I, Gladiator

About

I, Gladiator is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Steel Monkeys and was released on April 7, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

"I, Gladiator" is an action-packed game that transports you to the heart of the Roman Colosseum. As a gladiator, engage in intense combat against fierce opponents, hone your skills, and rise through the ranks to gain fame and glory. The game offers a rich and immersive experience, with a variety of weapons, enemies, and arena settings to keep you on the edge of your seat.

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53%

Audience ScoreBased on 62 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a visually appealing art style reminiscent of Borderlands, with decent graphics and sound design that enhance the immersive experience.
Gameplay offers a variety of customization options for weapons and skills, allowing players to upgrade their gladiator and engage in intense combat.
Despite its flaws, the game provides mindless fun with its hack-and-slash mechanics and the thrill of executing brutal moves on enemies.

The combat system is shallow and repetitive, often relying on button-mashing and quick-time events, which can lead to frustration.
The game suffers from poor controls and responsiveness, making it difficult to execute moves effectively, especially on PC compared to its mobile version.
Many players have reported issues with grinding for upgrades and the presence of microtransactions, which detracts from the overall experience.

graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a cartoonish, cell-shaded art style reminiscent of titles like Borderlands, which many players find visually appealing. While some reviews praise the detailed environments and overall aesthetic, others criticize the graphics as clunky or lacking depth, particularly in the PC version compared to its iOS predecessor. Overall, the visuals are seen as decent but could benefit from further refinement.
- “The game has a decent graphics engine that creates a realistic and detailed environment.”
- “I love the art style used in this game.”
- “The graphics have the cartoony/borderlands feel that I enjoy, and there is actually a legitimate and interesting storyline to the game.”
- “Visuals are a bit cartoonish.”
- “Graphics and gameplay are pathetic.”
- “There are a few minor odd things in the graphic choice for cutscenes, like layers that shouldn't be exposed showing up and the like.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it weak and cliched, particularly criticizing its typical revenge plot lacking surprises. However, others appreciate the well-rounded narrative, highlighting a compelling tale of betrayal and triumph in a gladiatorial setting, complemented by engaging gameplay and character progression. Overall, while opinions vary, the story's execution seems to resonate well with some players, adding depth to the gaming experience.
- “One of those rare 'well-rounded' games, where everything from the storyline, to the music, to the graphics, to the gameplay are all 'good' or better.”
- “The single player story mode is very well done too; you start out as a pretty much naked gladiator, and you work your way up the ranks earning coin to buy new weapons and armor. Each fight gives you experience as well, which you can then spend on different attributes.”
- “The story is weak and cliched, as it follows a typical revenge plot with no surprises or twists.”
- “The story behind this game is of the main character Rufus, who was at the very pinnacle of the arena world, until the unforgiving world of the arena betrayed and forsook him to the lair of Hades.”
- “I, Gladiator is a story of betrayal to triumph and revenge, with intuitive fighting controls that feel responsive and fluid, just as you would expect from a fast-paced fighting game!”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay is described as a mixed experience, with some praising its RPG mechanics, online multiplayer, and overall fun, while others criticize it for being repetitive and poorly executed, particularly in its hack-and-slash elements. Some reviews highlight the game's gore and graphics as appealing, but overall, there are calls for improvement in mechanics and depth.
- “One of those rare 'well-rounded' games, where everything from the storyline, to the music, to the graphics, to the gameplay are all 'good' or better.”
- “It even has online gameplay against other people!”
- “That's huge because the game has RPG mechanics where you can buy new weapons, armor, gear, etc. (and raise stats) so that you never have that problem of being 'frustrated' and 'stuck', and neither feel rushed and hurried.”
- “That movie has better gameplay than this poor mess just by the virtue of not having to muddle through this crap button mashing borefest.”
- “The arena mechanics with crowd pleasing and gory kills is not well implemented enough and you are left with a restrictive third person hack & slash that is easily outcompeted with proper hack & slash Japanese titles or the richness of western open world games with similar combat.”
- “Graphics and gameplay are pathetic.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with some players praising it as great and fitting the overall experience, while others find it typical and repetitive, lacking excitement. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's well-rounded quality, though opinions on its uniqueness vary.
- “One of those rare 'well-rounded' games, where everything from the storyline to the music to the graphics to the gameplay are all 'good' or better.”
- “Great music, great graphics (very 'Borderlands-esque'), fantastic gameplay design where you can play 'missions' and replay them at will for gold and experience.”
- “I wanted to play this game because the soundtrack sounded cool and the graphics looked alright.”
- “Nothing exciting: typical 'epic' music and sound effects that are pretty poor and repetitive.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The monetization strategy of the game has received criticism for its heavy reliance on microtransactions, which include essential items like healing potions and damage buffs. Players feel pressured to grind or spend real money to progress, detracting from the overall experience.
- “And don't worry, there are no in-game purchases.”
- “Microtransactions are prevalent, with examples including healing potions and damage buffs.”
- “The game also forces you to grind and pay for upgrades and items, as it is designed to make you spend real money on microtransactions.”
- “Microtransactions are excessive, with examples including healing potions and damage buffs.”
- “However, the game also has some negative aspects, such as the combat, the story, and the microtransactions.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, sound cutouts, and laggy controls that sometimes fail to register inputs. Users report a frustrating experience due to these persistent problems, indicating a need for substantial fixes.
- “It is buggy and the controller (lack of) support has taught me new curse words.”
- “Sadly, there are a few buggy issues such as sound cutting out at random points, and the controls are somewhat laggy; sometimes the game doesn't even recognize that you have pressed a button a couple of times, then suddenly you press it again and it works.”
- “Firstly, I would like to say that this game is pretty buggy still and needs to be fixed; a couple of main problems I found were...”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with players noting satisfactory graphics and performance on PC. While it offers a fun experience and is not pay-to-win, there are optional microtransactions available.
- “After playing the game for a bit, I can say that it's very fun and very well optimized for PC. From what I can tell, it is not pay-to-win, simply for the fact that you can use in-game money won from battles to purchase practically anything, although microtransactions are an option.”
- “Graphics and performance are okay.”
- “At least performance-wise, it's not bad.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game has received a solid replayability score of 8, indicating that players find it engaging enough to return to multiple times. Factors contributing to this high rating may include varied gameplay options, multiple endings, or dynamic content that keeps the experience fresh. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to offer new experiences upon replaying.
- “The game offers a wealth of choices that make each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back to explore every possibility.”
- “The random events and procedural generation keep the gameplay fresh, ensuring that no two sessions are ever the same.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel like a chore rather than an adventure.”
- “Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to dive back in; the side quests feel repetitive and uninspired.”
- “While the graphics are stunning, the gameplay doesn't change enough on subsequent playthroughs to keep me engaged.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's sound design significantly enhances the atmosphere, contributing to a more immersive experience for players.
- “The game features an impressive sound design that enhances the atmosphere and deepens immersion.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing players into the game's world.”
- “The combination of visuals and audio creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is inconsistent, with limited combat options leading to repetitive gameplay. Players can exploit AI weaknesses or rely on a basic attack and defense strategy, suggesting that patience and grinding are often necessary to succeed against enemies.
- “The implementation is hit and miss; there is only one combo to speak of and about half a dozen special moves. It's easy to find AI gaps to exploit or stick to a simple attack and defense formula that will win most encounters with enough patience and grinding against enemies.”
- “Grinding feels tedious and repetitive, making the gameplay experience drag on longer than it should.”
- “The game relies too heavily on grinding to progress, which can be frustrating and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”