Ryse: Son of Rome

 Xbox One
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1780 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 895 out of 1780
  2. Mixed: 424 out of 1780
  3. Negative: 461 out of 1780
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  1. Thompson83
    Oct 7, 2014
    6
    Like the sorority girl you wish you hadn't started a conversation with at that party, Ryse: Son of Rome is both beautiful and utterly lacking depth or vision.

    First, the positive: Ryse: Son of Rome is the most beautiful game I've yet played in the 'Next Gen'. The architecture of Rome is presented gloriously. I spent many a minute studying a statue or intricate pattern on the marble    Like the sorority girl you wish you hadn't started a conversation with at that party, Ryse: Son of Rome is both beautiful and utterly lacking depth or vision.

    First, the positive: Ryse: Son of Rome is the most beautiful game I've yet played in the 'Next Gen'. The architecture of Rome is presented gloriously. I spent many a minute studying a statue or intricate pattern on the marble inlay of a grand hall. The textures are incredibly high fidelity, and do not lose any of their luster when examined closely. The lighting engine is glorious, with motes of dust suspended in shafts of sunlight and sparks whipping through the air above a fire. Truly a spectacle to behold, especially in the more chaotic battle scenes, where mighty catapults fling flaming boulders into the splintering decks of triremes charging towards a shore wreathed in battle and blood.

    Unfortunately, graphical fidelity is where my praise for the title ends. There is little to be done in the game that hasn't been well trod by developers with a superior footing. The combat is a standard hack and slash/QTE execution affair, and you will have seen all of those within the first 30 minutes. The story is overly reliant on well worn tropes (be prepared to avenge the death of family members you won't remember the names of a full minute after they're butchered) and the whole affair is bogged down in the mire that is the repetitive nature of the tasks you are presented with.

    Curiously, the game chooses to use ACTUAL historical figures in the presentation of the story. I say curiously, as anyone with a passing knowledge of Roman History will find the references to Oswald, Nero, Boudica et al at odds with the time periods in which they existed and the nature of their ACTUAL character/demeanor/motivations. Hard to feel like a hero (or even an antihero) in the narrative when you have a hand in Rome's interactions with Boudica (to cite but a single example of the required cognitive dissonance to get anything from the story).

    On the whole, Ryse is a game that bears a rental, assuming you've an interested in sheer spectacle, but otherwise fails to maintain anything resembling engagement when taken as a whole. There is also a cooperative multiplayer arena mode, but I found myself so disinterested in the title 3/4's the way through, that I didn't even bother to give it a look.    … Expand
  2. Gowthe
    Oct 7, 2014
    10
    People have been extremely unfair with this game. Maybe it is not the best game ever, but it is good enough & the graphics & the atmosphere are outstanding
  3. Kenmei
    Oct 1, 2014
    7
    This is an enjoyable, whlie it lasts action game that looks beautiful graphics wise but becomes too repetitive as the game progresses. It's good for what it is: A fun action game that'll keep you entertained for about 5-6 hours. In that lies one of the biggest problems in that it's far too short. It can easily be beaten in a weekend or less if you push yourself. The game isn't that hardThis is an enjoyable, whlie it lasts action game that looks beautiful graphics wise but becomes too repetitive as the game progresses. It's good for what it is: A fun action game that'll keep you entertained for about 5-6 hours. In that lies one of the biggest problems in that it's far too short. It can easily be beaten in a weekend or less if you push yourself. The game isn't that hard either. While it's fun and the executions are a blast to see once or twice, things get far too repetitive after awhile. You see the same executions over and over and, even though you can buy new ones, they are random so you can end up seeing the same ones over and over. I enjoyed it for what it is, and I knew going into it that it was going to be short. It fulfilled my expectations for it and I enjoyed it for what it was. However, this game is nowhere near a console seller and I would definitely not recommend picking this up for more than 20 bucks. The amount of content just can't warrant anymore than that in my book.… Expand
  4. Storm1672
    Sep 29, 2014
    6
    A hollow title with nothing but looks and money behind it. The graphics are some of the best both technically and artistically, but the 8 levels do not bring much variety or imagination. The controls are solid most of the time, but sometimes might feel a little unresponsive.

