Ryse: Son of Rome REVIEW! Adam Sessler Reviews

[@xenovendeta]

Micro Transactions do NOT belong in full priced titles. I wish us as gamers and the media would be more outspoken about it. I refuse to buy full priced games that have RMT in it. The devs can claim all they want that it doesn't mess with the development. They are flat out lying. Anyone with a brain can see it.

[@RunTheFishMarket]

Killzone is not charging for DLC

[@oXObsidianXo]

FILTRSUS DLC's are not microtransactions. And I agree with Eric, microtransactions should be limited to Free to play games. If I pay $60 for a game, I don't wanna pay another $30 in microtransactions.

[@danielray7909]

I'm really okay if microtransactions are what they are in League of Legends but in full price game form. They don't really give you an edge for the most part, just speed progression or make you look pretty.

[@itsacharcoalice]

oXObsidianXo You don't HAVE to, but I also think the option for microtransactions for paid games SHOULD. *NOT*. *_EXIST_*

[@MrNosec]

oXObsidianXo BF4 Premium Addon - 49.99€ BF4 Deluxe- 69.99€ EA is the king of stealing.

[@MrZeddie15]

Dumbest thing is that on the finishing moves if you hit the wrong button it doesn't matter.

[@hatesstupidpeople1946]

yeah it does, you don't get as many points which really matters online

[@FINALB]

That is what Crytek do. They focus more on Technical advancements with Graphics than other technical stuff. Crysis series went to downhill in many aspects, but getting better graphics with the Engine. Warface looks great as F2P, but does not bring something different compared to other FPS's F2P (at least with PC games). Now applying the same method with a Hack n' Slash Action adventure game, Ryse.

[@defusedbox]

Are people honestly saying that he has brand loyalty to Sony and thats why he gave this a 2/5, c'mon people this is Adam Sessler, that is very unlike him, and yes, the game actually looks like an uninspired piece of garbage

[@Tatious31616]

Too true. Especially considering he gave an insanely good review of Forza. OH NOES HE DOESN'T LIKE AN XBOX GAME, HE MUST BE GETTING PAID OFF BY SONY is such a childish and pathetic kind of thing to say.

[@TileWonder]

The funny thing is people were saying he had brand loyalty to Microsoft a few weeks back because of him defending the Xbox One countless times before release and all that. A bunch of delusional fanboys on each side basically only hearing what they want to hear.

[@Tatious31616]

TileWonder Yeah, pretty much every time he's even thought to criticise or praise Sony recently he's had to tag "I know everyone out there seems to think I hate Sony." on to the beginning.

[@rodrigo_deway]

In Adam we trust!!

[@Suckmymagnum2290]

Adam would never be biased in a review. We all know adam and watch his reviews because he has built up not only credit within the industry but credit with us, the gamers. So these launches are essentially the same. 1 good looking driver, Forza/driveclub(delayed), One decent pretty game, Killzone/DR3. And one game we thought would be good but isn't, Knack/Ryse. Wont include indies/f2p dont need the hate on this comment.

[@TerminatorJuice]

It's official, the Wii U has hands down the best lineup of games for this holiday. . . unless you only play sports games that is! It has the best exclusives as well as many of the 3rd party games that are on "next gen" and current gen systems! Do yourselves favor and give the Wii U a chance people!

[@Esakosarara]

it better... it's been out for a year or so

[@mackf33]

It's the best current gen console lineup but if you're new to gaming the last gen consoles have the best game line up in history :)

[@Blanqsin]

It has been out for a year lol, compare WiiU's launch titles to X1 & PS4 launch titles...

[@Esakosarara]

Hokagae 火影サスケ . . . nothing?

[@thalesn]

Hokagae 火影サスケ Acording to Metacritic, the Wii U's launch titles are actually better. NSMB. U has a 84, better than any exclusive from Sony or Microsoft.

[@Kinglik7]

I'm tired of people trying to say the batman games combat is not any better than this. It's waaayy better. Not nearly as repetitive. You do more than block, counter and attack. There's stun, double and triple counters, all his gadgets, dodge counters, special takedowns, and other moves I'm forgetting. If you know what you're doing you have to use all main and back buttons. And there's definitely more varied enemy types. If all else fails, Batman still has pretty good stories and everyone loves the predator/stealth gameplay. I thrive off it. Apparently some people didn't touch Arkham City.

[@AlloySevenVideo]

Great review, as always, Adam. Unfortunately, everything you said seemed apparent from watching all the previews and trailers from the game. I can't imagine how one would have thought this game was going to be good from the footage made available prior to launch.

[@AntiRivet]

Hey Adam, PS4 owner, former professional voice actor, published writer, musician and gaming enthusiast here. I threw those credentials out to give semi-credibility to my next couple of statements. I feel your stance on this game's story may have been a tad unfair, in retrospect. As I sit, watching through the game's cutscenes, it's done a good job of keeping my attention. In all fairness though, I'm watching Ryse, not playing it. I feel that this game may, in fact, be much more fun to watch than it is to play which may have diminished the experience for you. For every 5 to 10 minutes of story, there's 30 minutes to an hour of gameplay, I understand that. However, in its story crafting's entirety, I find this to be a good departure form the video game norm. Sure, we have a ton of media like "300", "Spartacus", "Gladiator" and so forth, but this is the first, and honestly the best looking, adaptation of something like this that has been popular as of late in the video game world. Yes, heavy handed melodrama can be a turn off, but it honestly seems to have the best story of the new generation's current line-up, with the exception of Knack. At the end of the day, this game is meant to be a testament to the Xbone's graphical capability and hardware stability under said circumstances. I still get where you're coming from though. Sincerely, An Infernal Unicorn

[@natandjai]

Sadly even if you claim to be what you are, the games is just an example of everything related around bad writing clashed writing and stolen moments. Fuel that with uninspired game play and the only pluses are voice acting and graphics. which never make a great game. example also from Crytek "Crysis 3" with the exact same issues as this. Also a complete lack of multilayer other than arena which even has a pay to win element!. the game is just mediocre at it's very best.

