The brutal and spectacular gladiator battles of the ancient world serve as inspiration for Gladius, a turn-based action role-playing (RPG) game from LucasArts. Gladius follows the grand saga of two young heroes, Ursula and Valens, as they recruit and train a team of warriors to contend in the fiercely competitive gladiator games.

At the heart of Gladius is a unique mix of dynamic game play that requires players to develop and manage a school of gladiators who, over time, gain experience, learn new skills, improve their abilities and finally test their might in epic battles. Players fight with deadly weapons and powerful magic, learn vital combat tactics, and enhance and customize characters.

"Gladius takes action RPG to a whole new level," says Tom Byron, director of product marketing for LucasArts. "Besides signaling LucasArts' return to original game development, Gladius features a distinct style of play that is wrapped in an epic storyline. Players will experience a game that has incredible depth in terms of character development, but also has a unique layer of strategy related to how players manage and balance their team."