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.

Ryse has an entertaining story and sky-high production values. The gameplay that's there isn't bad – it just stops in its tracks before it gets anywhere near close to demanding. The multiplayer mode has some neat ideas, like a deadly, shifting Colosseum, but it's hamstrung by the same combat issues...

Amazing art and audio; Interesting story; Unique multiplayer

Limited combat; Repetitive boss battles

I'm Marius Titus and I'm a high-definition, next-gen whirling dervish of destruction, spinning in a blur of reflective armor and incredible lighting effects. I block a barbarian's photorealistic axe with my shield and slash into his well-textured gut with my sword, casting particles of blood across...

Stellar visuals; Weighty; satisfying combat; Surprising story

Repetitive battles; Lack of enemy variety; Light on content

So much death. So much spilled blood. And depending on your level of affection toward precious, ancient stoneware - so much smashed pottery! Nothing is safe from the barbarians rampaging through Rome, thirsty to smash your head in with swords, axes, and some rather fancy flaming skull-batons.

+ A highly-polished looker with beautiful facial animations, great vistas, and some lovely effects; excellent voice-acting, + Interesting revenge tale, well-told; meaty combat feels responsive and fun

- Incredibly linear; repetitive enemy models; co-op horde-like mode feels slightly mismatched with gameplay; slow start, ?

Ryse: Son of Rome is a video game based on two core pillars: quick time events and wanton slaughter. Players take on the role of Marius Titus, a Centurion in the 14th Legion, and with him fight their way through a linear story populated by barbarian-filled skirmishes, chopping off arms and slashing...

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.