[@AntiRivet]

Yeah, I don't know the slightest bit regarding the gameplay; haven't played it myself and since I've watched all of the story, I don't plan to. My statement was that the story was better to watch than it was to play through. I stand by that statement. I already, previously pointed out what I believed were flaws with the story. However Adam's claim that the developers were somehow super enthralled by these old concepts and attempted to make them feel like an experienced nuance simply isn't true. Though I won't get into it very much here, I've always said that launch titles on consoles are not "game of the year" material. At best, they are playable technical demos that everyone, both developers and consumers, look to to understand what needs to stay, what needs to be enhanced and what needs to go. This game's story presentation was so heavy handed and expressed in that way because, first and foremost, it's a playable technical demo. The level of detail in the characters' faces, the way that vocal performance is lent to both facial and body motion that appear to be, for lack of a better term, realistic are the fore-most concern of developers creating launch titles. Once again, I have no opinion on the gameplay, as I haven't played it. Could be terrible, I don't know, but I still stand by my statement.

[@TheinnerCircl3]

A game most defining aspect by far is its game-play because when you took that specific aspect away it is no longer a video game. Game-play could be as simple as a series of QTE but when executed properly gives the player a unique experience separate from other mediums such as television/books. As someone who has play this game it is not the case , the combat is uninspiring and repetitive in nature. Even if you enjoy the story which in my opinion does not come close to the like "last of us" or" bio-shock infinite" in term of writing or voice acting (but this is subjective) a large portion of the game became a chore for you to do in order to get that next piece of story-line. The most impressive aspect of this game is its graphical prowess , showing the case that it is a next gen title. But that alone does not make a good game. Most of us know that launch title has always been less than stellar , but as long as they charge me 60$ , I would always scrutinize it in the same manner as other similar priced AAA titles. Shit game is shit regardless of the circumstances of their release.

[@AntiRivet]

Once again, and I feel like I have to keep explaining this, I neither know nor care about the gameplay. My statement was solely about the game's story. My statement was that it seems more fun to watch than it is to play. Take that as you will.

[@TheinnerCircl3]

I suggest watching movies =)

[@DEATHxTHExKIDx1]

I was right to hold off on Next gen. Like I thought none of these launch titles make me feel like I should go out and buy a PS4/X1 right now. Granted they are launch titles so games will get better over time. But for now I'm just gonna wait til the Infamous:SS bundle.

[@kinglookgood]

If you want a good Next Gen game Pick up a Wii U, because XB1/PS4 have nothing interesting right now and wont until next year.

[@oBCHANo]

kinglookgood HAHAHAHA, that's a pretty funny joke.

[@bev1034]

kinglookgood wiiU isnt next gen its sligtly better than current gen

[@Jexiah8bit]

Agreed.

[@otetas69]

oBLACKIECHANoo joke? Whats the joke that he said?

[@rotor13]

I'm disappointed. The game looks so pretty and it had lots of potential.... but my fears were right... the game suffers from QTE fighting, and extremely repetitive gameplay. Even God of War as a traditional hack & slash game was able to break up the monotony where the game still felt fun and not drudging you along the entire time.

[@ResidentReveler]

God of war was fun because you could FUCK SHIT UP!! That's why!! In Ryse, you fight not more than big dudes. So killing 5-10 human enemies will get boring, especially if it's a hack & slash game.

[@Ps3COD4Fan]

"DON'T YOU FORGET TO MENTION THE TITS, GOD OF WAR SHOWED TITTIES" -Roman Bellic.

[@metlguitar02]

Adam Sess is a genuine and honest reviewer. MUCH RESPECT.

[@wizzzer1337]

Quyke Tyme Events! and this is really disappointing considering how Crytek used to champion games that thrive on open, vast spaces like Far Cry and Crysis. it's such a shame that they were elected of all developers to make such a vapid celluloid of a launch game. such a waste of talent!

[@rootbeermcgee]

To be far it was originally a kinect game then they scrapped it and implemented the controller. Game looks real good but fuck "Press X: Pressing Intensifies - The Game" thing game devs are doing now.

[@kungfukid79]

There are not really any qte's in the game have you played it!!

[@wizzzer1337]

are you daft? look at this fucking game and tell me with a straight face that the combat system isn't a QTE based finisher game. and guess what, Adam just showed you that you don't even need to press the buttons, the QTE after a certain time will DO ITSELF! "have you played it?"- i don't need to play it to CLEARLY see that this game has a dreadful combat system.

[@TriHeldan]

lamafist The game does have qte's they just tried(lazily) masked it. You don't see the slow downs prompting you to press the correct buttons?