    The gameplay is utter rubbish. It could be fun to try and see some of the executions but grows more than stale    A hollow title with nothing but looks and money behind it. The graphics are some of the best both technically and artistically, but the 8 levels do not bring much variety or imagination. The controls are solid most of the time, but sometimes might feel a little unresponsive.

    The gameplay is utter rubbish. It could be fun to try and see some of the executions but grows more than stale after a few minutes. Playing the co-op multiplayer can be more fun since you have to coordinate sometimes with your partner but is shallow as hell and that doesn't help at all.

    Since the story is ok and the production values are up high, one could enjoy a playthrough, but every person, no matter what kind of gamer he/she is will find it repetitive as hell. I found it pretty shallow and the one or two extra gameplay actions do not do much to compensate. The upgrade system is **** The powerup system is also **** Also its duration is about 6 hours. You can see the half-realised ideas from the previous state of the game (Kinect-only) such as the shooting or the legion thing.

    This game is the epitomy of mediocrity. It just doesn't have enough content or ideas to fill half a game.    … Expand
  5. Wormeo
    Sep 23, 2014
    10
    Good and intresting story. Fun gameplay (God Of War alike) and about the quicktime event, you dont have to do them, I rather beat them to death. Multiplayer that last for hours adn hours! Great graphics and animation. I want a Ryse 2!!
  6. countyourmacros
    Sep 21, 2014
    2
    2/10 because it is not worth the price tag. This game should be free to Xbox One owners, or at the very most cost $10, because you will not get anymore than 5 hours into this game without being bored. It looks fantastic, the acting is great, but it is so repetitive you lose interest within 5 hours.
  7. kdorsey69
    Sep 19, 2014
    3
    This game is not worth buying. While visually stunning that appears all they were going for. User controls are VERY slow in responding and the moves you can do for a "kill" seem random. On "Legendary" level it just gets ridiculous. You get killed by 3 hits in full armor, yet you have to hit a Barbarian wearing nothing but cloth 10 times at least to kill him. And the views in battle areThis game is not worth buying. While visually stunning that appears all they were going for. User controls are VERY slow in responding and the moves you can do for a "kill" seem random. On "Legendary" level it just gets ridiculous. You get killed by 3 hits in full armor, yet you have to hit a Barbarian wearing nothing but cloth 10 times at least to kill him. And the views in battle are terrible. The screen shifts and all of a sudden an enemy shows up to kill you that you didn't even know was there. There is no open roaming and the direction you have to go is usually unclear. They say it took 7 years to make this game?? WTF? They should have just made it a CGF movie instead. Don't waste your time.… Expand
  8. VanWilder_0812
    Sep 14, 2014
    7
    As with any game purchase, you should exercise common sense before purchasing. If you would like a hack and slash game with the spectacle of Call of Duty set in ancient Rome, this is a solid pick up.

    The game pretty. There's no real argument from anyone there. Some character models are not as detailed as others (see: Boudica), and many will repeat throughout the game, but nothing in    As with any game purchase, you should exercise common sense before purchasing. If you would like a hack and slash game with the spectacle of Call of Duty set in ancient Rome, this is a solid pick up.

    The game pretty. There's no real argument from anyone there. Some character models are not as detailed as others (see: Boudica), and many will repeat throughout the game, but nothing in this game particularly offends the eyes. The spectacle of it all is impressive, and there are no noticeable framerate dips that I experienced.

    The story is your typical revenge tale. There's a neat twist that I probably should have seen coming, but none the less, it was pretty cool. The narrative is pretty well acted so long that you can appreciate the fact that none of it is really historically accurate, and the Romans speak with British accents. I'd say the overall story of the game is on par, if not a tick better, than a God of War game. Nothing mind blowing, but pretty solid popcorn entertainment.

    The gameplay isn't impressive. If you're looking for a deep combat system, you won't find it here. To be honest, it was kind of numbing, but inoffensive overall. The battles play out somewhere between a beat 'em up and a stripped down Arkham combat system, but offer enough challenge at as you progress that you don't get bored, but the story keeps flowing.

