[Dr. Boogie]

I really like this game. I hadn't seen any press on it prior to buying it despite it being a Capcom game.

The story is a bit of historical fiction regarding the events following the death of Julius Ceasar. Of course, the whole game has kind of an odd feel to it, probably due to it being the Japanese take on ancient Rome. That said, it's got all the cliched characters you could ask for: the strong, brash hero; the whiny, effeminate sidekick; the strong, evil guy who initially beats up the hero but loses in a rematch; et al.

Anyway, the gameplay for the most part is gladiatorial combat wherein you compete in a variety of different scenarios, most of which boil down to you killing everyone else. You pick up weapons, armor, etc. from the arena floor, and if you play to the crowd by performing fancy moves and showing off, the audience will throw you some food, and even some high end weaponry.

The combat is really visceral. The sharp weapons can shear off limbs and slice people in half, and the blunt weapons can break bones and explode heads. Plus, each specific act of violence has a point total attributed to it, such as suplexing a dizzy foe or killing a foe who has just pissed himself.

The only downside, aside from the goofy anime-style plot, is that the action segments are broken up periodically by some annoying, dead simple stealth segments featuring the afforementioned effeminate guy. Fortunately, the AI is dumber than three hours of Newlyweds, and you can ditch pursuing guards simply by rounding a corner.

I say get it. The combat is what the game is really about, despite attempts to diversify with the steach portion, and it delivers.