[@kungfukid79]

There is no button prompt that displays and has to be pressed to complete the event, which is a QTE, although this is similar it is not the same.

[@AhmazinSKM]

The most startling thing about this game is it being the 2nd, "pay your way" game on the Xbox One. It's one thing to have micro-transactions on F2P games, because, well, they're free. But to have to pay again for a game, that you already paid $60 for is ridiculous. Hopefully people that buy this game, won't fall into that money trap.

[@guybricknellii9676]

Killer Instinct does the same lame ass shit as well...

[@RustySh4ckelfrd]

Guy Bricknell II Not exactly. There is a free version of KI, then there are upgraded versions of it along the way, which culminates at a normal $60 price tag which gets you the full game, as you would expect. So really, MS is actually giving you a way to try the game for less money, instead of making you pay $60 up front. It's actually a pretty good deal.

[@AhmazinSKM]

I thought I had watched a lot of video of Ryse. Does anyone remember any mention of in game purchases?

[@guybricknellii9676]

I haven't heard anything about micro-transactions UNTIL this video. CryTek and M$ was pretty quit about it...

[@AirahsELL]

EA actually pioneered this stupid practice with Dead Space 3 because their focus testing resulted in them saying that people enjoyed "pay your way" systems in mobile games so they'll obviously enjoy it in a full console release. How they made that leap in logic is anyone's guess, but the reason that this shit exists in big budget console releases is because people have used it in free-to-play phone games.

[@XDRONIN]

I DO Love the poetry Adam S. sets into to shred a game, he just doesn't say it is a terrible game, but rather the finer points... In a UNIVERSE of English dialogue with passion & objectivity of how much it really sucks. Me, I would have simple said... Dude!, it sucks; don't buy it. I give this review... a 5 out of 5. X)

[@Fuzunga]

The historical inaccuracies of this game bother me. For example, I've seen a bit of gameplay where the Colosseum is clearly visible in the backdrop, yet the game takes place during the reign of Emperor Nero before the Colosseum was constructed. In fact, Nero's gigantic palace should be standing in its place. He was so disliked by all of Rome that the following emperor, Vespasian, had the palace demolished and constructed public works in its place, one of which was the Colosseum. It wasn't even finished until emperor Titus in 80 CE. I believe Domitian even added a few features to it (possibly the substructure under the stage) after that. It was originally called the "Flavian Amphitheater" after the three emperors of the Flavian Dynasty. Anyway, there's your history lesson for the day. I can only imagine they stuck it in there because 1) it's pretty and 2) it's recognizable.

[@TeknOxSniper]

Did you see the interview from Crytek on this channel? It is not supposed to be historically accurate in any way.

[@Fuzunga]

That's what bothers me!

[@cloudtx]

Thanks for the info!. I really like to read about history so your post was really nice. It figures that they weren't historically accurate, same thing used to happen when game developers were all making WWII games.

[@KeenApollo]

Fuzunga its a video game LOL

[@Fuzunga]

***** No, because they don't call it Los Angeles. It's a fictional city based on a real place, which a lot of games do. That gives them the freedom to go wild.

[@DarkW0lverine]

This didn't surprise me, Crytek have always been about looking pretty while having little substance. Kind of like supermodels. Crytek; the Victoria's Secret of gaming. (That sounds like a compliment but it's not)

[@HaveButOneLife]

This game looks garbage, the only thing that looks decent is the armor.

[@DarkW0lverine]

varskee Before you try to question someone's intellect, maybe start by learning to read, yeah? Didn't I say "looks pretty but has little substance"? Or do you not know what words mean as well? Judging by your comment, you need a lot of literacy skills polished cause you can't spell and have embarrassing grammar.

[@VoidVox_]

This was clearly Microsoft trying to copy the huge success of the God of War franchise, and they failed miserably. Here is a suggestion, Microsoft, why dont you come up with your own ideas? Playstation has always had much more interesting exclusives. Xbox has really only had Halo and Gears of War. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, Microsoft comes up with next as their big exclusive.

[@Trinbagodreamer]

Yup definitely not getting either console till next year for the earliest and that is only if Watchdogs and The Division prove to be better on consoles, otherwise I'm just gonna rebuild my PC and call it a day.

[@JustiniZHere]

rebuilding your PC is the better option easily.

[@PhilomathBret]

Justin iZ Here Yeah, as long as you can rebuild it to play Naughty Dog games.

[@PhilomathBret]

Have fun whackin' off to your graphics and hardware specs while I'm playing Sony exclusives like Uncharted.

[@videogamejo]

PhilomathBret This. Playstation has awesome exclusives. I wouldn't be happy with just a PC. Especially when PC doesn't get every game at launch. You have to make petitions just for ports. Look at GTA V.

[@JackgarPrime]

You could buy a WiiU, at least. It's got Mario out tomorrow!

[@Portknocks]

Amazon was just in process of shipping, I'm glad they offer that cancellation option even while in process. Just purchased Battlefield 4 to fill up my lineup of 2k14, Forza and Dead Rising. Thanks Adam

[@BringTheBase252]

No matter what anyone says, Ryse: Son of Rome is a great game. The graphics are amazing and the executions are bad ass.

[@TheDrunkardHu]

oh sess.... you black widow spider! you lure the right people in with your interest in the titles (which i don't doubt is authentic), then you expose them and inject the deadly venom of your rightfully respected opinion of justice. you're pretty much a super hero. i can't even form an analogy for how awesome you are... you just have all the right words, and i thank you for that...

