Extremely brilliant graphics... Very intense ... And very enjoyable. Don't get me wrong it has it's flaws (single player could be longer, and with lots of room for improvement for a potential sequel). It's single player story and gameplay is very good.

Crytek leaves behind the shooting of 'Crysis' for its historic entry in the Xbox One launch lineup, opting for spears, shields, swords and Marius Titus, a Roman soldier hell-bent on revenge.

" Ryse: Son Of Rome " has probably been the surprise game of 2013 for me. Ridiculed by the press since it was re-announced at E3, and followed by a fairly disinteresting showing at Gamescom, I didn't initially have a lot of time for the game.

Demonstrating a positively Emmerichian grasp of history, Ryse: Son of Rome dares to ask the question 'what if all of Rome's Imperial age took place over the course of a simple three-act revenge story?

Nailing a double execution and watching Marius flit back and forth; gutting two men simultaneously

Killing the exact same guy five times in the same fight

At E3 2013 Microsoft featured Ryse: Son of Rome as a game that would show naysayers what the Xbox One was capable of; however, the general consensus was that the game had quite a ways to go before being a must have title.

Yes it screams "I used to be a Kinect game", yes it's limited in story as well as combat and yes, you've played many, many games like this previously, better games with more systems and gameplay but...but...crucially, Ryse: Son of Rome looks breathtaking.

If you want to get that "this is a new gen" feel, then you need to buy this game. I've seen that reviewers say the combat is repetitive, but it does not get old. If you've ever watched Spartacus on Starz, this will feel very familiar.

Ryse: Son of Rome was originally announced in 2010 as Codename: Kingdoms, and was slated to be a Kinect game for the Xbox 360. As the game developed, Microsoft likely realized that the Crytek-built title would fill the cinematic gameplay in their upcoming Xbox One launch lineup.

graphics scream next-gen til they're hoarse; characters are convincing; deep combat system can be rewarding; gladiator mode is surprisingly fresh

long hallways inject boring gameplay; commanding troops feels tacked on; local multiplayer sorely absent; DLC; F2P elements seem greedy; no in-game collectible item tracking

Ryse has to be the goriest game available this holiday season. It's gritty, good looking and a good bit of fun with a few blemishes. The length of the campaign hurts the overall experience and unfortunately the online feels like a grind instead of fun.

It's a fighting system all about learning basic patterns and clearly signposted executions. Combos are short and simple, battering your opponent enough so that a skull appears above his head.