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.

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?

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: 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

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.

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.

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.

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