Circus Maximus (Xbox)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.2 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Ryan Davis
• Reviewed on: 03/01/2002
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 02/24/2002
• Originally published on GameSpot: Circus Maximus (Xbox) Review

In the world of video games, there are some standard themes that tend to be reused over and over again. Over the years, gamers have bested alien invaders, evil ninja clans, gangs of thugs, and hordes of the undead time and time again. Rather than take one of these usual routes, Kodiak Interactive ventures into fresh territory with Circus Maximus, a game that attempts to fuse the essence of classic gladiator films like Ben Hur with gameplay mechanics reminiscent of vehicular combat games like Road Rash and Twisted Metal. It's a good concept, but the game falls short of reproducing the intensity of its inspirations.

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.

Since they're just two-wheeled wooden carts being dragged along by a pair of horses, the chariots are naturally a bit tricky to control. Taking a turn too sharply can cause your chariot to tip on to one wheel or flip over entirely. Chariots are also quite susceptible to damage, so if you take too many hits from your opponents, you'll find your chariot dragging along the ground with one of its wheels missing. Even with both wheels intact, you still may find yourself struggling with the controls initially--but as you get acclimated to the nature of the chariots, you'll find that the computer opponents' skills aren't as advanced as yours. This takes away a lot of the challenge of the single-player game and turns it into an endurance race that's limited only by your desire to keep playing. There will be occasional moments where you'll feel like you're in the middle of an action sequence from a gladiator movie, but with only three other chariots in the race on the game's large and sprawling tracks, Circus Maximus generally fails to create the amount of close-quarters chaos one would expect from a chariot race.

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