What is it like to battle for glory in the ancient Roman Empire? Gladiatus promises the experience of spilling blood and ruining flesh in the packed-full Arenas. It is a free-to-play web-based MMORPG released by Gameforge in 2007. 

You play as a Gladiator with no chains on his feet. Fight in the Arena or run wild to the Wilderness locations of Hermit, Bandit Camp, Grimwood, Barbarian Village, and others. When you’re not fighting for gold and glory, you complete odd tasks in the Tavern for some rewards. In the end, what’s important is building overwhelming player stats that let you compete as the gladiator to beat.

Although this impressive game has been around for some time, its regular update keeps it top of the pack. Every level offers new enemies for some truly thrilling encounters. 

A Solid Gameplay

Your first task is picking a gender for your character, and that’s how much you can do about the character’s appearance. With no customization options, what you see is what you get. The game’s graphics and mechanics are quite old, but it still passes as a good game considering its 2007 release date. Besides, some updates here and there keep it fresh. The next step after picking a gender is getting into the game proper. Gladiatus wears you the role of a Roman gladiator, with a champion’s crown many fights away.

Grimwood is your first port of call, with lots of rat-hunting quests waiting for you. This first level was a bore for me, with the game’s premise of Medieval-themed combats seeming like a distant dream. However, Level 2 opened the doors of the ancient arenas for blood-thumping face-offs with other players. These PvP contests are text-based, meaning you only get to see reports of the fights. The Battle Report doesn’t come close to seeing real combats and controlling your characters. In that regard, Gladiatus offers very little in grappling combat experience.

While there’s no combat skill required in Gladiatus, players need a good strategy to build their statistics. Using gold – the game’s currency – judiciously, players can upgrade their abilities and fortify their character with powerful equipment pieces. That way, they stand a better chance to defeat the most fearsome opponents at the Arena.

Higher levels allow you to partake in 5 vs. 5 group fights. You don’t also get to see or control the combat, but the rewards and bonuses from such fights are pretty enticing. Another way to build your wealth is dueling with ferocious monsters for gold and weaponry. For even more spoils, lead a group of gladiators to dangerous dungeons. The gods of Gladiatus also have plenty of quests you can take on and earn rewards in return. They gift you ‘favors’, which you then exchange for a variety of rewards. 

While gameplay offers so much to do, the time spent in-between tasks can seem a little long. However, patience is not all you need for a successful playthrough; you also need some real cash. Buying rubies can send the game’s annoying timers on sabbatical and speed up gameplay.

If you think Gladiatus is an easy play, you might be in for some surprises. Since there’s no real-time control of combats, winning depends on the player’s stats. Very often, you’ll meet with ruthless players that’ll take your gladiator to the cleaners and sweep your gold chest clean. However, the game becomes even more entertaining as you advance and upgrade your glad’s profile.

Expeditions

Expeditions take you on a journey to different countries, including Rome, with several regions breathing with challenges. Each region in these countries has four different enemies you must battle for honor and gold. While some of those are easy to drag on the ground, others will drain your grit. But since you’re a gladiator, there’s no giving up.

While you begin with the unremarkable Rat in Grimwood at Level 1, a blood-thirsty Crocodile comes calling in the African region of the Lost Caves at Level 45. To move from one region to another within a country, players have to meet the minimum requirement. Also, the boss enemy in the previous region must be lying flat on the ground.

Each enemy has its amount of Life Points, which determine how difficult it is to defeat them. Enemies in higher levels possess more Life Points, as you would expect. Their levels of strength, charisma, dexterity, and intelligence depend on the region you find them. The Blood Walker in the African region of Blood Caves has measly agility and strength compared to that of Soulless in the German region of Cave Temple.

Defeat an enemy and unlock bonuses that will catapult the rewards for grinding the enemy to dust. The bonuses – Disembowler, Sixth Sense for Loot, Storyteller, and Analytical Battle – can be earned one at a time. How long it takes you to deplete an enemy’s LPs depends on your intelligence statistics. With a low intelligence stat, you need more time to unlock a bonus, especially at higher levels. Dueling with a powerful enemy at higher levels may also make you lose bonuses due to low intelligence stats.

Conclusion

Gladiatus is a tested and trusted game, and its shortcomings are forgivable. For a browser game of its generation, there are so many locations to explore, enemies to face, and fun to have. The time it takes to move from one activity to another is another concern, but you’ll always find something else to do while you wait.

In all, Gladiatus makes a fascinating browser MMORPG that delivers an engaging experience. Connect with friends and lead deadly missions to the most dangerous dungeons. When you’re not doing that, head over to other regions of the world for some enthralling expeditions.