by Leona Ash

Created on: May 25, 2007   Last Updated: August 01, 2011

It's hard not to fall in love with the movie 300. The action film tells the awe-inspiring tale of the magnificent Spartan warriors taking on legions of Xerxes' Persian troops. The grandiose war scenes, made spectacular by comic style visual effects, are simply unforgettable.

In fact, it's enough to drive you to buy the game immediately to relive the glorious Spartan moments. Unfortunately, while the game, out only on PSP, contains the same mood and feel of the film, the gameplay does not quite do justice to Spartan glory.

Playing as King Leonidas, you are thrown deep into the battle almost immediately. Armed with a spear, a sword and your trusty shield, slash your way through your enemies. And when the sky turns a darker shade, lift your shield up instantly to avoid the raining arrows, just like how it happened in the movie.

Defeating enemies will earn you hero points, which you can use to upgrade your weapons or skills. Apart from Leonidas, you can also control the "Spartan Phalanx", a group of warriors in their march towards combat. It's really quite something to form the phalanx and move together as one, pushing back enemies with your shields and impaling them with your spears.

There are also some malicious bosses to go up against, and giant elephants to defeat.  It may be fun initially, throwing a spear at your enemies or wield two swords at a time. Sadly, the novelty wears out quickly and soon, you'll find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in challenge.

Not helping the situation are the controls, which are tricky to handle. Your character dies easily because your fingers can't move quickly enough to block any attacks with the shield. Also, the targeting system is less than desirable, causing more misses than hits.

The visuals, while following faithfully to the movie, are just not as breathtaking as they were on the big screen. The only saving grace lies in the cut scenes, bringing to life Frank Miller's stylish artwork.

In contrast, the sounds fare much better. The dramatic score evokes an epic-like feel, making the game seem more like a movie instead. The sound effects and voice-acting are decently done, although we could use some variety with the limited sound effects.

300: March to Glory has so much potential to be a smashing action game with spectacular graphics for a rewarding gaming experience. Instead, it feels like a rushed job, unable to live up to its promise. In the end, the game is nothing more than an average hack-and-slash game.

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