- Publisher: Koei
- Release Date: Jul 20, 2005
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An inspiring action title that will captivate you through its dramatic storyline and leave you striving on a quest for freedom.
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TotalGames.netYes, Colosseum is a lot like Shadow Of Rome but with number juggling and a total lack of slightly incongruous stealth sections.
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Despite PS1-era graphics and stubborn controls, we found ourselves spending many blissful hours kicking some Roman ass.
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An almost completely successful swordfighting simulation. It does a better job with its setting than any game I've seen, and even though it's a little limited in scope, it's satisfying and effective at what it tries to accomplish.
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Game InformerYou've got a case here of several awesome features balanced against some utterly frustrating ideas. [July 2005, p.119]
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I like the RPG elements and the ways Koei gets the most out of an interesting-but-modest engine.
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games(TM)It’s the touches like the resulting wounds and bloodstains from each swing of a blade or the limb damage that really keep you playing. Indeed, attention to detail is excellent throughout and Colosseum does a great job of creating and maintaining a consistent game world. [Sept 2005, p.108]
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Once you get going with the twin swords and start levelling yourself up, the urge to unlock bigger, sharper swords and kill more things quicker really starts to burn. It's certainly no "Soul Calibur III," but it's enough of a war horse to be worth a punt. [PSW]
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There’s something strangely compelling about the story, and the subliminal RPG elements are good enough to build up some atmosphere, without swamping players down with unnecessary micromanagement.
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Although monotonous at times, it’s perfect if you’re looking for a game to satiate your carnal fighting instincts.
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netjakDefinitely a more realistic gladiator experience than that found in Shadow of Rome, but it comes off as being rather stale.
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While Colosseum tries, it fails on many levels to deliver an immersive experience, bogging down in staid and tired dialogue clichés, and struggling with camera angles and targeting.
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Looks great with well-animated action and vivid story-buiding cut-scenes. However, the gameplay is simply too redundant to hold interest, even with the addition of two-player action. [Aug 2005, p.77]
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One unforgiving gaming experience. If you are a card carrying button masher you'll want to pass; Colosseum's deep battle system isn't for the weak of heart. It may seem clunky and unintuitive at first but if you stick it out, you'll find a lot to love - but it's a hard battle to get there.
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The fighting can be deep, but it can also be very awkward and frustrating. With some better graphics as well as a more fluid and intuitive system, this would've been a much more interesting title.
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PSM MagazineThere's just not enough variety or excitement for Colosseum to fight off an eventual feeling of drudgery. [Sept 2005, p.79]
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Colosseum has a few fun moments, but they're mired in dull hack-and-slash gameplay that isn't compelling or rewarding enough to make the game worth playing.
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Although the game did get a tiny bit better near the end when I had my gladiator almost maxed out, I would rather take the manual and wipe my ass with my left hand, than pick up this game again.
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Colosseum: Road to Freedom is one of those average games that has a lot going for it on the surface but once you start playing it fails to excite and after a few hours play tedium starts to set in.
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I give a bloodthirsty thumbs-down to Colosseum's frustratingly clumsy combat - and blame the slow-to-respond controls that make both dodging and striking needlessly difficult. [Aug 2005, p.113]
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Official U.S. Playstation MagazineThe biggest problem is that it all just gets kind of boring, which is rather criminal for a game that's about heated, bloody battles. [Aug 2005, p.83]
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Without a more dynamic AI and combat model, each event seems like a pale recreation of the last. Eventually, it's tough to remember why you're still fighting.
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You can have some fun with this game but only if you're willing to forgive a lot of design flaws and put a lot time into memorizing the labyrinthine control scheme.
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Road to Freedom isn't terrible, but it's exactly like a boring significant other. The fire burns out way to quickly, and what you'll be left with is an empty shell of a game that you'll dread coming home to night after night.
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The game feels unfinished in parts and unfortunately there isn’t enough content in the game to another play through once you have completed the game.
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With its limited playtime and a superfluously slapped-on storyline serving only to hinder the gameplay, Colosseum can only be a hit amongst subligaculum enthusiasts, likely occupying a special place alongside such gems as Conan or He-man: Masters of the Universe.
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If there ever was a game destined to attract a cult following for its strange design decisions, Colosseum is definitely it.
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Even with the game being relatively enjoyable and short enough to be replayed a few times, the lack of variety is unjustifiable. The Emperor’s thumb is most certainly down for this one.
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The simplistic visuals aren’t to the level of a 2005 release, the limited animation and restrictive camera angles diminish the fun associated with the combat engine, and it’s not a particularly violent game despite its subject material.
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Computer Games MagazineThanks to dreary daily training and eating sequences, this might be the dullest game ever made about vicious duels to the death. Morituri te salutant, indeed. [Oct 2005, p.90]
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While the simple structure makes it compulsive, it also leaves it unsophisticated.
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AceGamezDisappointingly dull.
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The attempt at immersion just drags down the overall experience, and alongside the problematic camera, and sharp contrast between the complicated controls and button-mash-to-win combat, Colosseum finds itself straddling the middle ground between fighting and role-playing games, lacking the redeeming characteristics of either genre.
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Actually, it’s just bust. While the game's heart is in the right place, its head is severed by incredibly repetitive, basic gameplay and a control scheme nastier than Nero. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Colosseum probably was.
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It wastes opportunities, it wastes the talents of its creators and - above all - it wastes your time.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 22 out of 27
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Mixed: 3 out of 27
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Negative: 2 out of 27
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Oct 17, 2022
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May 28, 2021
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Feb 23, 2012