The mechanics of the chariot itself are really cool.  Actually, cool isn't a good enough word to describe it.  You press the left analog stick left or right to turn, that's no big surprise.  But the traditional racing elements end there.  In this game, your vehicle (I know it's a chariot, but humor me) is affected by anything and everything.  Your chariot must be balanced or else you'll fall off, giving your opponents another chance to win.  The terrain varies throughout each course.  One minute you're whipping your horse to gain speed on a long, even bridge.  The next minute you're hastily moving up and down a bumpy mountain.  One wrong move and you'll be thrown off your chariot faster than you can say, "Iceberg, dead ahead!"  If you go up the side of a mountain, hit a rock or some other hazard, it is possible to recover by repositioning your wobbly chariot before it flips all the way over.  More often than not, you'll flip over.  Some gamers may call that cheap or frustrating, but I call it exciting.  It's fun trying to hang onto your chariot while moving at such high speeds.

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.  Speaking of excitement, Circus Maximus becomes even more intense when your opponents start attacking you from both sides.  Then it's nearly impossible to make it out alive, unless you strategize.  What would be a good strategy to use in a situation like that?  Slam on the brakes (press L and R simultaneously) and let your enemies speed away.  Now you have two options: wait and see if one of your opponents takes out the other.  Then you can finish off whichever one is left standing.  (Be sure to follow your opponents while watching them kill each other or else you'll lose too much time.)  The other option is to quickly accelerate and take them out one at a time.  Don't ride between them though or you may end up in the same deadly situation again.

The question that a review is supposed to answer is whether or not you should buy the product.  A simple yes or no will suffice when talking about games like Halo, but Circus Maximus is not as easy to score.  A big part of me loves it, which makes me want to give it a high score.  However, there is another part of me that doesn't want to give it a high score because of Rallisport Challenge.  How can I recommend that you buy both games when they are not equal in quality, but cost the same amount of money?  By saying that you should definitely buy Circus Maximus, I'd be degrading my review of Rallisport Challenge, which is something that I will not do.  However, I can't tell you not to buy Circus Maximus because it IS worth buying.  It all comes down to which type of game you would rather be playing -- a traditional, yet original rally racer with spectacular gameplay; or an exciting chariot racing game with gameplay mechanics reminiscent of EA's classic motorcycle series?  That's not an easy choice to make, I know.  If you're still undecided, then try to rent them both at the same time and play them as much as you can.  Then you'll know for sure which one you want (maybe both!).

Gameplay: 7.5
The interesting thing about Circus Maximus is that it has a relatively low appeal until you play it.  Once you've played it, you're hooked.  If you're not interested in this game at all, then you must rent it ASAP, because it is definitely worth playing.  Just give it a shot and you'll see what I mean.

Graphics: 6.9 
Circus Maximus’s graphics are good, but the washed out colors and textures nearly ruin them.  It's a real shame because this game would have looked terrific otherwise.

Sound: 7
The sound effects are pretty accurate, but the music is more of the same.

Difficulty: 8
Another challenging game on the Xbox?  It's almost hard to believe.  Speaking of hard, Circus Maximus is the hardest chariot racing game that I have ever played!  Actually, it's the only chariot racing game in existence.  Regardless, it's a hard game to master.

Concept: 8.5 
You won't find any other game on the market like Circus Maximus.  Just because it's a unique concept does not necessarily mean that it's a good concept, but in this case, it is.

Multiplayer: 7
Circus Maximus isn't the kind of game that'll make you buy three extra controllers, but if you've already got some, invite a few friends over a few friends over and pop this bad boy into your Xbox.

Overall: 7.5
Circus Maximus's biggest weakness is the competition.  It's a great game, but it's not good enough to stand up Rallisport Challenge or some of the console's older racing games.  But that doesn't mean that you should overlook this game.  If Blockbuster has it, give it a try.  It's worth a lot more than $6, that's for sure.