Before Arnold ever punched a camel in the face for sneezing on him, or took on giant snakes led by James Earl Jones, the only way to experience Conan was through the available books. While the movies were entertaining in their own right, they were somewhat watered down when compared to their literary counterparts. Simply titled Conan, this next gen brawler incorporates many things from the books that the movies missed, and that's a good thing.

The story begins with Conan raiding an ancient crypt to collect the money and mystical powers that lie within. However, after being set awash in the ocean for days, Conan drifts up onto the shores of a beach where his adventure begins. There is more to the story, but this game really isn't about story. It's about cutting off as many arms as possible. It's about crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you, and hearing the lamentation of their women.

Many of the game's kills are both extremely violent and satisfying.

Conan borrows many ideas from God of War. From the epic boss fights that require timed button presses, to leveling up your moves list with red orbs you collect, Conan bears more than just a passing resemblance to the God of War series. It even frames the story in the same style of cutscenes that its PlayStation cousin had. However, there is one area where the two games part ways, and that is the weapon system. In God of War, new weapons were found and could be powered up. There were only a handful of weapons offered in the game, but each was unique and interesting. Conan handles this a bit differently. Nearly any enemy that is killed drops his weapon. Once it's on the ground, it is fair game for Conan to pick it up and brandish it with bloody execution. Conan can wield two regular weapons, with one in each hand, carry a sword and a shield for extra defense, or he can pick up larger, slower weapons that deal more damage but require both hands.

With each combination, a different set of moves becomes available. Yet, even with a diverse body of moves to cut opponents into pieces with, most players will probably revert back to the regular, button mashing combos as they are the simplest and most effective. Another favorite method of attack is the parry. When an attack is blocked just before it lands, a button appears on the screen. If the button is pressed in time, Conan will execute a graphically thrilling death sequence, such as spinning behind the attacker and slitting the throat until the head is severed from the neck, or kicking him up into the air before placing a barbaric chop to the midsection that splits the enemy in half.

Besides the variety of weapons throughout the game, another mechanic that offers something original is the way that health and magic are leveled up. Every so often, Conan will stumble upon a symbol that is carved into the ground. After plunging his sword into it, the symbol is activated and an off-screen timer begins. Two other symbols must be located and run through before that time expires. Once this is accomplished, the player is rewarded with more magic or a longer heath bar. Early on in the game, it is quite simple to find all three symbols. However, as things progress, these symbols grow more and more difficult to reach in the time allotted, creating small puzzles to break up the fighting.

While there are few superlatives that would fully describe this game, one sure strike against it is that it's just too short. It can be toppled in less than ten hours, and there is virtually no replay value to be found. Unlike the games that this was modeled after, there are no new modes that open up or worthwhile extras that would necessitate a second playthrough.

The graphics are slightly above average. They get the job done without adding to the experience or distracting from it. Small details, such as rocks and plant-life are nice, and the textures look very clean. Watching arms fly is amusing for awhile, and the game isn't afraid to get bloody. Aside from a few boss encounters, there's nothing overly impressive going on, and even the bosses themselves aren't particularly noteworthy. There's some nudity here as well, and it can arguably be said that it's one of the more compelling aspects of the game's visuals.

Before you know it, the experience is over.

The sound is what you would expect from a game like this. The swords make nice chopping sounds, and the things like arrows, bridges, and falling rock all sound right enough. The voice acting is on the strong side as well. Ron Pearlman voices the title character, and the supporting cast does a surprisingly good job as well. The narrator, who is reminiscent of the narrator/Gaia from the God of War series, only enhances the quality of the cutscenes as well.

Conan is a solid, middle of the road type of game. If the God of War and Heavenly Sword style of games is what you like, then chances are, you will like this as well. It is not the most impressive game in the genre in any one category, but it also isn't particularly weak in any area either. For those who like their games bloody, this one has that in spades, as well as some nudity to boot. Given that this is such a short game, it becomes hard to recommend at the sixty dollar asking price. However, it's still a solid experience that should be looked into for at least a rental for fans of the genre.