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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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.
  2. IvanPFilho
    Feb 17, 2014
    9
    Gostei bastante desse jogo. Ele tem os gráficos muito bons e uma boa história, pena que é curta demais. Porém, o jogo em si não tem falhas ou erros, como a maioria, e peca apenas por ser pequeno. Mas isso não diminui o jogo, que é excelente.
  3. striga
    Oct 10, 2020
    7
    Granted I certainly didn't pay $60 for this game, but at the bargain price I got it for, it provided me with a solid week of fun playing through the campaign on regular difficulty and then on the highest difficulty. This was followed by an additional week of going through the multiplayer (which, on Xbox is still playable; I was getting matches 3 out of 4 times).

    There is a lot to be    Granted I certainly didn't pay $60 for this game, but at the bargain price I got it for, it provided me with a solid week of fun playing through the campaign on regular difficulty and then on the highest difficulty. This was followed by an additional week of going through the multiplayer (which, on Xbox is still playable; I was getting matches 3 out of 4 times).

    There is a lot to be desired in the levelling up system (half-baked doesn't begin to explain it's ineptitude), but it's a fun romp with an aesthetic and time period (albeit, stupidly historically inaccurate) that is often not seen in games.

    All, in all, it deserves a slightly better score than the average here, but seeing how you can pick it up for the price of renting a movie, it's definitely worth at least going through the campaign on regular difficulty.

    Have fun, just don't expect to get a lifetime's enjoyment out of it.    … Expand
  4. Joe_E_Dee
    Nov 29, 2014
    3
    Horrible. This game is Golden Ax Beast Hunter (xbox 360) with a story line. Graphics are next gen quality, but the repetitive/ uninspiring combat drags this game down...way down. The RPG system feels completley useless. if you are after achievement points, and can get the game for 10 bucks go for it.
  5. ITZZZPERRY
    Jan 17, 2015
    8
    Ryse: Son of Rome is an awesome game. The gameplay may be repetitive, but the story is one of the best I have played in a long time. The multiplayer is also quite addictive to say the least.
  6. psylife
    Apr 7, 2016
    5
    This is not bad. Yes, it is shallow, it is short, and not very memorable, but at the end of the day, I had a descent time with it. To my surprise, the game play is not completely deprived of strategy; I found for example, the ability to channel experience points and assign them to specific perks in real-time quite clever. When it comes to the QTE, few knows that it is possible to actuallyThis is not bad. Yes, it is shallow, it is short, and not very memorable, but at the end of the day, I had a descent time with it. To my surprise, the game play is not completely deprived of strategy; I found for example, the ability to channel experience points and assign them to specific perks in real-time quite clever. When it comes to the QTE, few knows that it is possible to actually observe the direction of the incoming attack and anticipate the button you are supposed to push. The audio-visual presentation is good and the package is polished. I do not regret my time with this game.… Expand
  7. ChrisWeisel
    Feb 15, 2014
    6
    I am a huge fan of Rome games, so this game was my reason to buy a Xbox one. There are positives and negatives, so I'll make this short. It is beautiful in all aspects, only once in a while are there rendering or texture problems, but not enough to stick in your brain for long. The camera is horrid, I see more butt cheeks than I can see a field of view, and God forbid you get near aI am a huge fan of Rome games, so this game was my reason to buy a Xbox one. There are positives and negatives, so I'll make this short. It is beautiful in all aspects, only once in a while are there rendering or texture problems, but not enough to stick in your brain for long. The camera is horrid, I see more butt cheeks than I can see a field of view, and God forbid you get near a corner or smaller area...you see nothing but what's in straight in front of you while you get combo'd to death by flurry of strikes. The combat style is very cool, but it does get old, it becomes a norm to get the same 5 or so executions and then turns into kinda blah with a few surprises here and there. Sometimes the controls become lagging and so things will happen late, or you'll be hit/interrupted and THEN your command goes off, normally leading to even more damage. Deff needs to be updated at least 1 more time, but all in all, it's a Rome game with awesome graphics just the play style gets old. Would recommend renting this not buying, seeing as you can beat the game in around 20-30 hours (I did on the 3rd difficulty) and the multiplayer is just a grind fest with even MORE rinse and repeat to it.… Expand
  8. dirtyvu
    Feb 9, 2014
    9
    Graphics are amazing. Probably the best of all the next-gen games so far (across all the platforms). Story is good, not great. Action is a lot of fun. Could use more variety in terms of enemies. Some leaps in story logic. Needs multiple playthroughs to fully build your character.
  9. mikerus74
    Feb 14, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game looks great. I liked it in the story, but Spoiler: I do not like that in the story added gods, what they affect, fly, etc. I think that they're special and I do not need them enough in God of War.
    The game turned a little arcade. The game should be more mature, bloody, ie more real. A good example is the series Spartacus.
    Games such a plan and themes of ancient Rome made ​​extremely small.
    It would be desirable to have more variety of enemies, and not crowd cloned dummy.
    In general, I advise developers listen to the opinions of those who have written reviews and to continue to refine these aspects of the game.
    And since everything is cool, I liked it!
    I look forward to the continuation of the game.    … Expand
  10. jacked_beast
    Feb 22, 2014
    8
    This is a great game however the game play's pretty repetitive, takes only 5 hours to beat, and there's basically no replay value. The graphics are amazing though (shows the potential of next gen consoles graphics) and I loved the slow motion "300" kills. The story was pretty sic and the ending hallway part was completely bad ass!
  11. Griffpits
    Feb 24, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I played this game fully expecting it to be a let down in terms of gameplay and story. What I did not expect was that these were the two aspects of the game which I really found to be quite fun. The graphics are stunning in general and numerous times in the game, I would simply gaze at the environment and the light reflecting off of your characters armour. The gameplay, admittedly, does get rather tedious when you are playing for hours and hours on end. But when have a life outside of playing video games, you will almost certainly have a blast of a time slicing and dicing the 'barbarian' hordes for an hour at a time. The story is not at all overcomplicated or award worthy, but it will leave you satisfied and is a fun mix of 300/Saving Private Ryan/Gladiator. Multiplayer is fairly enjoyable, but it quickly becomes repetitive and simply serves as a way of showing off your fancy moves to your co-op friend.

