoi: A barbaric, muscular gladiator who eschews weapons in favor of his fists. Because of his savage and relentless fighting style, Spartoi is known to spectators as the "Brute Instinct". He is dressed in armor made from animal bones and is missing his lips, leaving a permanent macabre grin on his face.

Medeia: A beautiful female gladiator, nicknamed the "Brilliant Goddess", whose skill with twin blades is as graceful as well as deadly. Medeia is said to be a descendant of the legendary Amazons. She has little patience for everything except battle and tends to be aggressive, rude and forthright when speaking to others. Medeia is also quick-tempered yet honorable. In the past, she was once a slave to a particularly cruel Roman patrician. One day, she killed her master in a rage and was to be condemned to death for the murder of an aristocrat. Somehow, she came under the patronage and protection of Brosius and has, since then, been his most successful gladiator.

Spiculus: A shrewd African gladiator known as the "Speed of Silver Flame" for his polished, silvery armor and the lightning-like quickness of his sword. His handsome appearance is the desire of every woman and the envy of every man. Lady Elisaveta once said that even Milichus, a very capable gladiator in his own right, would be no match for Spiculus. He is under the patronage of Vipsanius.

Nemesis: A confident female gladiator from Thrace, nicknamed the "Bloody Queen Bee", who is known for her deep crimson armor and her unequaled skill with a spear. She is under the patronage of the Drusus family. The player once fought her in the arena in exchange for information concerning the true fate of General Drusus, who was reportedly killed in an ambush in Syria.

Ursus: A mysterious gladiator from Aegyptus known as the "Messenger of the Sun" whose armor is based on the appearance of the Egyptian god Horus. While fighting with twin blades, Ursus uses strange, unorthodox movements and battle cries that often baffle his opponents. He often uses aerial attacks. Along with Hories, Ursus is one of Vipsanius' favorite gladiators.

Hories: A mysterious gladiator from Aegyptus nicknamed the "Arbiter of Souls" whose armor is based on the appearance of the Egyptian god Anubis. His fighting style is as strange as that of Ursus, except that Hories prefers attacks that target the legs and lower body. He seems to crawl along the floor quickly when fighting. Along with Ursus, Hories is one of Vipsanius' favorite gladiators. When Hories and Ursus are paired together during a match, the two warriors become almost unstoppable.

Aibell: A young female gladiator from Britannia from the Ludus Generidus who skillfully uses a battle axe and a heavy shield in battle. Pomponius once compared her axe to a thunderclap and her shield to a stone wall. Aibell is highly independent by nature and is fiercely proud of her Celtic heritage. Due to her youthful and cute appearance, Aibell is known to spectators as the "Adorable Savage". She is under the patronage of Pomponius and serves as one of his bodyguards when his life comes under the threat of assassination. Aibell sometimes quotes the deities of her homeland when speaking to others. Aibell was actually not the young gladiator's name, but the name of a mythological being given to her by her Roman admirers. When Generidus started gladiator riots to kill senators loyal to Commodus, Aibell became his willing accomplice. This was because she secretly believed that all Roman patricians were cruel, unthinking monsters willing to send countless slaves to die in the arena for their own amusement. When Pomponius demonstrates compassion to gladiators and voices his thoughts on how others would think of Romans, Aibell began to have second about Generidus' plot. After she is defeated in a match, Aibell warns the player of an attempt on Apicius' life. After the player kills the would-be assassins, Aibell explained herself saying that she now realized that not all Romans were cruel and, while she still hated patricians for sending gladiators to their deaths, she has decided to let things be. After Generidus' death at the hands of the player, Aibell's fate is unknown.

Flamma: An overweight gladiator nicknamed the "Moving Volcano" for his reckless fighting style and his strength, said to be that of many men. He wields a mace and a large shield when in the arena. Despite being a gladiator, Flamma is a patrician by birth. He is the most powerful gladiator under the patronage of the senator Apicius, who assigns Flamma to fight the player at one time at the Glory of Campania event after an argument with Pomponius, who also respects Flamma's strength. At first, Flamma believed the rumors that the player was the one who instigated the recent gladiator revolts and only had second thoughts when the player spared his life after the battle.

Antagonists

General Cassius: The main antagonist of the game. A famous general who was last seen serving in Syria against the Parthians and other enemies of Rome. He shows disgust at Marcus Aurelius for selecting an heir through birth rather than merit. He has set in motion several plots to undermine Commodus' power in Rome.

