The Gladiatorial arena and fighting is very fun, but one could do without the silly puzzles.
User Rating: 7 | Shadow of Rome PS2
When I purchased this game I had just returned from Rome, Italy, where I visited the Colosseum and was pumped about playing a gladiator game. I heard this game had awesome fights, and that the gore was to die for. When I first put the game in my PS2 I was very pleased, for it opens up with a good old fashioned gladiatorial bloodbath! But after about 10 minutes of fighting, I was suddenly jerked out of my reverie and forced to be a little kid, walking around Rome looking for a place I couldn't find. I was so frustrated by this I wanted to throw the game, but I caught my self control and patiently figured out how to solve the puzzle. after a long and arduous process of being the little kid, I was brought back to the arena for more hacking and slashing. The entire game is like this, and the spy missions only get harder the further into the game you go. Although your time playing Octavian (the young boy) is important for the story, it really jerks you out of the adrenaline rush you get while playing Agrippa, a character similar to Maximus from the movie "Gladiator." All in all, the battles are great, but the hours spent trying to find hidden keys, harmlessly sneaking around, being captured by guards and having to start the missions over again, almost make the game not worth it. 
