E3 09: High Voltage announces Gladiator A.D. @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 26, 2009

News: Next Wii project for Conduit dev will be a bloody fighter inspired by 300.

High Voltage Software, the team behind the Wii-exclusive shooter The Conduit, has announced their next project, Gladiator A.D. Originally, the company planned to unveil the game at this year's E3 expo, but instead has announced the game with a four-page preview on IGN.

The preview lays out most of the gameplay details for the game, including the fact that it will be a one-on-one fighting game set in Ancient Rome. But it will also include a bunch of strategic elements, confirmed in this quote by design director David Pellas:

David [Pellas]: Gladiator A.D. is not a traditional 3D fighting game. It's more of a hybrid between 3D Fighting games like Bushido Blade and Boxing games like Fight Night. The action is intense, but the combat is strategic. You need to learn your opponent's weaknesses and think through your attack patterns to succeed. There is no button-mashing here.

According to the preview, the game was inspired by the movie 300. It will also take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus add-on and feature a two-player multiplayer mode (which may be online). The same Quantum3 Engine that powered The Conduit will be used in Gladiator A.D., which will result in a lot of realistic graphics and gore. The full preview includes a lot more about a game I am now very interested in.

Gladiator A.D. does not yet have a publisher, but High Voltage expects the game to be finished in early 2010.

According to the article, High Voltage's second Wii project will be unveiled on IGN sometime today.