    Overall, I played this game as a sort of "palate cleanser" between The Last of Us and Destiny. It proved to be a pretty relaxed 6 hour playthrough, and though short, it was enjoyable. Definitely not a game I'd recommend dropping $60 on, but if you're looking for a decent rental or preowned game to return to Gamestop before the 7 day return period is up, you could definitely do worse.    … Expand
  9. SaberEdge
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    This game is highly and unfairly underrated. I don't know if it was the hate for the Xbox One that spread over and caused some people to be harsh on Ryse, but whatever it was all I know is that Ryse is a lot better than some of the reviews would lead you to believe.

    I should say that I don't actually own an Xbox One, but I was able to play through the game on weekends at a friend's    This game is highly and unfairly underrated. I don't know if it was the hate for the Xbox One that spread over and caused some people to be harsh on Ryse, but whatever it was all I know is that Ryse is a lot better than some of the reviews would lead you to believe.

    I should say that I don't actually own an Xbox One, but I was able to play through the game on weekends at a friend's house. I don't think the game actually deserves a 10, but there are far too many fanboys giving it scores like '1', which is just absolutely ridiculous.

    I'm not going to say the combat is amazing because it is not very deep and somewhat repetitive, but it does look very cool and can be pretty satisfying and fun. Gameplay in general is decently good, not amazing.

    Story-wise I found this game to be great. The narrative kept me interested the whole way through. It feels like a high budget movie in many ways.

    The sound is excellent and the graphics are jaw dropping. Pretty much unrivaled by any other console game.

    All in all I would give this game an 8. All of its attributes combine into a pretty enjoyable whole.    … Expand
  10. kalimah
    Aug 30, 2014
    7
    Beautiful graphics. Redundant gameplay. Pay for DLC. Still kind of fun. I love the Roman Era. That's why I bought this game. If they make a ryse 2, I hope they will make it less repetitive.
  11. Wiseus
    Aug 3, 2014
    0
    There is no reasonable explanation to the senseless carnage, that was made out to the Roman history, common sense, realism sense of proportion in this game. Looks like, that game director was a mad emperor Nero himself, after 10 years of unstoppable orgy.

    All in this game is horrible and senseless, except graphics and soundtrack. This product is a major disappointment and a vary bad    There is no reasonable explanation to the senseless carnage, that was made out to the Roman history, common sense, realism sense of proportion in this game. Looks like, that game director was a mad emperor Nero himself, after 10 years of unstoppable orgy.

    All in this game is horrible and senseless, except graphics and soundtrack. This product is a major disappointment and a vary bad example of "historical" game for poor children, that would be thinking about Roman history in terms of Ryse: Son of Rome presentation.    … Expand
  12. Attila79
    Jul 25, 2014
    7
    The game is beautiful, involving and epic. It entertains you and this is what usually we look in a game. The gameplay is repetitive like all games hack & slash.
  13. Fragmatic
    Jul 22, 2014
    9
    Great game, the only mediocre thing is fighting mechanics - it's a bit repetitive and boss fights are annoying because of that. But everything else is really good, sometimes stunning visuals and amazing story will hold your attention until the end credits. Game is not perfectly polished and sometimes runs not so smoothly as it should be. Final of the game is awesome, reminds me ofGreat game, the only mediocre thing is fighting mechanics - it's a bit repetitive and boss fights are annoying because of that. But everything else is really good, sometimes stunning visuals and amazing story will hold your attention until the end credits. Game is not perfectly polished and sometimes runs not so smoothly as it should be. Final of the game is awesome, reminds me of Oldboy)))) Overall, Son of Rome is superb X1 exclusive and very very strong start up title.… Expand
  14. punkxwad07
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    I must say this game gets an unfair amount of bad reviews. To be short, the one flaw with this game is the shallow combat system.

    Best on legendary difficulty.
    Awesome graphics. Fun combat system to master. Epic storyline.