[@idecaboutmyusername]

This game was fantastic! Just got all the achievements earlier today. Loved every second of it.

[@sdsdinclover]

"People say that graphics don't matter, but play Crysis and tell me they don't matter," Yerli said. "It's always been about graphics driving gameplay." "Graphics, whether it's lighting or shadows, puts you in a different emotional context and drives the immersion," Yerli said. "And immersion is effectively the number one thing we can use to help you buy into the world." "The better the graphics, the better the physics, the better the sound design, the better the technical assets and production values are--paired with the art direction, making things look spectacular and stylistic is 60 per cent of the game," Yup, Graphics are 60% of a Crytek game... Hows that working for you? Maybe you stick with generic ass Crysis, so your flaws don't shine through.

[@TheHB0MB]

They don't matter... Gameplay over Graphics any day!!!

[@XxxxBEELZEBUBxxxX]

graphics are as important as gameplay. thats why killer instinct for xbox one is way better than killer instinct for snes. but of course people think it makes them sound mature and intelligent if they say gameplay is important and graphics aren't

[@TheHB0MB]

XxxxBEELZEBUBxxxX I disagree, gameplay makes way more of an impact on a game than the graphics, for instance: All of the Crysis games are super pretty but honestly I would rather play Halo over any Crysis game because it is way more fun!

[@sdsdinclover]

XxxxBEELZEBUBxxxX LMAO, well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black! Graphics improve because technology improves, not out of a need for graphics to be better. If graphics were really as important as you say, everyone would be rocking a high end gaming PC. On top of that, if Graphics were AS important as gameplay, we would not be able to go back and play older games. Text based games never would have took off, and games like Minecraft would flop faster than the Sega Dreamcast. Face it, its not about being mature, its about reality. Graphics matter, but no where near the level you seem to think they do. P.S. Killer Instinct looks better because its made with today's tech rather than yesterday's, and "better" is subjective.

[@Berto6251]

XxxxBEELZEBUBxxxX - graphics are as important as gameplay - No they are not. Are they important...sure they have to be appealing to the eyes and keep you visually interested however I find game play 100X more important. Look at this game here Ryse. Looks amazing yet it plays like @$$

[@Legion640]

A good honest review Adam. Unlike some reviewers that name a bunch of cons for a game and still give it a good score anyway. We need more reviewers out there that are willing to put a game down for what it is.

[@wastnTIMEwastnTIME]

Freddie! :-D

[@TheXtamac]

It's hard for me to apply the reviews to the video footage, it just looks so damn pretty.

[@stryker1121]

QTEs, microtransactions, bland gameplay and pretty visuals. Devs are going to have to try *much* harder. Not spending a thin dime on either console until these early jitters are out of the way.

[@fernandolourenco7626]

You forgot to mention the game costs $60 and has microstransactions in it. You can purchase your upgrades with real money and for the discounted price of $20 you get yourself a season pass because people will obviously want to do the same shit over and over again on a different setting and 2 cool skins, a pink one is included. What a bargain!

[@beatdownboogie]

Hey Adam, didn't Ryse start as a Kinect title before being shifted to a "regular" $60 title? I would love to see game journalists discuss the impact that had on gameplay, and the motivations behind it's shift away from Kinect.

[@Whatpumpkin123]

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!! NOT ONLY ARE THEY MAKING GAMES EASY AS SHIT NOW A DAYS BUT, NOW I CAN JUST PAY MY WAY THROUGH THE GAME? 5:18 WHAT'S THE POINT OF PLAYING THE GAME IF I CAN JUST PAY TO WIN! HEAVEN FORBID I BE CHALLENGED AND HAVE TO GET BETTER AT THE GAME BECAUSE WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT. OH WAIT GAMERS DO!!!

[@AloversGaming]

Hey think of it this way! If paying to get progress is something a lot of casuals do than developers might up the difficulty of games, so us real gamers will actually need to start using our brains again in video games. At least that's the the hope :P

[@Whatpumpkin123]

***** Maybe. Candy crush is a good example of that. Then again candy crush is a phone game that you can buy for free.

[@PumpkinSmasher85]

I was on the fence with this one, mainly wanting it in the hope it would be that decent story-driven single player game that seems to be missing at launch. I guess this isn't it.

[@ScraftyDoo]

You should rent it, personally I saw this game as rentable game with no replay ability, but you should at least try it because u were interested.

[@PumpkinSmasher85]

Maybe one day I'll have a look, but the only thing drawing me to it at all now is the look of it.

[@piggygobyebye]

"So enraptured by its own epiphany, that you'd think it was written by a 12 year old." So, um. This reminds me a lot of a certain Ken Levine game that came out recently. LifeSurprise: Unending, or something to that extent.

[@zantam321]

So true.

