Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood

I don't know about you, but I can't stand Marmite. And when I say "I don't know about you," I'm not just spoon feeding you a line to use up word count – there's genuinely no way of telling of just which side of the fence you'll lie on. Marmite is a product that splits the nation, yet – quite bravely – isn't ashamed to make the most out of the fact that some people find it absolutely loathesome.

Such bravery and ambition are qualities shared, to a certain extent, by Gamevil's Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood, which – due to its ambitious online components – has been going down a storm in both Asia and the States since its release almost two years ago.

It now arrives on British shores with a brand of adventuring intended to shake the genre up, but will its online modes live up their billing?

Unfortunately, for the purposes of this review, none of Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood's online elements were functioning, so what we're left with is the standard one-player RPG adventure – in other words, the pot of Marmite. It's fair to say that these kinds of role-playing games, where play revolves around hacking and slashing your way to victory, split gamers down the middle. Some people are able to absorb themselves into the experience, investing both time and enthusiasm and getting a hell of a lot out of it as a result.

Others find the whole thing a bore, remonstrating that the only task is to hammer on a couple of buttons during battles, spending the rest of your time continually upgrading your abilities. Those of us who occupy the space between the two can probably see the weight behind both viewpoints, though Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood will give each group plenty of ammunition in the debates to come.

Plot wise, Imperial Blood has a story so convoluted that it rivals that of the Star Wars prequel films. Great streams of plot introduce the game and continue to play their part before each mission, though they are all, thankfully, skippable. But as background, the gist of the game revolves around a civil war taking place in a fictitious Tolkien-esque realm, with you taking on the role of a combatant going freelance, able to pick and choose just who you want to fight for.

Each mission offers a different amount of reward, and you're able to preview just what will be involved if you accept the challenge. On the whole, said tasks usually focus on taking on a specific rival and decimating armies, enabling your chosen ally to take a step forward in their own particular battle and changing the make-up of your own story as a result. Indeed, Gamevil claims that there are a multitude of different paths your personal plot can take (with 24 endings available), and even the briefest dabble in Imperial Blood's early stages suggests that such declarations are fairly close to the mark.

This is not the revolution Gamevil would like to bill it as, however. While the prospect of online multiplayer battles may entice many, those on offer in the main game can be quite flat. Standard battles see groups of rivals approach in packs from all manner of directions, and fending them off is a matter of thrashing the '5' key to wield your weapon.

A variety of special moves can also be employed, to a degree, to wipe out rivals in a short and sharp manner – a factor that only aids progress, which relies on your ability to clear all foes on the screen so you can onto the next.

The successful completion of each task is rewarded with gold of varying amounts (depending on the particular level assigned) that can then be traded in for items to up your aptitude – bombs, health recovery, amongst others. You also have complete control over your character's attributes, able to up the strength of your attacks or add particular skills to your set, enabling the kind of personalisation of play that is the stalwart of all quality RPGs.

But, with 1,000 weapons available and the ability to combine items changing the very nature of the contests, this is a game that requires both sheer talent and a grip on strategy in equal measure. If you're someone who is desperate for a game to install your time and passion in, then Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood is an RPG that has much to give in return. But if continuous battles against scrolling foes sounds like a chore rather than something to relish, then this won't be the game to change your mind. You see? It really is a pot of Marmite.