Launch titles are strange beasts, with their range and quality often determining the number of early adopters of a new console. At least on paper, Microsoft had the edge in the lead-up to the Xbox One versus PlayStation 4 showdown, with a greater range of exclusive titles on offer at lunch.

Ryse: Son of Rome is an interesting title for its developer, Crytek. Crytek has only made shooters until now, and pretty good ones at that (the first Far Cry, the Crysis series). Their CryEngine is aptly named, as it has broken the heart of many a PC gamer whose rig couldn't handle its stiff system...

○ Combat is fun; at least for awhile ○ Very nice to look at

Gameplay cannot hold its own; Multiplayer offers little of substance; Stunted campaign

Rome is burning. As Roman Centurions do what they do best-kill the enemy in nasty, nasty ways with gladius swords-Emperor Nero cowers in his vault with General Marius Titus as he hopes the big, beefy man will save him from impending doom. Not exactly.

Stunning; breathtaking visuals; Fun hack-and-slash combat; Can change execution bonuses at any time for player's need; Online multiplayer gladiator mode

Fun hack-and-slash combat; Online multiplayer gladiator mode

When I received my bundle from NewEgg I originally planned on selling this game as with my copy of COD Ghost, but I took a gamble and am pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment I got from the game. If you want a fun game that is great to show off the system to friends I would recommend it.

The game def; shows the progression of technology in these new consoles; And though the games fighting is extremely simple (played through on hardest difficulty because of reviews stating simplicity of combat) it is extremely rewarding removing limbs!

Camera on rare occurrences will have many enemies in the way making it difficult to color coordinate eliminations; Shorter campaign if you don't play on a difficulty that will have you die on occasion

Ryse isn't the sharpest pilum in the cohort. This is a game in which Boudica proudly rides an elephant through the streets of Rome, where legionnaires smack arrows out of the air with their swords, that recasts Greek myth Damocles as a Roman version of Candyman and assumes that barbarians spent...

Brutal combat is surprisingly satisfying and engaging; especially at higher difficulties; Visceral and gorgeous; both graphically and artistically; Silly story delivered with compelling gravitas; Enjoyable cooperative multiplayer - enjoyed in moderation

Crushing lack of enemy variety leads to enormous repetition; Upgrade and progression system is inappropriate for a 6-8 hour game; Dumb as a bag of squid; Long load times (why did we have to install it?

This is easily one of my favourite games for the Xbox one. I received it with the day one edition and It was the first game I played. The gameplay is really sweet, very smooth gameplay, the executions are extremely fun, I was worried it could get repetitive but that's not the case at all.

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.

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

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.