[@sebastianGunnarson71]

I'm confused, are you talking about Bioshock Infinite? Infinite had great writing, it wasn't some deep metaphorical complex narrative like some people like to think, but it was extremely well written for a video game and don't try to say otherwise

[@zantam321]

***** It was pretty terrible to be honest.

[@sebastianGunnarson71]

zantam321 Comstock: "And when the angel Columbia gave unto The Founders the tools to build the new eden, they did so without hesitation. For Eighty-Five years, they prepared the way of the lord. But when the great Apostate came he brought War with him and the fields of Eden were soaked with the blood of brothers. The only Emancipation he had to offer, was death." Clearly 12 year old writing right there. Seriously though infinite's writing was fantastic especially for a video game, anyone who says otherwise either needs to replay the game or is just fucking clueless and did not pay any attention as they played the game. Or you are just trying to put yourself on a pedestal by saying something that is great isn't up to your standards. The gameplay was meh, the writing was as good as anything we've ever seen in video games and the world was fucking beautiful. Let's see you produce something half as good and then you can talk

[@piggygobyebye]

***** The fact that you have to qualify your praise with "for a videogame" just shows how desperate people like you are to find a poster-child for "games are art." So desperate that you'll quickly defend and praise a game like Bioshock Infinite for all the wrong reasons. It reminds me of when people heralded The Dark Knight for "rising above it's comic book roots"; comic book roots are nothing that needs to be risen above and they thought the movie was good for all the wrong reasons. If Bioshock Infinite added anything to the first person landscape it was a great sense of movement and verticality in gameplay. Not it's pretentious story which pussyfooted around serious issues and expected people to praise it for doing so.

[@BallotBoxer]

Psst, Rev3 video editor: You're missing the Audible title card at 7:23

[@evirobtion]

I was a bit worried about bias with the low ps4 reviews on rev3 but they have proved me wrong thankfully. Seems next gen is not quite here yet. Keep up the good work Sess and Tara ;)

[@Malky36t]

Well Adam did say they've had a lot more time with the Xbox One then the PS4 so there will probably be more PS4 content next week

[@ChrisTowerzTV]

After reading some of the comments below, I notice a pattern that people fail to realize that at the end of the day, this is simply Adam Sessler's review of Ryse. This is HIS review, how HE feels about that game, HIS thoughts on it. I recognize that him being a celebrity in the gaming community and having experience in the game/tech world makes him somewhat of an "expert" on the topic, but this review is completely and totally subjective and not fact. Just because he feels that it's a bad game and gave it a very poor score doesn't make it a bad game and definitely should NOT stop you from purchasing it if you want it. Be yourself and own up to your choices. I've played this game (don't own it) and love it. When I do finally purchase an Xbox One, this will definitely be a game that I pick up. I feel like the graphics are amazing but at the same time the gameplay is repetitive, as is expected of most hack-n'-slash games with some upgrades here and there. But the point that I want to drive home is that it's MY opinion, and this video review is SESSLER's opinion. So stop being another mindless drone, grow a pair, and have your own damn opinion.

[@TheReese1308]

The begging of this review caused me to laugh out loud in the middle of a cafeteria full of people, but I have to say it was totally worth the momentary embarrassment to feel so justified in what I said months ago. Ryse aka QuickTime the game could only be one thing. Terrible, now please excuse me while I gloat in my friends ear.

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

The quality of this game is so typical for big budget releases, great presentation and wide audience accessibility. But you also get bland unbalanced gameplay and low replayability.

[@maxpaynegk]

Agreed

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

That's why I don't buy games with lots of scripted events, because they're always made for the "honeymoon" period of play. MP3 was the biggest offender for this, such a dissapointment even today.

[@wpgm1]

Anyone comparing this to the Batman: Arkham series' combat are high as a kite. Ryse is being called terrible because it's a tedious load of bollocks and the rest of the game isn't good enough to hold up the combat even if it wasn't rubbish. Don't take it so personally, if it's bad it's bad, but don't resort to poorly thought out absurdity. You're still allowed to like it, just don't make a fool of yourselves.

[@DescantOne]

nigga, i wish i was high as a kite right now

[@MikaveliThaDon]

RYSE: SON OF ROME - REVIEWS Eurogamer - 5/10 Joystiq 2.5/5 Polygon 6/10 Shacknews 5/10 OXM 7/10 IGN 6.8/10 Kotaku Yes GameInformer 6/10 nowgamer 5.5/10 metro 3/10 rev3 2/5 gamespot 4/10 Destructoid 5/10 videogamer 6/10 gamesradar 3.5/5 IGN 6.8/10. Source: VG247

[@tknmch7807]

It's sad when your launch title is getting worse reviews than knack

[@ImAlexGoodwin]

Kotaku gave it a yes? Really?

[@joedatius]

I honestly rather play knack

[@itsacharcoalice]

Deadeye287 It's Kotaku, what did you expect?

[@smartmouth4444]

Knack was actually pretty decent in my opinion.

[@2goldapples]

I loved Ryse :(

[@SkipToGame]

Great review! I feel that if Ryse: Son of Rome wasn't a next-gen launch title, I don't think anyone would even bother to look at it on a store shelf. It just looks like an attempt to mix the "spectacle fighter" genre with the movie "Gladiator".

[@MeltingMarshmallows1]

I feel like this is going to be a problem with next generation games, people are getting too obsessed with graphics and its becoming all some people care about. This is a beautiful game, absolutely stunning, but that doesn't matter. I would play God of War 1 over this anyday, not even the HD version, because of the fantastic combat, story, and areas. Graphics are nice, but who cares if the games shit!

[@MrWhiteMOl3]

Don't forget that it's an opinion. Sessler has never been a fan of games that play like this. Not saying the game is good or bad but bring it down a little.