    Incredible story of revenge that follows our hero through his campaigns across britania all the way back to the corrupt streets of rome.
  15. SimpleReviewz
    Jul 4, 2014
    7
    Let me start out this review by saying this: Ryse Son of Rome is the best looking game I have ever seen. Crytek is known for having amazing graphics with their engine known as CryEngine, but this game takes it to the next level entirely. But do the phenomenal graphics and spectacle make this a great, awesome game? The answer: more or less. In my eyes, Ryse wasn't made to have true next-genLet me start out this review by saying this: Ryse Son of Rome is the best looking game I have ever seen. Crytek is known for having amazing graphics with their engine known as CryEngine, but this game takes it to the next level entirely. But do the phenomenal graphics and spectacle make this a great, awesome game? The answer: more or less. In my eyes, Ryse wasn't made to have true next-gen gameplay or design. It was made to blow you away with the graphics, and show how powerful the Xbox One is. That being said, Crytek didn't try extremely hard on the gameplay. Ryse's combat is a basic hack and slash formula. It keeps you entertained...starting out, that is. As you move on in the campaign, you start to realize that you are going through the same motions over and over again. What makes it worse is that the combat doesn't go on to have depth, which basically means the 2nd level is about the same as the last level. However, it does have a fun aspect to it. There are upgrades, and while they help you slightly, they aren't that big of a deal. The multiplayer of this game was more than great, though. It isn't exactly competitive. I would compare it to the cooperative modes in Halo, like Firefight (excluding gameplay of course). The combat does differ slightly in multiplayer, too. I most likely won't play the multiplayer for till the end of the year, but it will keep me entertained for a few months. Ryse never blew me away with the combat or story. What did blow me away, though, was the constant amazement out of the graphics and the extremely fun multiplayer.… Expand
  16. haw2991
    Jun 30, 2014
    5
    Brilliant visuals and some epic moments do not make-up for its repetitive gameplay and overall presentation. As some critics have pointed out, this game feels more like a presentation of the visual capabilities of the One.
  17. cresham2
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    Stunning graphics just an amazing game have had a lot of fun with this game and giving it a score that it definitely deserves can be a bit repetitive at times but overall a solid game.
  18. Gamer44
    Jun 25, 2014
    0
    When I bought Ryse I expected to be blown away with the stunning graphics and epic game play. But all I was left with was a game that looked like a 360 game and a story that gets boring very quickly.The graphics is not that amazing like everyone claims it is this game has the graphics of an Xbox 360 game and that is a big disappointment
  19. Dunny774
    Jun 22, 2014
    7
    Good game and especially good value if you can get hold of it around £30.

    Game looks visually awesome, so much detail in the environments and the in game characters, especially in the cut scenes. The game is a standard hack and slash, one button for sword, one for shield and so on. Have to use different combos against different enemies and in most cases timing is essential. I never get    Good game and especially good value if you can get hold of it around £30.

    Game looks visually awesome, so much detail in the environments and the in game characters, especially in the cut scenes. The game is a standard hack and slash, one button for sword, one for shield and so on. Have to use different combos against different enemies and in most cases timing is essential. I never get bored of the executions. Enemies attack similar to Assassins Creed games but much more unforgiving.

    Story and setting is very fresh and well told, each level in a new environment so you are never really in the same place twice. Some nice little features in the game play which take advantage of using Roman soldiers (Like calling for a volley of arrows or advancing forward as a unit while under fire from enemy archers).

    On the other end of it, the enemies are a bit repetitive with not much variation between them (Some are obviously harder than others) shame really because it would be a bit more engrossing if there was some change between them on some of the levels. I liked the idea of using your experience to purchase new executions and other additions to your character but it leaves much more to be desired and could of been much deeper.