    One review in particular, by CVG's Nick Cowen, I particularly disagreed with. At no point did this game say that it was historically accurate (as far as you can use that term in regards to ancient history) in its portrayal of the sack of Rome under Boudica (atop an elephant). The story is simply fun and it draws upon some historical events as an inspiration. If anyone should be offended by this portrayal of ancient history, then that would be me as I am studying History and Archaeology at university. If Nick took so much offense as to Crytek's portrayal of the Ancient Roman period in Ryse, would he have the same misgivings about the critically acclaimed God of War series for not following Greek mythology to the letter?    … Expand
  12. Azuhero
    Feb 24, 2014
    7
    The graphics are very good and the game play is quite solid but it is repetitive. After playing through I did not have the urge to play though it again on the hardest difficulty. They also reused quite a bit of the same character models and it feel like there were 4 people that all looked the same. The lack of variety of character models kind of made the fighting boring and repetitiveThe graphics are very good and the game play is quite solid but it is repetitive. After playing through I did not have the urge to play though it again on the hardest difficulty. They also reused quite a bit of the same character models and it feel like there were 4 people that all looked the same. The lack of variety of character models kind of made the fighting boring and repetitive because you already know how that specific character model is going to fight. The story was ok and interesting to me. At full retail of $60 it feels quite lack luster overall, I would wait for a discount in price.… Expand
  13. Bouckaert
    Feb 27, 2014
    9
    A great and beatiful game. Really next-gen. Very good to play. Very nice scenarios. Very good action. The campain is a little bit short, but no so short as some people are saying. Multiplayer mode is not so good. It's cool, but get tired quickly. Worth the money. Very pleasant.
  14. nerdman67
    Mar 11, 2014
    6
    Ryse is definitely unfairly judged. It doesnt have much depth, the game is short, and the multiplayer is well... Forgettable.
    So why is it underrated? Because it is a blast. The whole game is an action packed adventure through dark jungles and crumbling cities. The story is lacking depth, but it is a fun tale with surprisingly good acting.
    It is criticized for the use of QTEs, but they    Ryse is definitely unfairly judged. It doesnt have much depth, the game is short, and the multiplayer is well... Forgettable.
    So why is it underrated? Because it is a blast. The whole game is an action packed adventure through dark jungles and crumbling cities. The story is lacking depth, but it is a fun tale with surprisingly good acting.
    It is criticized for the use of QTEs, but they are optional, and being able to see some awesome executions is often worth it.
    Is it a must buy? No. But there are many worse ways to spend a weekend    … Expand
  15. 80sChild
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    I always thought this was a good launch game. The graphics were incredible for the time (locked at 720p on Xbone, booooo) and the gameplay, while simple, is solid and fun (just my opinion). There are quick-time finishers to every kill/combat scenario so if that's not your thing, keep on walking. Personally, l enjoy the finisher animations as well as the facial expressions on the enemyI always thought this was a good launch game. The graphics were incredible for the time (locked at 720p on Xbone, booooo) and the gameplay, while simple, is solid and fun (just my opinion). There are quick-time finishers to every kill/combat scenario so if that's not your thing, keep on walking. Personally, l enjoy the finisher animations as well as the facial expressions on the enemy characters as they express pain (kinda dark I guess but tech wise, impressive). The combat, while simple, still has enough variation (timing, button combos, etc) and depth to keep your attention through the story and a well written campaign that scratches the surface of the corruption that eventually caused Rome's downfall.

