Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars Critic Reviews

A no-holds-barred chariot racer full of originality and pee-in-your-pants combat.

Circus Maximus isn't the best game for the X-Box, nor is it the most fun - but it certainly is innovative, and you might find yourself playing for hours despite your objections.

Players who are able to overlook the games graphical problems will be well awarded with a deep and satisfying game.

CM earns laurels for putting players in simultaneous control of a driver and a passenger who can use a whip or a sword to turn opponents into Caesar salad.

I can honestly attest that Circus Maximus does for racing what "Mortal Kombat" did for fighting – before it got pimped out like a cheap hooker.

A fun game, but it could've benefited from more polish and a little more imagination.

While the game might not sport earth shattering graphics or a detailed storyline, the fun factor of this game will slowly grab you and you will become more addicted the more time you spend playing it.

You mostly-thumbs types will find single-handedly controlling the chariot (while ever watching the pace meter) a bit of a nightmare on the medium and hard levels, but it's all the more reason to bring a friend in for some co-operative race combat.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how fast this game played. I never expected a game about chariot racing to be so fast and exciting.

The game is fun, but only after you master the steep learning curve. The game is tough to learn because all of its controls — buttons, triggers and thumbsticks — must be used for practically any race.

Scores points for an original theme coupled with fresh play mechanics. It then promptly loses them to poor execution.

The incredible multi-player makes this great to play with friends, but the controls make the single player more of a chore than actual enjoyment.

The game suffers from too many negatives (controls, graphics, audio) to make it really worth purchasing.

You actually have to use EVERY button on the controller, pretty much all at the same time, or at least be able to access them quickly. The Xbox controller is large and the buttons are small, the game action moves fast. You do the math.

The graphics tend to give it the look of a first-generation Dreamcast game, rather than a second-generation Xbox title – which may turn off those accustomed to the visual bells and whistles of, say, "Wreckless."

Actually competing in a deadly chariot race is an intriguing concept for a game, but Circus Maximus doesn't manage to make the experience all that exciting.

Although it looks nice, this game has a number of problems; the fact that chariots are really slow and tip over very easily is the most glaring.

The biggest problem is that despite the large number of tracks, the racing starts to feel the same after a while. The races are exercises in cutting off your opponents, grabbing the turbo power-ups at the right time, and learning to take curves properly.

You'll find yourself confounded by overly tricky controls, repetitive tracks and a single-player mode that lacks any real meat.

Taking into account all of the positive aspects of the game, namely the intricate but responsive control scheme, the competitive computer opponents, and the fun courses, the shortcomings can be chalked up to a developer's first attempt at offering something different.