Is there such a thing as a third-person fighting game? Most people don't think of the genre in that way. We play either 3D fighting games (those that let you move around the environment) or 2D fighting games. There aren't any "third-person" fighting games because, once you get into that territory, the game often drops the fighting aspect for a more traditional action game.
Gladiator A.D. breaks the mold by being an over-the-shoulder fighting game. There is a 2D, side-by-side element to the combat, as the camera shifts between views depending on what's going on. But the primary view is just behind the shoulder of your gladiator. It's an interesting perspective that'll definitely change the way you look at fighting games.
From the review:
"Originally known as Gladiator A.D., we were teased with tough-looking warriors dismembering each other in an M-rated bloody gladiator arena. Looking like something straight out of Frank Miller’s 300 and featuring an in-depth storyline in which the outcome is shaped by your character’s development, the game appeared to provide a realistic and hardcore edge that has largely been lacking from the Wii. To say the least, it was disappointing when it was announced as changing to Tournament of Legends with a strikingly different visual style, toned down violence, and a new story that involves mythological personalities. Deciding to make the game a bit more teenager-friendly is understandable, but the move has left a bitter taste in many mouths. However, this is a review of the finished product and not the original concept, so let’s try not to dwell too terribly much."
I can't say I'm particularly surprised that this didn't live up to expectations, but of course it's always disappointing when that is the case. A someone with great affection for the ancient legends this is attempting to build on, I can only hope we get some better representations of them in the future.
it looks great, but the premise seems outdated and overused. Also; no online play? What is this the 80's?! Having no online play is like setting your game up to be dead in the water. The possibilities of fun now seem minuscule since a fighting games are better with another person. A 6 out of 10 seems like a decent score with a game that has so many flaws.
Good article btw.
CoffeewithGames.Blogspot.com says, "High Voltage Software and Sega still haven't released any video footage of Tournament of Legends, but I noticed a few things about Tournament of Legends from the few screenshots they have released.
It appears they are using some of the same levels from Gladiator A.D. in Tournament of Legends. The level names below are how they appeared in Gladiator A.D. I'm listing some differences I've noticed between each games' levels, and including the screenshots as well."
I really wish the style was the same as Gladiator A.D. instead of the new look for Tournament of Legends!
Gladiator AD sounded fun, a Motion Plus RPGish Online fighter!
It also look graphically and artistically impressive ! I know a lot of people who were going to get it.
Tournament of Legends though looks and sounds horridness, I doubt it will sell very well and then HVS will blame us and say core games don't sell well on the Wii.
Lets be honest, from the start this project NEVER looked that impressive.
Yes it has changed its color, but good call on HVS? Both versions would have sold the same amount, chances are this game has a bigger chance of sell since its not so gory.
All i want from them is an impressive Conduit 2 since they got all the criticism from the first game, they cant go bad this time around. However if thats the case then HVS just doesnt have it.
Gamervision reports: A few days ago, we had a chance to sit down with High Voltage Art Director Matt Corso, where we talked about Tournament of Legends, the Wii-exclusive fighter that replaced Gladiator A.D. on the May release calendar. When we first talked about the game back at E3, the developers seemed ready to support the Wii MotionPlus, and explained how it would help the melee fighter add variance to attacks to break up "could possibly be seen as mechanical attacks." Now, a few months later, they've rescinded those words, and removed support for the Wiimote attachment.