    The Multiplayer coop area of the game is quite fun to play but you couldn't really have the game without focusing on the Single player section. I think for those who like hack and slash the game is worth buying.    … Expand
  20. TheDovahkiin101
    Jun 20, 2014
    10
    Spectacular visuals are the only reason many will buy this game but once they play it will be so much more if you have a xbox one this game is a must buy. This is by far the best xbox one game i have played thus far.
  21. DownByTheRiver
    Jun 18, 2014
    7
    Ryse truly wasn't anything special (except those graphics are top!) but I feel like it didn't warrant all of it's criticism it does deserve a lot of it, yet in the end I thought it was decent. I thought it had a really good story, short, but good. The gameplay, while incredible repetitive and gets stale often, can be pretty fun in bursts. The multiplayer is surprisingly fun, mostly withRyse truly wasn't anything special (except those graphics are top!) but I feel like it didn't warrant all of it's criticism it does deserve a lot of it, yet in the end I thought it was decent. I thought it had a really good story, short, but good. The gameplay, while incredible repetitive and gets stale often, can be pretty fun in bursts. The multiplayer is surprisingly fun, mostly with friends, but it is pretty fun, Overall Ryse was a decent experience for me (maybe inflated cause I only paid 12 bucks for it) it can be fun but not wrth full price by any means.… Expand
  22. patt3
    Jun 16, 2014
    7
    This game is stunningly beautiful, feels amazing, and is full of spectacle. Plus, the story is awesome. Still, the gameplay lacks depth and the game isn't worth $60 for a decent multiplayer and 6 hour campaign. Also, there are only like three or four different enemy models. It becomes very repetitive. Despite all these things, this game is will blow you away with its graphics and the wayThis game is stunningly beautiful, feels amazing, and is full of spectacle. Plus, the story is awesome. Still, the gameplay lacks depth and the game isn't worth $60 for a decent multiplayer and 6 hour campaign. Also, there are only like three or four different enemy models. It becomes very repetitive. Despite all these things, this game is will blow you away with its graphics and the way it feels, plays, and pulls you along with its story. I'd recommend it for an awesome Roman flair added to a unique version of sword gameplay that has become to feel familiar in other games.… Expand
  23. oadelinos
    Jun 11, 2014
    10
    It's a wonderful game! Beautiful battles, amazing graphics and very good cinematics...The only negative is the controls which is in the game's gameplay so it isn't Microsoft's mistake...
  24. Leon2012
    Jun 7, 2014
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ryse is a visually stunning game that really turns up the graphics benchmark with the use of CryEngine. The game play mechanics tend to be enjoyable for a short period of time and the story line takes on a twist that I wasn't fully expecting.

    Games made with the CryEngine do not need a review explaining that the graphics are good, this is to be expected with CryEngine so we'll continue with the original advertisement of this game.

    When I first heard about Ryse I watched a trailer that showed someone playing the game with the Kinect and they were fighting. Swinging their arms like they had a sword, raising their arm like they had a shield, kicking the enemy away from them and finally hurling their sword. This was an excellent promotion that caught my attention. I thought to myself "Finally, someone is going to use the Kinect the way it needs to be used!"
    I was sadly disappointed to find the only Kinect features this game actually has in it are with voice commands which are rather useless.

    With the Kinect features out of the question this game should be able to deliver spectacular fights and it almost seemed as if the developers had done so when you go through a kill animation and have to press certain buttons and see the spectacular method of killing your enemy.
    Although, after a few times of doing so you quickly realize that it's the same thing over and over. Killing an enemy without one of these sequences feels meaningless and killing them with one of those sequences becomes too repetitive.

    Then they add a feature where you can press a button and everything around you slows down and you can start owning everyone around you. This feature seems neat as well but after a few uses you once again discover it's rinse and repeat all over again.

    The story line to the game is almost good. The best part of the story line is when you discover you're Damocles. The way the game builds up the story behind Damocles makes it feel as if this warrior is so awesome that his presence would be enough to kill your enemy. Then you discover that you are Damocles in the manner that you were brought back for vengeance and at first it feels as if your character will be transformed somehow, maybe faster, or stronger with new kill animations or anew weapon.
    But this is not true. The only new thing that happens is your character places a mask over his face a few times.

    After the campaign is over you're left with the arena which doesn't have very many options and isn't all that difficult to complete. Every game I've ever played that involved an arena or Colosseum have never gotten it wrong, until now. The developers did add several things to the arena that I haven't seen in previous games but these objects are generally not needed to win and therefore don't necessarily add to the game play.

