RYSE is a third person blood bath that's focused on finesse, rewarding the player for perfect timing and precision. If you perfect your timing you will see glorious results with executions getting more brutal and bloodier with each perfect strike that you land.

Matt Maguire stoically wades into the Xbox One's swords and sandals launch title, Ryse: Son of Rome, and learns that if all roads lead here, it might just be better to turn back now.

Impressive cutscenes; great facial animations; stunning scenery

Simple, tedious gameplay; Animation problems; A story that just conks out

We first join our protagonist at the end of his storyline, with Ryse portraying each of its subsequent chapters in flashback.

Beautiful visuals; Excellent performance capture; Dumb storyline

Repetitive combat; Dull multiplayer; Not enough variety throughout

Great game, if only it was a little longer. Multiplayer achievements are a bit unrealistic for most as it lacks longevity.

With both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 going head to head within weeks of each other, both platforms have had to pull all the right moves in order to lure gamers onto their platform.

A audio and visual splendour; Progressive story keep you glued through until the end; Online multiplayer can be fun with the right partner

Short but sweet; Ranking up other than health felt meaningless; Executions can feel repetitive and slowdown the overall gameplay

, the launch games lineup is a key factor deciding whether the games machine will sink or swim in the increasingly competitive market. For this reason exclusive IP is worth its weight in gold for game console makers.

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...