GLADIATOR SWORD OF VENGEANCE. Publisher: Acclaim. Formats: PS2, Pc CD Rom. Price: £39.99. EVERYONE knows that the Romans were a bloodthirsty lot.

After all, back in those days a sightseeing visit to the gladiatorial arena wouldn't have been complete without plenty of maimed limbs and the odd dismemberment.

Even the stylised violence of Gladiator the movie pales (literally) when compared to this gory romp through the more exciting aspects of the Roman Empire.

No wonder Acclaim chose to advertise it with realistic-looking blood dripping from giant posters at key locations across the UK. Mind you, things backfired a bit when local councils ordered the company to clean the red gloop up when it dribbled all over the pavements.

But what of the game? Is it a strategic bore-fest a la Gladius, the PC title currently vying for shelf space with Sword of Vengeance? Or has Acclaim just superimposed a Roman-esque veneer over its most popular franchise, Mortal Kombat? Thankfully, it's neither.

Set in 106 AD, Sword of Vengeance shares themes and plot strands with the movie blockbuster, namely the idea of a gladiatorial contest to end them all under the aegis of a tyrannical despot. Emperor Arruntius has banned the worship of all gods except himself and his henchmen are busy trashing Rome so it can be rebuilt in his image. To appease those folk who find themselves out of a home as a result of his urban clearance programme, nutty Arruntius announces a contest to find the greatest gladiator in all the empire.

You play Thrax, a former slave loyal to the previous emperor, and when the game starts he is unexpectedly slaughtered. Luckily the gods look kindly on Thrax and grant him a chance to return to earth provided he competes in the games as a champion for the forces of good. And that's where you come in.

As you will have guessed by now, Sword of Vengeance is an old fashioned fighting game - the sort of thing that used to be ten-a-penny on the Mega-Drive but has recently fallen out of favour with publishers.

The controls hark back to that age of three button controllers - you can pick them up in a few minutes and start hacking away with great success. As such, sword of Vengeance is a title that's instantly accessible to even occasional games players.

One idea that has been ripped off from Mortal Kombat is the fatality move. Watch for your opponent's health gauge to turn red and press your attack button then sit back and enjoy the gory demise that's bestowed upon him. The squeamish will be pleased to learn that these extreme finishes can be switched off.

One button also performs defensive duties - hit it when you are taking a battering and Thrax will duck and dive under a sword swipe or jump out of the way. You also have a wide range of weapons to choose from. Think carefully before entering the arena. Some weapons are powerful but slow and therefore useless against nibble-footed opponents; others are light but just bounce off the tough hides of some baddies Thrax has to deal with. Take your time over the selection or you won't live to regret it.

Once the game begins, you have an opportunity to upgrade your weapons by completing tasks within the arena such as smashing vases or overcoming opponents in double quick time. It isn't just the weapons that can be upgraded. Thrax himself takes on superhuman powers as the game progresses.

The end-of-level bosses are tough blighters and you'll have to be quick-witted or they pound Thrax into the dust. I needed several goes to beat some of the later opponents but all of them can be taken down provided you use the correct weapons at the right moment.

It's good fun in a repetitive kind of way and a sure-fire recipe for repetitive strain injury unless you give your fingers a rest at opportune moments. The later levels, in particular, throw so many enemies your way that gamers who love to really bash their buttons are at risk of doing serious damage to the joypad.

Fans of those Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies will appreciate some of the opponents. There are the skeleton warriors from Jason and the Argonauts, the Cyclops from The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, the Minotaur from Golden Voyage and scores of others taken from the tall tales ancient scribes used to tell the gullible at the foot of Mount Olympus. Your sword has plenty of opportunity to exact vengeance when these guys enter the game.

So it's a welcome return for the old hack 'n slash genre then, even if Sword isn't without its problems (mainly to do with the automatic targeting system and the unforgiving nature of your opponents) but it's a fun romp all the same. Just be prepared for aching thumbs if you really get into it.

Published: 23/01/2004