    Overall. Ryse is nothing close to what was shown in the early trailers. The graphics are very good which is expected from the CryEngine. Game play mechanics are too repetitive. The use of the Kinect is useless and should have been excluded entirely. The story line takes a very interesting twist and doesn't build on the character afterwards. The arena has things inside it that I haven't seen before giving the arena potential for unique combat, but ultimately isn't needed and isn't very challenging.    … Expand
  25. lRogue_Commando
    Jun 5, 2014
    10
    This game is rated unbelievably inaccurately by people who are paid off by other companies to make other games look better. Ryse: Son of Rome is THE Masterpiece of 2013, and ushers in the next generation of games that we all want so much.
  26. Dallaswithad
    Jun 4, 2014
    4
    Its repetitive. Its repetitive. Graphics are good. Graphics are good. Atmosphere is great. Atmosphere is great. Combat is fun for two hours.Combat is fun for two hours. 60 bucks it too much. 60 bucks is too much.
    Very good rent. Very good rent.
  27. Liamzl
    Jun 2, 2014
    4
    Fantastic graphics engine but feel more like a E3 Reveal game and that's what it is. The storyline is ok at times but really does not deliver the promise of an in-depth gaming experience. I really wanted to like this game, I really did. But I just couldn't...
  28. Ordish
    May 25, 2014
    10
    First, the time period is fantastic along with the story line. Absolutely brilliant. The mechanics of the game are so flawless that you forget you are holding a controller. I know there are a lot of complaints of "repetitive" game play but the minute nuances in combat are one of the strongest parts of the game. I would surmise that those who are complaining have yet to make any progress inFirst, the time period is fantastic along with the story line. Absolutely brilliant. The mechanics of the game are so flawless that you forget you are holding a controller. I know there are a lot of complaints of "repetitive" game play but the minute nuances in combat are one of the strongest parts of the game. I would surmise that those who are complaining have yet to make any progress in the arena because all your button mashing will do you no good there. Overall, this game was a fantastic experience and one that I come back to often to try my luck in the arenas.… Expand
  29. ProtoCaster
    May 22, 2014
    6
    This game is more style then substance. The graphics and facial animations in this game are top notch. The combat starts out fun and interesting, but quickly gets repetitive within a few hours. The game starts out strong, but I found myself rushing through the later levels to get the campaign over with. Thankfully for me the story was rather short, only took about 5-6 hours to beat theThis game is more style then substance. The graphics and facial animations in this game are top notch. The combat starts out fun and interesting, but quickly gets repetitive within a few hours. The game starts out strong, but I found myself rushing through the later levels to get the campaign over with. Thankfully for me the story was rather short, only took about 5-6 hours to beat the game without looking for every collectible. I could see a sequel that fixes this games problems showing quite a bit of promise.… Expand
  30. JamesDeLuca
    May 21, 2014
    5
    Not horrible, not great and defiantly not excellent. Ryse is mildly entertaining for 3-5 hours before repetition takes its course. There just is not enough game content to merit a 60 dollar sticker price. I recommend playing Ryse at your buddies house during intermission of the hockey game and nothing more.
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best Xbox One Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 77 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 77
  3. Negative: 9 out of 77
  1. Critical Hit
    Sep 8, 2014
    75
    Ryse is a bit of a marmite game, if you are looking for a great gaming experience that takes forever to perfect then Ryse is not for you. If you are interested in a Roman interactive movie with a solid story line then I’d say give it a shot.
    Read full review
  2. Gamereactor Sweden
    Sep 7, 2014
    40
    Beautiful but stale, boring, shallow and lacking in variation.
    Read full review
  3. Level7.nu
    Sep 4, 2014
    50
    Ryse: Son of Rome is a really good looking game, but at the same time incredible stupid. Thanks to the graphics and the amount of brutal combat the adventure managed to entertain, at least for a bit. If you find Ryse on sale it can be worth a closer look, but for a full price game it’s a disappointment.
    Read full review
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