[@tremblez1]

Completely agree with you. Oh yeah, and Fallout Pip-Boy avatar FTW xD

[@sub4you282]

I wouldn't worry about that if you're a PlayStaion fan. Most of their first party studios care a lot about gameplay and story.

[@badcomany10]

you're forgetting about Naughty Dog, they know how to blend both and create epicness.

[@doCrimes]

***** While I do agree that gameplay is sometimes forgotten about in all of the pretty textures and particle effects, the difference with ND is that the gameplay doesn't suffer from the amazing presentation. The gameplay in the Uncharted games and in The Last of Us, at least in my opinion, was well done and really fun. Never once in one of their games was I like "man, this game looks great and all but the gameplay is kind of broken and boring."

[@audacityknight]

This critic way overanalyzed this game - disclaimer: it's a game, not a film appreciation nor a science project presentation. Chill.

[@ggary04]

The sess overanalyzes everything he plays.... I mean comon, an 8 minute review filled with big words that probably half of the gamers watching this can't even grasp lol. With that said it looks ok

[@audacityknight]

***** There is a difference between being extraneously verbose and being succinct. This critic was conspicuously trying too hard in projecting to his audience that he was a perceptive analyzer, unfortunately, he failed.

[@SocXiety]

I couldn't disagree more. While some people may be fine with super basic uninspired reviews someone like Sess brings an angle that is much less fulfilled. Which is more indepth and well thought out reviews. Sure he makes a lot of references in it that may fly over your head to movies and such, but the core of what he's saying is still appropriate and insightful.

[@l4mpl0ver]

No, he really didn't. But this game was made for a certain fan base and that fan base likes Call of Battle: 2k69, Extra Gritty.

[@theforgotten170]

He might use big words, but the overall point still stands: this game is BORING. It's repetitive, uninspired, and a blatant cash grab.

[@jsc315]

I had expectations this was just going to be a pretty game with really uninteresting story and paint by numbers combat and Adam and many others Reviews seems to have proven my expectations correct. This seems to be a very average at best launch title. You would think for a launch title that MS is really pushing they would have put a lot more effort into it other then just the shiny graphics. Also the "Pay to Win" feature really is scary to see so early on in these game. It's almost as if MS just cares about that they get your $$$ then the quality of game and that is very disheartening.

[@DreamStepper]

He said the micro-transactions are totally unneccessary.

[@andrecyr5778]

Don't blame MS it's not like CRYTEK is a start up company .it's freaking CRYTEK they are 100% to blame for the mediocre game than again CRYTEK was always mediocre .All their games are all PRETTY/AVERAGE .My only critic to MS is that they should have hired a better studio to make a game for them not crytek.

[@jsc315]

DreamStepper i know, and that make me wonder as to why its would even be in the game if that is the case.

[@jsc315]

Andre Cyr fair point.

[@andrecyr5778]

Also the game is not pay to win .they don't force you to buy the upgrades ,it's just there for the lazy and stupid you can't blame them for that .They don't force you to buy it,you can earn every upgrade on your own by just playing the game .

[@demon2thousand443]

Don't get me wrong, i am not saying this is the best damn game ever BUT i cant help but feel that most if not all next gen games are being under rated

[@kesquisse]

No, sessler is just biased. Play Ryse for yourself and you'll see what i'm saying. Half of what he said in this review is inaccurate and I'm surprised this many people are sheepish enough to continue watching his reviews.

[@ForTrueStory]

kesquisse mind saying whats inaccurate about the review? i really want to know

[@coffle1]

kesquisse Which part of the review was inaccurate? You can say you liked the game, but I don't see how anything he pointed out in his review wasn't true.

[@ChickenWilickers]

christ, I think the game would have been pretty cool if instead of making it a generic hack&slash I wish they made it some kinda squad game. Where you move as an entire unit and that should be the focus. AFAI the romans werent really famous for having famous singular soldiers, and it was disaaproved of. And this monetary double-dipping is just ridiculous...

[@MikeKolb]

Funny these aren't QTEs, Quick Time Events, as QTEs are in a cinematic cutscene and failure upon button prompts means game over, restart from checkpoint. In Ryse these are optional executions and the game is a lot more enjoyable if you focus on the rhythm of the action watching the main character either reach for his sword or not (instead of reacting to yellow or blue outlines/ Y or X). Check out Kotaku's review to see what I mean. There they also mention the Mass Effect 3 multiplayer like content you can buy with real money or earned currency just as in Ryse's co-operative mode.

[@McScroggz]

Dude, they are QTE's. There is no debate there. Whether or not that is good or bad is subjective, but you're in denial if you think they are anything other than QTE's. Also, you're absolutely wrong about QTE's needing to be in cutscenes and that failure means game over. In fact, I'd say most QTE's don't meet that expectation. Be honest with yourself.

[@MikeKolb]

Dude, no they are not and saying there is no debate there you're obviously not aware of what's going on with the internet. It's hard to classify the gameplay mechanic because this is the first time it's been used. It's a combination of a few things, the button prompt surprise of QTE and the fatality moves from something like a Mortal Kombat game. Trigger the execution move and then do nothing and the enemy soldier dies, therefore you don't get penalized (the main element of a QTE). Trigger the execution move and follow along with the action reacting to the beautiful animation and you'll reap the rewards which you can then use to purchase more extravagant moves and so on. That's a feedback loop and it works pretty well. It would have been great to have a better variation in enemy soldiers but calling the combat executions QTE is misinformed. That's understandable, this is the first time any developer has done this.

