As buildings crumble, soldiers fall and arrows fly, we were reminded of the action-orientated set-pieces that feature in the popular shooter franchises and the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

Ryse: Son of Rome has some great ideas, but bland gameplay holds it back from capitalising on uncharted waters. The combat and execution mechanics are serviceable, but not particularly engrossing, and the ranged and formation segments feel horribly clunky, as if you're not in control.

+ Stunning visuals; + Roman setting; + Gruesome executions

- Range weapons; - Very linear movement; - Gameplay is serviceable; but not challenging or involving

A shallow and unambitious tech demo, of the sort that console launches specialise in. The action works perfectly well but it's instantly repetitive to the point of inanity.

Excellent graphics and presentation; The Ancient Roman setting is a welcome change from the norm

Extremely shallow and repetitive from the very first chapter, with almost zero opportunity to impose your own style of play; Uninteresting upgrades and boring multiplayer

When I finished playing this game, I felt like I wanted more. That's the mark of a good game. I also felt like I had played something fresh. If there were 20 games about Rome, this one might not stand out as the most outstanding.

The very first camera shot of Ryse: Son of Rome gives you a view of barbarians attacking the beautiful imperial capital; Then the camera zooms in on a single soldier, Marius Titus, as he tries to fight off the barbarians; That shot tells you a lot about what you'll see in this game.

Ryse: Son of Rome is a game on rails; That means it moves from one scene to another in a linear path, often giving the player the illusion of choice, but in reality requiring them to stay on the prescribed path; Sometimes that isn't a problem, like when you fight your way into a large arena.

Nasty, brutish and short, Ryse: Son of Rome has emerged from a seven-year development hell as a visually resplendent, preternaturally dumb action game that exhibits a galling, monotonous bloodlust.

Ryse: Son of Rome has been one of the most talked about next generation launch titles, mainly because of the gorgeous visuals powered by the new Xbox One . Now that I've had the chance to pick up a controller and play the game, there is the unfortunate realisation that graphics alone aren't enough...

A gorgeous game that truly shows you what the next generation looks like; The story is an interesting mix of Roman mythology and a hero's quest; If you're looking for mindless violence; you won't be disappointed

Combat can become repetitive due to limited moves, The path forward may be tough to follow due to a confusing arrow system, The game only offers a challenge if you refrain from upgrading your skills; otherwise, you may find it a breeze

As a fan of all videogames, I try to be objective in what does or doesn't make a videogame fun to play. If you have ever played a hack-n-slash or beat-em-up game, you are already prepared for what Ryse has to offer.

Ryse: Son of Rome will allow you to act out your 300 or Spartacus fantasies, but at its core it is just a hack-n-slash game. The best element of the game is the stunning graphics that show you what the Xbox One will be able to deliver.

and one of the hardest decisions for me was deciding what game I'd start this console generation out with. It came down to

+ Stunning graphics; + Great location diversity; + Executions are disturbingly fun; + Fighting in the Colosseum; + Who wouldn't want a War Elephant

- Bland story; - Combat gets repetitive; - Low replay value

I've played a fair few next-gen titles now and while Killzone: Shadowfall and Forza 5 are impressive, there's something about the facial and body animations in Ryse that consistently thrill me. That they're applied to such a cool game is jolly good luck, too.