Centurion Games Review: Ryse: Son of Rome

Ryse: Son of Rome Video Game Review from Lover

Untitled Ryse: Son of Rome is the Crytek project, announced in the distant 2011 and released in 2013. That time it did not impress me, and I just forgot about this game, like I forgot about many others. I started playing it recently as my friend told me he was very excited about its gameplay. Surprisingly I was very pleased with it either. Very beautiful technologically, with interesting ideas and wonderful moments, but with a whole bunch of problems in design, the game now is my favorite one.

Gameplay

This stuff belongs to the RPG and action games. The story tells about difficult time for Rome, when a huge empire waged endless wars with barbarians in the north, and inside it was rotting from the stupidity and vanity of the ruling elite. You will play for an ambitious Roman legionary, who must save Rome from external and internal enemies, kill disagreeable personalities throughout the game. This general destroyed hundreds of enemies and now he is ready to destroy as much for the prosperity of his country. This person arranges furious fights and bloody battles and he is so strong that can kill even an elephant. His spear strikes enemies from huge distances.

This game is full of blood and cruelty. It amazed me with its stunning graphics (that overloaded the processor). The storyline will appeal to lovers of the Middle Ages, when people killed enemies only with hands and primitive weapon. The game uses Rome only as a decoration. I did not find there any historic line, just the fantasy elements close to its end. Also you can read about popular games about Rome.

General impressions

Despite some minuses, this is probably one of the best games about ancient Rome for today. I was very pleased that you can take control over your soldiers, when you are with them, in one line and give orders for them. In the beginning, there is a quick and easy training. All the heroes, walls, weapons, houses — everything is like in the movie. You can also make cool Combo, improve skills.

This is also a wonderful exciting story where the main character goes through the career ladder and gets to the rank of general, although there is no historical truth here. I found all battle scenes exciting and very realistic.

The cities’ architecture and fortifications of ancient Rome pleased my eye, the battle scenes where the main character had to take part, to seize cities, forts or to engage in their defense turned to be fantastically haunting and sometimes even scary. The legendary Coliseum picture let me remembering the times when I visited modern Rome and saw the construction ruins. The fighting on Coliseum arena is something. Probably each player will enjoy playing for a gladiator and feeling the roar of the crowd, killing rivals, using beautiful, staging techniques.

I would gladly pass this game several more times. I advise everyone to play it.

Graphics and Design

The design of the whole project in general is sustained at a decent level; it's hard to find some very serious minuses here. This is the game that RPG fans like to play, and the plot of the game is well expressed in it. With each mission, the game increasingly makes the player imagine himself a warrior of the Roman Empire. As for game mechanics, everything here is too simple, like in all games of this genre. However the graphics is at the highest level — even the smallest details, including shots from arrows can be seen.

Pros and cons

The storyline itself here is the most interesting thing; the picture is very colorful, well-detailed and created at the highest level. This is really a great game that has some minuses in mechanics, insufficient level of scenes shown there. All battles are a bit primitive. During the whole game the player just cuts the enemies, and then finishes with them using additional strokes. You will not use some unique weapons when playing for your hero, but many players like it.

The scenario seemed to me somewhat disjointed: there is not enough connection between the events. In general, the storyline needs more history, more dialogues, music and curious events. The whole game is quite schematic. There are 8 chapters there. Each chapter is one level with the introduction and the end. Thus, these schemes leave some blurred impressions.

To pass the game and go on with your missions you need to press certain buttons in time, and that's all. But not everything is so bad: anyway the fighting scenes always look amazing.

In the second half of the game you start understanding that you like this action. You become accustomed to mechanics and begin to get pleasure from it, although it is still primitive. The storyline does not slide into a typical fight and action cliché, but even has some intrigue, exciting events and a consistent and connected action. Even the main hero, who played the whole game as a silent soldier, begins showing its real character and you start to feel he is a good guy.

Untitled Ryse: Son of Rome is just a good game with great potential. If the authors were given a second chance, I think they could do something unique and amazing.