    There is a light RPG-ish system that allows you to unlock abilities and executions and you'll unlock most on the first play through. It has a co-op multiplayer component (2 players) where you fight in the coliseum and keep the crowd entertained. I always enjoyed fighting alongside someone and keeping the crowd cheering through some crazy scenarios. Understand that, when I rate this, I rate it as an adult with a life, not a "hardcore gamer". I have maybe an hour a day to play games and for me, this game is perfect. This is a casual game, it's easy to pick up and play, you can play offline or online, it looks great and has enough depth and variation in the combat to keep things interesting.

    Buy it on PC if you are able. I was was surprised re-installing it on X1X to see it still locked to 720p. Oof. Looks great on PC though :)    … Expand
  16. ryanhughes
    Mar 20, 2014
    7
    This was my first "Next Gen" game and initially I was blown away by it, but after time I became numb to that and then it became very repetitive. The multi player let me play the game for a few more hours, fun but boring and unchallenging after a while.
  17. TigrisVsLeo
    Jun 20, 2015
    8
    When this game first came out the reviews were all red and that's why I did not buy it. But honestly, it is and amazing game and I could not get enough of the executions! I also had the #1 World Record for the highest combo (1600+).
  18. Unbiased_Critic
    Oct 12, 2014
    10
    Ryse is fast, fun, and beautiful. It's an exceptional feat given it was a launch title from a third party developer. It absolutely deserves your attention and is a fantastic game. The sound and art design are unmatched. The story is elements also draw you in. The game deserves higher scores and stronger sales.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. crusher351
    May 3, 2018
    8
    Ryse: Son of Rome was a bit of a surprise to me. I bought it on a sale that Xbox Live had a little while ago. I had read the reviews and saw some mixed feelings about it, but decided to go for it. That turned out to be a good call because this game is a ton of fun. While the controls took a little bit to get used to, once I felt comfortable, I was all in. The visuals in this game areRyse: Son of Rome was a bit of a surprise to me. I bought it on a sale that Xbox Live had a little while ago. I had read the reviews and saw some mixed feelings about it, but decided to go for it. That turned out to be a good call because this game is a ton of fun. While the controls took a little bit to get used to, once I felt comfortable, I was all in. The visuals in this game are amazing. Being an older game in Xbox 1 terms, it still looks good today, even outclassing some recent AAA releases. The story is your classic vengeful soldier story, but it works for this game. The voice acting is really good and it is easy to get engrossed in the story. The combat and finishers are fun once you get the timing of it all down. While this game is short (6-8 hours), it definitely keeps you engrossed with its amazing visuals, good story and voice acting, and its cinematic cut scenes. All in all, a really good way to kill a day and for me, it has really good replay value.… Expand
  22. rrafemi
    Jul 14, 2016
    7
    El sistema de combate es muy simplón, apenas tres movimientos, pero fuera de eso es un juego bastante decente. Falla mucho el tema de lanzar virotes, pero fuera de eso el juego cumple de sobra.
  23. Yun1t0
    Sep 10, 2019
    7
    I really had fun with this game. The combat is fun, the graphics are great and the story is really good. Its very impressive for a 1st on a franchise and a launch title for the console. Sadly, apparently we will never see a sequel. I would give it a 6.8 but no decimals on the store here so, 7. Now this game is so cheap its cool to give it a try if you can. Good fun!
