GameSpot writes: "While boxing, ultimate fighting, and other contemporary contests can get brutal, when it comes to sheer potential for injury and death in mainstream entertainment, the ancient Romans have the modern world beaten." Gladiator Begins is a return to that glorious era of swords and sandals, casting you as a gladiator who must rise through the ranks to earn your freedom. It's a premise rife with promise. Unfortunately, repetitive combat and other frustrating elements prevent Gladiator Begins from being a satisfying re-creation of those bloody battles that once thrilled the people of Rome".
Console Domination writes: The PS Vita releases in just over a month, and as you all know by now, I am as pumped for the handheld as Schwarzenegger used to be when he was competing in Mr. Universe. Even though sales for the PS Vita in Japan haven't been crash hot, and despite a slight sense of foreboding in the back of my head, I still cannot help but be taken in by my anticipation of the device.
Gladiator Begins casts the player not immediately as a Gladiator as you would expect, but as Gladiator-fodder. After creating your avatar from a swift and fairly impressively detailed design process, the player begins a basic series of combat training lessons before being thrown headfirst into an arena battle with four other combatants. You’re the warm-up act, purchased by your master as an investment: if you win you might begin to climb the ranks and increase in value, and if you lose there’s always hope that it was at the hand of one of his many other combatants.
As the release date for Gladiator Begins approaches, Zen United and PQube have revealed some all-new screenshots taken directly from the game. Set for release later this month, Gladiator Begins will be available exclusively on PlayStation Portable (PSP).
