Ryse Son of Rome
Coming as a launch title for the Xbox One in 2013, (I almost forgot that Xbox used to make launch titles….), Crytek are renowned for making games that look great. When looking back at this game it is hard to believe that it was made when it was, as it still looks great.
Originally this was going to be a first-person game with Kinect controls for the Xbox 360 and had it been this, it wouldn’t made this article. The less said about Kinect the better.
The game was then redesigned to be a third-person hack and slash style game and although you could still use the new Xbox One version of Kinect to control some elements with your voice, this was not needed.
The critics were impressed by the visuals and story but not a lot else, saying that the game was too repetitive and that the action was shallow and didn’t evolve enough after the start of the game.
Fans on the other hand generally loved the game. The combat might not have the complexity of a game like Devil May Cry, but it felt weighty and was visceral. The battlefields were busy with lots going on and pulled you into the action. Since the game released lots of fans have been left looking for a sequel which seems highly unlikely to ever happen which is a shame.
This stands out as the type of game that if given another chance a sequel could have righted the wrongs of the first and also been a true showcase of the Xbox Series X’s claim to being the worlds most powerful console. I’ve just rebought this and been able to crank the resolution to max on my pc and it’s a visual treat, probably the best £2.00 I’ve spent in a long time.