  24. 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
  25. jelikey
    Nov 1, 2018
    6
    Everyone on here rating games a 0 or 1 are discrediting themselves and only making themselves look like idiot trolls. This game is not a 0 or a 1. It is somewhere between a 4 or an 8. Some people will like it if they want mostly great graphics and simple yet fun gameplay, others will prefer deeper gameplay and will grow tired of Ryse after an hour or two. That is fine. Please share valid
  26. XBOXftw
    May 14, 2015
    8
    I can reasonably understand the low critic and user ratings, as the game was indeed linear and repetitive, but I'm giving Ryse an 8/10 for a few reasons. For one, I LOVE button-crunchy games like Ryse, with awesome combat and an even cooler execution system, so if you like these kinds of games, Ryse is a must-play. Also, Ryse showed off superb graphics, some of the best graphics I'd everI can reasonably understand the low critic and user ratings, as the game was indeed linear and repetitive, but I'm giving Ryse an 8/10 for a few reasons. For one, I LOVE button-crunchy games like Ryse, with awesome combat and an even cooler execution system, so if you like these kinds of games, Ryse is a must-play. Also, Ryse showed off superb graphics, some of the best graphics I'd ever seen, proving that the Xbox One is very capable of running graphics intensive games, especially at a smooth frame-rate. And finally, I enjoyed Ryse because of the fact that it was almost entirely focused on single player as it delivered a superb story, and a fun linear campaign. Ever since the success of games like Minecraft, Skyrim, and the recent Grand Theft Auto games, open-world games have almost become the norm, as the gaming industry is being flooded with them, and not all of them are good. Ryse is a nice break from all that, and it shows games don't NEED to be open-world to be good.… Expand
  27. DrZomboid
    Oct 22, 2014
    9
    I don't get all these bad reviews, Ryse is The Best next gen game so far, more fun than God of War: Ascension and more movie like then Beyond Two Souls.
  28. RichardGreen
    May 17, 2015
    9
    I don't get the bad reviews. I was hesitant about getting the game but got it on sale for $20 and it was well worth it! If you like hack and slash the combat does not get repetitive as reviews say. The visuals are great, the audio is great, the voice acting is pretty good. Good variety of maps, weapons, execution/character upgrades, story, and characters.

    Multi-player leveling up is fun    I don't get the bad reviews. I was hesitant about getting the game but got it on sale for $20 and it was well worth it! If you like hack and slash the combat does not get repetitive as reviews say. The visuals are great, the audio is great, the voice acting is pretty good. Good variety of maps, weapons, execution/character upgrades, story, and characters.

    Multi-player leveling up is fun well. Your character starts naked and you have to buy him armor by winning in the arena. Its fun. It may not have the replayability of Battlefield 4 but its still fun if you got 3-5 days of boredom to kill.    … Expand
  29. W1ckedReb3L
    Nov 13, 2014
    7
    I really liked this game! the graphics were awesome and i had no problem with the combat system. But the game ends wayyy to fast making you wonder what your 60$ really payed for.
  30. zisisaxl
    May 12, 2015
    10
    Also i want to add dont listen stupid people who give 0 score. Probably they are fan boys and they have never play Ryse. One of the best games i have ever play. Best visuals great story fun gameplay. A must play
Page:

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

All reviews »
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
See all critic reviews »