Spartan: Total Warrior is a 2005 hack and slash game for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, it was released on all platforms in October. It is a spin-off of the Total War series. The game tells an ahistorical story focusing on the "Spartan", a Spartan warrior fighting alongside his Greek allies against the invading Roman Empire. An orphan with no knowledge of his true identity, Spartan is secretly guided by Ares, who has promised him aid during the conflict, and information as to his identity after it. In return, Spartan must help Ares achieve an unspecified revenge on someone. Total Warrior is the only installment in the Total War series to have been released for video game consoles rather than PCs or Macs. It was the first Total War game published by Sega. The game originated in an examination of whether or not it would be possible to make a "true" Total War game work on a console. When Creative Assembly realised it would not, they decided to go in a different direction; making an action game within the traditions of the series, but one that would push console hardware to its limits. The game was well received, with critics praising the combat mechanics, game engine, controls, and, especially, the game's sense of scale. Common points of criticism included a high difficulty level, unfair boss battles, and repetitive combat. Some critics also found the game to be something of a glorified button-masher.
Gameplay Spartan Total Warrior is a hack and slash game played from a third-person perspective. The player character has two main types of attack; a simple attack which damages one enemy and a radial attack which damages multiple enemies. The simple attack is fast and causes more damage; the radial attack is slower and deals moderate damage.
The game's combat tends to focus on large battles with multiple combatants. A crucial component of the gameplay is blocking incoming attacks in between offensive blows, hence the player must balance offence and defense. The player's shield can also be used offensively to shove enemies back (the player has the option to shove back a single enemy a good distance, or perform a radial shove, pushing a group of enemies back a small distance). This allows the player to interrupt an enemy's block or to shove enemies off ledges. Shield attacks are especially important for fighting enemies who themselves have shields, as shield attacks can knock them off balance briefly, leaving them open to attack. The player can also execute a shield-break attack by jumping towards an enemy and attacking. Another move available to the player is an evasive roll. When an enemy has been knocked to the ground, the player can perform a one-hit finishing move, which differs with each weapon. The player begins the game with a sword, shield, and basic bow, but as the story progresses, new weapons are unlocked, each of which comes with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. The Blades of Athena are dual swords which are considerably faster, but somewhat weaker, than the single sword. The Shield of Medusa can turn enemies into stone. The Bow of Power can set enemies on fire. The war hammer Death-Biter is very strong, but slow. The Spear of Achilles has a long reach and deals significant damage, but is cumbersome to wield. The player character also grows in strength as the game progresses. At the end of each level, he is awarded tokens which he can use to increase his damage, health and magic. As the character lands attacks, a rage meter fills, which, when full, can be used to unleash more powerful attacks. Each weapon has its own specific rage attack, and the player has a choice between an individual rage attack or a radial rage attack. Magic in the game is in the form of the "Power of the Gods." When the player's magic tank is full, the player can use single or radial magic attacks, with each weapon having a specific magical power linked to each attack. For example, the Blades of Athena's radial magic attack strikes all enemies on screen with lightning, causing moderate damage to each enemy. On the other hand, the Blades of Athena's single magic attack causes a single enemy to explode.
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