[@Filbertfriend]

Mike Kolb This is not the first time it has been used. There are countless other games that use QTE just like Ryse does.

[@MikeKolb]

Filbertfriend I never said this game was the first with QTEs because like I said these aren't QTEs lol. The development team behind Ryse: Son of Rome has talked about their influence of the Batman and Assassin's Creed games for their action combat. This is the first time a developer has done this optional execution move integration which again are not QTEs.

[@NaN00000]

Quickius Timius Eventius: The Game

[@elsevillaart]

Damn, if this game had the system of infinity blade gameplay, it will be golden, i got bored of combat just by watching this review, thats sad, because it looks really good.

[@christop672]

What happened to all the "Forza doesn't look that good, Sess must've been payed by Microsoft to give it a good score" that was plaguing yesterday's review? I guess the check hasn't cleared yet. Thanks for the review Adam.

[@sammariscal1723]

6:07 My reaction to Google getting rid of timestamps.

[@TragicTopGun50]

All of the negatives in this game relates to the Batman game series, but yet Batman get's praised because "I'm Batman." But, FUCK IT! Batman is awesome, and blahblahblah. Am I doing game journalism right guys?

[@Whacintosh]

No you're not. Go away.

[@edge68x43]

The Batman games were extremely open, and they have some comedy (unlike Ryse), also I hate DC and the Dark Night trilogy (it was one giant fucking plot hole after another and a shit batman, I wish Christian Bale becomes mute) so don't say I have a biased when I say the games are great.

[@mjxbox]

edge68x43 i agreed i never was a fan of them batman movies

[@edge68x43]

mjxbox Thank you, they were fucking turds, then again it was a shitty director and a terrible leading actor, really the only reason why they became famous is because Heath Ledger (an amazing actor who took a shitty one dimensional like the Dark Night Joker and made it barely watchable, and his other movies were great) died and that was his last movie.

[@eazzii_m5408]

the combat in batman is alot better than the combat in ryse. That was a ignorant comment

[@Perkustin]

I suppose this is why Hack n' Slashers always have a fantastical bestiary and setting. Simply fighting relatively realistic humans gets stale fast and it's difficult to add diversity of opponents without having fantasy creatures or unrealistic behaviour.

[@audacityknight]

I think this game is PERFECT for after a hard day at work, school, with family, with girlfriend, and/or soon to be ex-wife. I could care less about the scholastic and the Shakespearean literary story-line these prudish critics forces this game to be.

[@LonelyKnightess]

You can say that about almost any game. Just because you like blanking your mind out to a game doesn't excuse for it being shit.

[@brendan888123]

***** The game isn't shit if you've played it. Find anybody on youtube who did a playthrough of this game and said they didn't enjoy it... TheRADBrad, VintageBeef, GhostRebo, ssohpkc all loved this game.

[@BRAINDAWG1O1]

Well, I see now why the embargo for this game wasn't lifted until 24 hours before the launch of the Xbox One, Microsoft probably didn't want too much bad press before their system came out.

[@AetherealWalk]

It seems that they made this game to impress investors, showing the graphical capabilities of CryEngine 3, while simultaneously getting paid exclusive-deal $$$ by Microsoft. To sum up this game, Crytech made a tech demo at Microsoft's expense…

[@sejembalm]

For a sword-fighting game, a favorite is Gladiator Begins for the PSP. Released in 2010, it places the player in the sandals of a slave trained briefly in combat and thrown into the arenas of ancient Rome, 180 AD. learn attack moves from opponents (and hopefully survive them), avoid their attacks and hit them at the right opportunity without exhausting yourself. There are four combat styles (small shield, large shield, dual weapon, and pugilist fist weapons) with their fortes and foibles. Fist weapons are fast but very short-ranged and not having a huge tower shield to protect you or bash foes with makes you vulnerable. Parry attacks and bash away an opponent's weapons, shields, helmets and armor to get at their tender meat. Collect this struck-off gear as prizes to sell or use or refine into something better, if you survive the match. Continue to fight to buy your freedom, become the champion of the arena, or help your patron. A terrific little game for the handheld!

[@FalconOfStorms]

That sounds kind of bad. But, still better than Ryse.

[@sejembalm]

Seraph O. Storms What sounds bad about Gladiator Begins? The repetitive nature of arena combat? Par for the course. I liked the combat system: learn moves from others and the attacks are rated for how tiring they are to perform so players don't constantly spam acrobatic moves. Hoping for a gladiator (or Bushido Blade 2) sequel for the Vita!

[@CherryPauper]

To be fair, I don't think there exists a game by Crytek that has a decent plot. And don't say Crysis.

[@CherryPauper]

***** I work hard for my money. When I buy a game, I expect 1 of 2 things (or both): Excellent gameplay and/or compelling narrative. This game has neither, in my opinion. I think it's absolutely asinine for you to call these "unrealistic expectations."

[@WithaK97]

***** The thing is, if a game is trying to tell a story, it should tell a good one. If it's garbage, what's the point having one? Crysis,for example, isn't very cohesive and did not compel to finish the game despite its gorgeous graphics and suit powers.