Gulielmus: A Macedonian gladiator who always crosses paths with the gladiator in the Word Of Quintus, an event where Lucius Verus is the patron. He views the gladiator with disdain and amnimosity and ultimately is the final obstacle between Cassius. He serves as the secondary antagonist of the game.

Bernados: The head of the Praetorian Guard of Commodus and devoted without questioning his faith towards the upcoming emperor. A proud man if there is one, he makes sure Commodus is safe from the assassins and anyone else who threaten his rule. However, when he chose the gladiator to aid him in protecting the Emperor's life. He was soon alienated by Commodus through a chain of events. Ending with a duel that gets him killed in combat.

Clodius: A centurion under the command of General Drusus during the campaign in Syria. Due to Aquila's dislike of him, Clodius has apparently been known to the Drusus family for some time. Cassius managed to gain Clodius' allegiance by promising him a high position in the Roman Empire once Cassius becomes emperor. When General Drusus disappears during an ambush by Persian raiders, Clodius hurries to Rome to report the general's death to his family despite having escaped before the death could be confirmed. His main objective was to claim the fortune of the Drusus family by marrying Lady Aquila, claiming that it was her father's last wish. When she refuses, Clodius causes much trouble for the Drusus family by bribing away gladiators for the Smile of Bellona event and murdering any who refuse the bribes. Clodius has a low opinion for slaves and gladiators, whom he also considers slaves, since he often talks down to the player.

Generidus: A former gladiator, now a lanista, who has the patronage of both Pomponius and Apicius. He was paid in coin by General Cassius to dispose of Senators supporting Commodus. However, Generidus has a personal reason - he wants retribution for the countless slaves sent to die into the arena pits for the entertainment of the Roman Empire. He secretly started several gladiator revolts to get rid of senators loyal to Commodus.

Milichus: A ludi who seeks the affections of Elisaveta, he sees himself as the only one who deserves to be with Elisaveta, scheming many gladiators against one another. When Elisaveta's husband returns to Rome, he views it as an opportunity to kill the gladiator who is supposedly in love with her and the man who she has dedicated herself to.

Vispanius: A Roman noble who is the husband of Elisaveta and a very influential man in the Senate, he was the target of Midchildus as he proved to be the most bothersome obstacle to his chances of wooing Elisaveta. He is a Patron of the games although it is his wife who does most of the planning. His favorite three gladiators all hail from the expanses of Africa - Hories, Ursus, and Spiculus.

Castor: A gladiator formerly from Brosius' ludus, he is fiercely loyal gladiator to his current master, Dominicus, and is content to be a slave despite his potential to seize a dream of his own. He views that as a gladiator and a slave that all slaves should be thankful for scraps the nobiles give to them and that to dream of freedom is a foolish idea.

Gameplay

Gladiator Begins is an action game which incorporates various RPG elements. Players can increase their gladiator's vitality, strength, and endurance with AP points earned by winning battles at the arena. The player first starts off by creating a custom gladiator, choosing either male or female, body size, skin color, and facial details. The player's gladiator will then begin his story working under his owner to pay off his slave debts by entering on multiple arenas.

In the arena, the player can prepare their gladiator with the proper equipments and move sets and choose from the available matches to enter. During the match, the player will attack with armed weapons or with their bare hands at other gladiator opponents. Gladiators can knock off other gladiator's weapons and armors and pick them up to use it in their favor. During different arenas and matches, there will be some replicated themes such as the battle aboard a ship and animals like tigers and elephants to fight against. After winning a match, the player will earn money and AP and return to hub area to prepare for the next day or move on with the story.

The combat control consists of using the PSP analog stick for movement and the Square and Circle Buttons to attack left and right respectively, the Triangle Button for head attack and X Button for low attack. The D-pad functions as equipping and removing weapons and armors that are dropped on the floor. Special skills can be set to the desired buttons as well.

Development

The game's prequel, Colosseum: Road to Freedom, was originally published by Ertain on February 17, 2005 in Japan. Subsequently, game developer and publisher Acquire has acquired the rights to the Gladiator series from Ertain on October 1, 2008. Gladiator Begins was originally slated to be released on November 12, 2009 in Japan, but was pushed back to January 14, 2010 due to the discovery of a critical bug. The delay has also resulted in the implementation of an install feature, which allows the game to run more efficiently.

Gladiator Begins first gained notoriety during Tokyo Game Show 2009, for its scantily clad promotional model dressed as a female gladiator. Since then, the female gladiator has been featured on a promotional alternative cover in Japan, and as an in-game downloadable content.

External links

• Gladiator Begins Official website for Japan Template:Ja icon
• Gladiator Begins Official website for North America