hoho
Considering the brutal nature of chariot racing, the vehicular-combat-game influence in Circus Maximus is quite fitting, though the action itself isn't always exciting. The cut-and-dried objective of simply winning a race in Circus Maximus is made more interesting by the presence of two people on each chariot: a driver and a warrior. If you're playing the game by yourself, you can either retain total control over driving the chariot, letting the computer automatically aim your warrior toward the closest competitor while you control his or her attacks, or you can switch your focus on the fly to battling other chariots while the AI handles all the driving duties. Most players will probably choose the first option most of the time, as the AI isn't as good at driving the chariot as it is determining which opponent is closest to you. If you've got company, Circus Maximus offers a few multiplayer options as well. You can play cooperatively with a friend, where one player controls the driver and the other controls the warrior. There is also a two-way split screen mode, supporting up to four players, with two on each chariot. Splitting the control of a single chariot between two players is an interesting idea that works pretty well, and it does a good job of requiring both players to work together as a team.