Ryse: Son of Rome is a visual marvel, I'll give it that. It's got carnage - blood and chopped off body parts everywhere. If you demand historical accuracy and realism, give the game a hard pass. If you're looking for a game with an impactful story and memorable characters, give it a harder pass. If you're looking for a game with an intricate combat system and branching skill trees, then still, Ryse Son of Rome isn't for you. If you're obsessed with repetition to perfection and craving for a short yet dramatic cinematic experience, then it might just be up your alley. Actually, it's perfect for that, if it's what you're looking for.
The story is a pretty standard affair involving betrayal and vengeance, not unlike the ones typically seen in modern work of fiction revolving around Roman soldiers and gladiators. But you're not here for the story, you're here for the combat. And at the end of the campaign, if you've found comfort in the repetitiveness, perhaps you might want to test your barbarian-slashing skills in the multiplayer arenas.
The story is a pretty standard affair involving betrayal and vengeance, not unlike the ones typically seen in modern work of fiction revolving around Roman soldiers and gladiators. But you're not here for the story, you're here for the combat. And at the end of the campaign, if you've found comfort in the repetitiveness, perhaps you might want to test your barbarian-slashing skills in the multiplayer arenas.
Ryse Son of Rome takes place in an alternate version of ancient Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero. Even in this alternate universe, Nero is still pretty much a dick. But if that's not enough for you, Commodus too, is also present in this universe as one of Nero's two sons. And yes, just like his historical real-life counterpart, this fictional Commodus is also a megalomaniac who's obsessed with gladiatorial combat and sees himself as a god. So you can guess where the story is going.
You play as the main character Marius Titus, son of a renowned soldier-turned-senator. Following your father's footsteps as a soldier, you have just returned home from your post, but your family reunion is cut short by the sudden attack of barbarians, and you tragically lose your family in the process. Fueled by vengeance, you join the fourteenth legion of the Roman army on a campaign in Britannia, where you prove yourself to be not just a skillful warrior but an excellent leader in the battlefield. All these, in the end, lead you on an ambitious mission to topple a conspiracy, and finally, to exact your revenge on those truly responsible for your father's and mother's death.
It's nothing we haven't seen before, and that's pretty much there is to the story. Strangely enough, Ryse taught me that just because its main premise is weak, it doesn't mean that the plot is not engaging. Its singleplayer campaign is dramatic and chaotic, and is no short of action and drama. Combat in Ryse almost never stops, but because it's not that deep, it doesn't take long for it to get repetitive. It's easy to learn, and easy to master.
Ryse's combat revolves around counter-attacks, follow-up strikes and finishing moves, all of which rely on good timing. Blocking, parrying, and dodging are the means to get back at the enemies. You block only one enemy at a time, which is logical I guess. If you have two enemies attacking simultaneously from two different sides, obviously you get to block only one of them. The problem is when two enemies both strike simultaneously from the same side, one of the two strikes still registers despite your scutum (that menacingly large Roman shield) blocking them both. Regardless, this rarely happens but it's something to take note of and does break the suspension a bit.
Clad in an armor set that would've given Julius Ceasar wet dreams, and armed with a gladius and scutum, Marius Titus also carries a limited amount of pilla. They're perfect for range kills whenever you have a split second window of opportunity between all the slashing and parrying. Bigger enemies can take a hit, but the smaller bad guys stand zero chance.
The auto-aim, however, is not the most accurate especially in the heat of battle. I have been in situations where a large enemy is standing right in front of me, but instead of making him as the first target, Marius takes aim at a barricade that is way behind the enemy, costing me an unnecessary extra second to hover the crosshair back toward my intended target. That's certainly not a pleasant situation when you have a hulking monster charging right at you, and another three behind you.
Overall, it's tremendously fun while it lasted. The campaign took me around 5 hours to beat, but the rest of the fun was in the multiplayer. That's where I felt like perfecting the repetitions and mastering the combos. I teamed up with a rando, and for several days we went on a bloody fun-filled rampage in the arenas of Ryse. There are several modes available, so get yourself a friend to team up, and you're going to have a great time.
Ryse Son of Rome is indeed a visual marvel. It was released in 2013, and yet it still holds up very, very well. Sometimes it feels more like a showcase of graphic fidelity than an actual game. It often gets dirt cheap on sale, so if you're up for a short but fun campaign followed by some fun cooperative multiplayer sessions, then it's a no brainer: check out Ryse Son of Rome.
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