Ryse: Son of Rome Review (Wandering Cavalry)
A Mediocre Fictional Roman Revenge Drama: More of an Interactive Movie Than an Action Game
7/10
Opening
Rome civilization, the pinnacle of classical antiquity, is known to everyone for its splendor and has long been a favorite subject of various artistic creations. Within the gaming industry, works with this background, such as Total War: Rome, Expeditions: Rome, Imperator: Rome, etc., although each has its highlights, are all mainly based on management and strategy. Action genre Rome games are almost absent from the market.
Ryse: Son of Rome, which was first released on Xbox 360 in 2013 and landed on PC the following year, is a rare AAA action title set in Rome. Its developer Crytek is famous for the hardware killer- Crysis series, the excellent visual effects in the trailer of Ryse: Son of Rome also make this work highly anticipated by players back then. Unfortunately, the extreme lack of depth and repetitive combat system, the imaginary and slightly incomprehensible plot, and the short linear campaign process make Rise: Son of Rome a mediocre work despite its relatively outstanding graphics.
Strength
Although it is no longer considered top-notch, the graphics of Rise: Son of Rome are still not outdated, and it still could present players with a unique Roman-era adventure. By playing the role of a fictional character, Marius Titus, players can not only fight on the front line like a centurion but also command legions as well. This game does a good job of creating a battlefield atmosphere and immersive gaming experience, the combat system is also notably easy to get started, and the defense and dodge judgments are very lenient. By reducing the enemy's health, players can perform execution consisting of QTE(Quick Time Event) checks. There is a wide range of execution animations full of brutal yet pure violent aesthetic art to enjoy. The campaign story draws upon Roman history before and after the Nero era. It is an entirely fictional revenge epic, and if you are familiar with Roman history, many dramatic plot arrangements in this game will make you applaud.
Weakness
The combat design of Rise: Son of Rome can only be described as a disaster. Instead of saying it is an action game, it would be more appropriate to say it is an interactive movie with certain action content. The extremely singular attack action module makes the combat of this game have no depth at all. The upgrade is also more focused on improving numerical values and experience acquisition and does not bring a diverse gaming experience in any way. Ranged weapons such as javelins and crossbows are also forced to aim automatically, with no sense of operation to any extent. The player must use perfect parrying to break through the BOSS's defense, the turn-based combat is incredibly dull. The forced locked-on camera also makes it difficult to change positions and cameras when facing multiple enemies, which brings a very torturous operating experience. Gladiator mode, which serves as the multiplayer of Ryse: Son of Rome is a PVE arena that supports up to two players, and it requires players to constantly grind to obtain high-tier equipment with enhanced attributes, but with such a lack of depth in the combat system, it becomes repetitive and boring.
The campaign of this game is entirely linear and the process is extremely short. Players who do not pursue collectibles in the game will complete the walkthrough quickly. Gaius Marius, Nero Claudius, Commodus Antoninus, Boudica, and other characters are all placed in the same era in Ryse: Son of Rome. The ancient Greek anecdote of Damocles has also been romanized, though there are many dramatic arrangements and historical easter eggs, players who do not know Roman history will only be confused. The game's plot slightly emphasizes personal heroism, it begins with promise but ends poorly. Many twists are very abrupt and lack foreshadowing, leaving players puzzled and giving a disappointing viewing experience. The fluctuating volume of the character's dialogues also has a particular impact on the plot.
Conclusion
As an action game, Rise: Son of Rome utterly lacks depth and diversity regarding combat. The playability of it is extremely low, and the design of the multiplayer mode itself is unremarkable as well. However, the sales of this work are unexpectedly good, and if you look at it from the perspective of an interactive movie with certain combat elements, Ryse: Son of Rome as a whole will give you a second-rate special effects movie-like game feeling; players only need to focus on fighting and moving and enjoy the plot with excellent immersive atmosphere, excellent execution action design and performance effects. The extremely short process can end before the poor combat makes the player feel bored too. For interested players, I would only recommend experiencing the campaign of Ryse: Son of Rome once, this is enough to represent almost all the content of the game.
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