A game with gore galore

AS Kenneth Williams once said: "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy!" The murder of Julius Caesar remains a bit of a mystery.

Sure, we know he was done in by treacherous colleagues, but just who was really behind all the double dealing that led to his downfall? Capcom's newest game attempts to offer one version of events.

Now that the Onimusha series appears to have entered a period of (permanent?) hibernation, Shadow of Rome is Capcom's premier stealth/hack 'n' slash title. Only this time, the story is set in Europe not feudal Japan.

As the game starts, we are introduced to the two protagonists - Agrippa and Octavianus. While he is away defending the name of Rome, Agrippa's father is arrested and charged with the murder of Caesar. When he hears what has happened, Agrippa vows to return and get to the bottom of the mystery.

Agrippa is a powerful warrior, a master of every kind of weapon who has a fearsome reputation within the Roman coliseum. Octavianus uses guile rather than strength to get what he wants. You'll need them both if your quest is to be a success.

Shadow of Rome is a blend of Metal Gear meets Onimusha. You need to sneak around but sometimes there's no substitute for a good old sword if you really want to get a suspect to spill their guts.

And this is one game that takes the term "spilling their guts" very literally indeed. Shadow... is awash with gore from the very first frame.

Capcom reckons the violence is so over-the-top it becomes almost Monty Python-esque. Film buffs will probably find it more of a cross between the infamous Andy Warhol version of Frankenstein (the one where Udo Kier's baron delivers a five-minute soliloquy with his heart dangling on the end of a 6ft pole) and Gladiator.

Limbs are hacked off, heads go flying and all the while the blood flows in torrents. This isn't a game for the easily upset or anyone with a nervous stomach. Thank goodness it carries an "adults only" rating.

To start, the game combat is a fairly straightforward button-bashing affair but as Agrippa gets closer to solving the puzzle, each scrap becomes more difficult, forcing the player to think strategically. Sometimes you may have to set aside your weapons for a bit of hand-to-hand combat, others you have to wear down a more powerful opponent before delivering a fatal wound.

You do battle in gladiatorial combat for the entertainment of the bloodthirsty crowd. Do a good job and they reward your efforts with cash and food to replenish your spent energy.

While Agrippa does the hard stuff, Octavianus is sneaking around looking for clues that will prove who really ordered Caesar's death. These sections are a long way removed from the ferocious action in the arena but crucially important if you are to finish the game. They also serve to break up what would otherwise become a tedious procession of bloody scraps.

Octavianus has to penetrate some of the best guarded buildings in Rome, including the Senate and a prison house. This often calls for him to assume the identity of others by stealing their clothes or strangling the guards. There's a handy "suspicion meter" that gives prior warning of the likelihood of discovery.

Don't push your luck, either, because if you are discovered, Octavianus will undoubtedly be hunted down and put to death. This led to more than a few frustrated moments on first acquaintance.

To be successful you have to remember the old saying: "He who turns and runs away, lives to fight another day."

All this is linked together by some impressive cinematic cut scenes and a suitably grand-sounding orchestral soundtrack.

The graphics look good and the levels are well designed, offering just enough clues to help Octavianus in his quest.

Capcom has a well-deserved reputation for lending its name to high quality games. With Onimusha now gone, it seems that all roads now lead to Rome in the search for a new stealth 'em up franchise.

Shadow of Rome marks an excellent way to start a series.

MIAMI VICE, Publisher: Davilex. Format: PS2. Price: £19.99. Family friendly? It's rated 12+.

SOME franchises should be left well alone - and it seems that Miami Vice is one of them. Is there anything in this lumbering platform action adventure that could redeem it in the eyes of fans? Err...no.

You switch between Crocket and Tubbs as they blunder their way through 14 tedious levels on the trail of some drug dealers.

This wouldn't be so bad if the camera didn't behave like it had a drunken mind of its own and the characters' aims were even half decent. The two cops missed so many sitting ducks I began to wonder if the game wasn't based on The A-Team instead (where no-one got killed despite a hail of bullets every episode).

Even at the wallet friendly price of just £19.99, this game is one to avoid at all costs. Miami Nice? You must be joking.

Published: 18/02/2005