Age of Gladiators II

About

Age of Gladiators II: Death League is a turn-based strategy game set in a violent, Roman-inspired world. As a lanista, or gladiator school manager, you'll recruit, train, and equip fighters to compete in brutal gladiatorial combat. With a focus on strategic decision-making and resource management, each choice you make will impact the survival and success of your gladiators in the arena.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 121 reviews

emotional2 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and addictive gladiator management experience, allowing players to build and customize their fighters.
The developer is highly responsive, frequently releasing patches and updates to improve the game based on community feedback.
The introduction of ranged mechanics and a new sci-fi setting adds depth and variety to the gameplay compared to its predecessor.

The game suffers from bugs and AI issues, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, such as characters skipping turns or unbalanced matchups.
There is a lack of depth in content, with limited variety in weapons, armor, and combat mechanics, making the gameplay feel repetitive over time.
The user interface can be cumbersome and poorly explained, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and navigate the game effectively.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
65%
20%
The gameplay introduces innovative mechanics such as ranged combat, cybernetics, and cloning, which enhance the experience compared to previous titles. However, players have noted that the mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion, and the game suffers from bugs and potential save file corruption. While the core gameplay is enjoyable and offers unique elements, the lack of depth in building and optimization, along with clunky combat and a need for UI refinement, detracts from the overall experience.
- “The introduction of ranged mechanics and a completely new setting offers a lot more than the third, and more highly rated, Age of Gladiators II: Rome game over the original.”
- “Using cybernetics to repair injured fighters, long-range weapons like laser rifles, and cloning dead fighters whose genetics had them winning straight through until they got unexpectedly killed are all components of the gameplay that I certainly haven't seen in a game of this kind.”
- “Very enjoyable game with some cool mechanics.”
- “I found the game mechanics to be poorly explained, with very little in the way of online resources to help me learn the game within the 2 hours I had to refund.”
- “Beyond the gameplay issues, it's buggy and save files can corrupt, ruining all the time you spent on it.”
- “The combat is clunky but passable, the UI is usable but could do with some refining, and there are mechanics that could definitely be explained in more detail.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The graphics in this sequel show noticeable improvement over the previous installment, featuring more professional-looking visuals and actual representations of combat. However, some users feel that the overall quality still falls short compared to the first game, with a desire for more variety in armor artwork and a general sentiment that graphics are not the primary focus of the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics were professional looking.”
- “In this sequel, you get actual graphical representation of the fights, and you can also take control of your gladiators (up to 3 vs 3 in any contest) with XCOM-lite style turn-based combat.”
- “The graphics and sound are bad.”
- “The artwork for the armor could use more variety to give a bit more individuality to your gladiators.”
- “Graphics are improved from the very simple images.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely reported to be unstable, with frequent bugs, crashes, and save file corruption issues that can significantly impact the player experience. While some players express a willingness to overlook these problems due to the game's depth, the overall consensus highlights a need for improvements in stability.
- “Freezes every 5 minutes.”
- “It's buggy; I have experienced numerous crashes for seemingly no reason or after a battle (I am sure these will get fixed).”
- “Beyond the gameplay issues, it's buggy and save files can corrupt, ruining all the time you spent on it.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many reviewers noting the absence of a coherent narrative or meaningful interactions with gladiators. Instead, it is described as a simplistic spreadsheet-style experience that fails to capitalize on its potential for storytelling and character development, leading to disappointment among players who expected more from the genre. Overall, the focus on superficial features detracts from the core strengths of the series, particularly in terms of story progression.
- “I mean come on, it let you run a gladiatorial team and buy slaves and even do missions outside of fighting in the arena.”
- “Not sure why, just felt a little more about to grow things and I was able to create more of a sense of story.”
- “In fact, this game should have focused on the series strengths and improved them, instead of cutting them down (stats and story progression are the two main issues here) and adding useless functions which just look better and more '2017' than before.”
- “As far as I have seen, there isn't any story or interaction with your gladiators. It is a straight-up spreadsheet game with tactical combat, and both of those elements are very poorly done.”
- “This game should have focused on the series' strengths and improved them instead of cutting them down. Stats and story progression are the two main issues here, along with adding useless functions that just look better and more '2017' than before.”
- “There's not really a storyline, and Death League doesn't have the random events that AOG: Rome 2 has to keep you on your toes.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers appreciate the game's approach to monetization, noting it as a refreshing change in a market often dominated by DLC and microtransactions. They commend the developers for delivering a complete game experience without excessive reliance on additional purchases, which is particularly notable in the sports genre.
- “In today's market, finding a complete game (technically a sports game, no less) that isn't destined to become nothing more than a shop-front for DLC and microtransactions is enough to make me give them kudos on general principle.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; some players find joy in the fun of building fighters and engaging with the gameplay, while others express frustration and disappointment, particularly when focusing on missed opportunities and losses. Overall, the experience can evoke strong feelings, but enjoyment largely depends on the player's approach and mindset.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
Reviewers express uncertainty about the game's replayability, noting its depth but acknowledging that it remains to be seen how much players will return to it. Overall, the game is considered solid in achieving its intended design.
- “The game offers a surprising amount of replayability, with different choices leading to unique outcomes and experiences.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh thanks to the variety of paths and strategies available, making you want to dive back in.”
- “With multiple endings and character builds, the replayability factor is high, encouraging players to explore every possibility.”
- “Not sure how much replayability there is yet due to the depth, but it is a solid game for what the dev set out to do.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been criticized for being sluggish, which is particularly problematic given its reliance on spreadsheet mechanics. Users express frustration with the performance issues affecting gameplay.
- “Performance is a little sluggish, which is horrible since this is a spreadsheet game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is initially engaging, with a promising start that evokes laughter, but it ultimately falls flat as players find the experience devolving into a repetitive grind lacking substantial content. While there are moments of amusement, the overall comedic value does not sustain interest throughout the gameplay.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly criticizing the length of non-auto resolved combats, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Non-auto resolved combats are too long and tedious for my tastes.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently express a strong appreciation for the game's space atmosphere, highlighting its immersive and captivating qualities. The setting effectively enhances the overall experience, drawing players into its unique environment.
- “I love the space atmosphere.”
- “I love the space atmosphere.”