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?

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

This game has a great storyline that is very fun to play. The graphics on the game are great, but the kill scenes do become a little repetitive after a while. Unfortunately the story doesn't last all that long and there isn't much to do after you have finished the story mode.

If David Cage made a God of War game, I have the sneaking feeling the end result would look an awful lot like Ryse: Son of Rome – one of the Xbox One's most confounding launch titles. Developer Crytek has released what is essentially a proof of concept piece spun into a full – albeit short – game.

Fun executions; gorgeous visuals

Short; repetitive; and not much in the way of replayability

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

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

At its heart, Ryse Son Of Rome is a brutal hack and slasher. You will chop a huge number of limbs off which can be quite satisfying in the gaming sense. As the game progresses you will learn new moves and combos and finishing moves to expand on your repertoire.

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.

Ryse: Son of Rome is a bombastic action title filled with bloody battles, cinematic encounters, and gravely sounding centurions barking orders about glory and empire, but it's also very repetitive.

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