Shadow of Rome (PS2)

Great, sharp, detailed visuals, including huge characters ; Easy-to-understand controls that make playing the game a joy ; Fascinating blend of all-out action, combined with stealth mystery-solving and RPG-style elements ; Fun story that takes a bit of...

NPC companions are sometimes little more than cannon fodder ; Coming out around the same time as God of War may draw unfortunate comparisons, making it seem like a copycat title. (It’s not.)

Capcom has taken a risk on an original, non-sequel title and delivered a refreshing blend of several different genres. One of the more appealing action-stealth-RPG games we’ve played – except that it’s coming out at a time when there’s been a flood of...

And that action sounds as good as it looks. Metal clashes on metal and sounds perfect. When metal meets flesh, the meaty chunks sound as painful as they look. The crowd goes nuts when they're supposed to and in a busy, crowded arena, it's not just you...

In the end, Shadow of Rome gets mixed results. The action sequences are seemingly worth the price of admission, as they contain some of the best hack �n slash action that the PlayStation 2 has to offer. The unfolding story presents an interesting tale...

Enough complaints. If Acclaim's Gladiator could satisfy on its barely above-average levels and unique questing, then Shadow of Rome dominates in pure burly fashion with its strengthened action and somewhat smart stealth sequences. It may frustrate...

Sparse but fluid visuals; great gory fighting engine; entertaining gruesome action

Dull stealth levels; voice acting only average; frustrating trial and error parts; lacking depth

A typical hack'em and slash'em game just with that little bit extra that makes it stand out from the crowd - a great game.