RYSE: SON OF ROME (XONE)
Much like Marius Titus’ journey through Ryse: Son of Rome, Crytek’s road towards finishing this hack ‘n’ slasher was fraught and drawn-out. Originally unveiled as a first-person Xbox 360 game utilising Kinect controls, it was delayed and pushed back into the launch period of the Xbox One, before being rebuilt entirely into a third-person adventure, after three prototypes and more than seven years in development. While Ryse would prove a strong showcase for the new console in terms of technical prowess, repetitive combat and dull level design, combined with poor replay value, serve to diminish its splendour.
As Marius Titus and King Nero lie holed-up in a vault, the former describes his journey to the latter. This begins with the slaughter of his family at the hands of Barbarians, his rise in the Roman army, and the events which have led him to his present situation. It’s rather satisfactory, bolstered by excellent production and some decent voice acting. Marius is, admittedly, about as bland as a block of stone, but his core story is relatable and worth a follow. It becomes increasingly laden with twists, but manages to keep on track while adding in elements of Roman mythology to keep you hooked. It’s simple, but engaging.
As an Xbox One launch title, Ryse shows off some impressive visuals and effects
Sadly, combat doesn’t prove nearly as absorbing, though the game initially is rather thrilling. The opening battle, which sees dozens of enemies crowd the screen, allows you to become accustomed to both the basics of combat and ordering your men around the battlefield. While somewhat basic, this skirmish proves pretty exciting. Unfortunately, the hack ‘n’ slash gameplay doesn’t develop much from there. Fights devolve into a pattern of block, attack and execute with an extra dosage of QTEs frequently – and rather irritatingly – breaking up the action. Enemies repeat, even ones that bear shields or possess a speed advantage, leaving the action monotonous. This is compounded by a linear design and the combat becomes tiring long before the game’s climax. You can upgrade some of Marius’ abilities and stats, but it fails to add any spice to the game.
There are some interesting quirks in play, though. Marius can switch between boosts rewarded from executing enemies, allowing you to regain health, earn extra XP, gain a damage boost and restore Focus which allows Marius to slow down time and hack at enemies with little resistance. There is also an emphasis on skill, as hitting QTE’s more efficiently allows you to improve your combo score and, thus, earn more XP. Despite these boons, it’s not enough to keep the game interesting, as you can still max out Marius way before the story’s end, making some of these systems feel redundant. And though at key points you can order soldiers like a true Centurion, they are completely scripted and crop up too infrequently to make a genuine impact.
There are some interesting quirks in play, though. Marius can switch between boosts rewarded from executing enemies, allowing you to regain health, earn extra XP, gain a damage boost and restore Focus which allows Marius to slow down time and hack at enemies with little resistance. There is also an emphasis on skill, as hitting QTE’s more efficiently allows you to improve your combo score and, thus, earn more XP. Despite these boons, it’s not enough to keep the game interesting, as you can still max out Marius way before the story’s end, making some of these systems feel redundant. And though at key points you can order soldiers like a true Centurion, they are completely scripted and crop up too infrequently to make a genuine impact.
The campaign lacks depth, and it’s also really short. You could beat Ryse in a single sitting, and while unlockable difficulties and collectibles aim to incentivise extra play, they aren’t really worthwhile. Like a lot of early 2010s games, Son of Rome comes with a tacked-on multiplayer mode. You and another player take on waves of enemies, with certain fulfilments required to progress. The crowd reacts to your play, becoming bored if you spend too much time shirking combat. It ups the scale a bit, and makes for an interesting imitation of the spectacle of Roman coliseums. But in the end, even a second player cannot stop this mode from becoming a chore.
It's action and spectacle aplenty, but as is so often the curse with launch games, Ryse is shallow and short-lived
Ryse’s average gameplay is dwarfed by its presentation, which errs on the impressive side. Marius and other main characters feature incredible detail and expressive features, levels are gloriously detailed and fantastically lit, the combat is brutal and gory and the frame rate stays pretty consistent. The little details go quite a long way, such as the small flares hovering near fires. The audio is on a similar level, with bombastic music compositions that mesh with hammy, yet entertaining voice work. Well, bar Marius who is stiff and dull sounding. The sounds of swords, viscera and combat hold up well too, giving an impact to every strike.
Ryse: Son of Rome is ultimately all style and no substance. Making for a splendid showcase of the newest Xbox console at the time, Crytek did craft attractive levels, gorgeous cut-scenes and a powerhouse of quality presentation. But while the combat isn’t bad, there’s nowhere near enough depth to sustain interest, even with the really short runtime. Even a relatable, engaging story is not enough to keep the momentum going. Couple this with a short campaign and unfulfilling multiplayer, and the longevity is poor. While tech-savvy gamers could use Ryse to show off the power of the Xbox One, most players will likely do well to skip this one or – for those curious – find it as cheap as possible.
Ryse: Son of Rome is ultimately all style and no substance. Making for a splendid showcase of the newest Xbox console at the time, Crytek did craft attractive levels, gorgeous cut-scenes and a powerhouse of quality presentation. But while the combat isn’t bad, there’s nowhere near enough depth to sustain interest, even with the really short runtime. Even a relatable, engaging story is not enough to keep the momentum going. Couple this with a short campaign and unfulfilling multiplayer, and the longevity is poor. While tech-savvy gamers could use Ryse to show off the power of the Xbox One, most players will likely do well to skip this one or – for those curious – find it as cheap as possible.
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VERDICT
“Ryse: Son of Rome is ultimately all style and no substance. It makes for a splendid visual showcase, but there’s nowhere near enough depth to sustain interest, even with the really short runtime.” OVERALL: 5/10 |