[@CherryPauper]

***** Haha I feel the same way. I feel like the Crysis series is just to see how far your PC can go. And then we just played the game because we had it. I completed them all the way through, but it wasn't memorable at all.

[@NerdyTurd307]

***** the counter argument to that is that if a game doesn't have a story worth telling, then why bother? a little self awareness is nice. e.g. bulletstorm doesn't have a fantastic story, but at least it treats it like an over the top adrenaline fueled story than the next timeless classic

[@Walt_Xander94]

***** When a game cost $60, of course we expect everything in the game to be worth it. If the story is garbage, then there shouldn't be a story mode at all. For example, I've been hearing that CoD Ghosts story mode sucks, which will be very bad for CoD games. The story modes in CoD have always been good, especially Black Ops, it would be a shame if Infinity Ward starts putting effort only in multiplayer & not story mode, thinking the only thing people care about when playing CoD is Multiplayer, when that's not true. When some developers bring their A-game, make their games worth every penny, make story mode AND multiplayer worth while such as Rockstar & Ubisoft, its fair to expect other developers that have been around for a while to do the same, not put 100% effort on multiplayer but put in barely any effort on story mode. No one should accept less and less for their money, if they did, all that will do is encourage companies like Capcom or M$ to try more money-grubbing, bullshit practices & encourage developers to be lazy.

[@Starkiller863]

To me, it seems that they just wanted to get a flashy game out for launch. Doesn't require much real thought gameplay wise, but it looks appealing enough to people to perhaps persuade them to buy an xbox one. Although, I have not played it and expect to get a ps4 instead of an xbox one when I get the chance.

[@kesquisse]

I can tell you haven't played this game. This game actually does require a little skill. It reminds me of God of War meets Arkam.

[@Invisibleguy1313]

Honestly, I agree with Sessler on this review. Ryse does look like a pretty basic game in terms of combat and it also seems very repetitive. I think they could've easily expanded on the combat and enemies, and although the game does look amazing, I still personally think it could've quite easily been a current gen game with such a basic fighting/enemy system and by the sounds of it a pretty bad story-line.

[@iamanass100]

I watched the entire playthrough, and the combat becomes ridiculously tedious. Sure, playing it might be way more fun, but after some time, its absurd how much you have to repeat the same fighting, only to see the same executions again and again and again. (although some of those executions are freaking badass) Yeah, if crytek does a sequel with - a ton more gameplay mechanics with depth and challenge and believability instead of the silly hack and slash direction. - overhauled enemy variety. It would be a very good game ! the story wasn't that bad. I watched the walkthrough, and it actually kept me interested. Towards the end it gets really interesting. It comes together overall. It's easily one the better executed videogame stories in my opinion. Since the animations and visuals are extremely lifelike, especially where a lot of the characters are concerned, it really brought the dialogue, story and characters to like for me. I genuinely enjoyed it. The game has lots of potential, it's just a pity the gameplay got so old so quickly

[@edogamingtv6658]

RYSE" Son of Rome. Is an Awesome game with one of the most photo realistic graphics I have seen to date. Story is really good , especially at the end. Gladiators Arena online is a lot of fun. I appreciate the hard work that Crytek put into this game. It truly left an Awe! experience that I had to share this Masterpiece.

[@sespider]

What I'm about to say is coming from someone that's not played Ryse yet. So take it with a grain of salt if you must. ---- I'm sorry but Adam (who I like) sounds incredibly bias in this review. Nearly everything he complains about in this game is found in all 3 Batman games. Dodge, Counter, Hit, Quick-Time Events, Slow Time, Easy Hit Combo, Counter Again, etc. Adam did the SAME complaining about Assassins Creed's combat. It seems that unless it's Batman (with gadgets), Adam is just going to complain about the combat. When It's Fundamentally The Exact Same Combat! Personally I disliked the combat in the Batman games. In the end it always the same. Counter due to out of place Spider-Sense, hit, dodge, and leap from enemy to enemy with attacks to buld up combos and slow down time in the process. EVERY boss battle in the Batman games are filled with Quick-Time button presses that kill your thumbs. Batman can lift a 1,000ibs but he stuggles to open a simple vent?! STOP forcing players into consistent button presses for insanly simple task! If it weren't for them throwing random goons at you during boss fights, the game's fights would be over in minutes! Does Adam or the rest of Rev3Games point out these flaws? NO! Instead they attack other games (good or not) for the SAME FLAWS and pretend Batman's flaws don't exsist! Once again, I've not played Ryse so I can't pass judgement on it. But if it's combat is anything like Batman's (and it sure looks and sounds like it is) then I'm sure I'll hate it as well. For the record, I'm a Batman fan but the game has a lot of flaws. Also, don't condemn Ryse's story because it's similar to something you've heard/read before. That'll not be the case for everyone. Thanks for hearing me out. Let the "fantard" commence.

[@Dantehavok218]

I only played Arkham Asylum and i'll agree the combat was pretty repetitive but there were other aspects like the puzzles that made the game fun. The story wasn't bad either and really the only reason why those games got the critical acclaim that they did is because they weren't terrible. Something we had yet to see out of a Batman game at that point

[@aresangel77]

I'm going to stop you at batman is dodge counter hit. I haven't played ryse or had ever intended to because it looked unimpressive. I think the idea adam is trying to stress about the game is how boring and one dimensional it is. In batman you can mix cqb with stealth, setting up traps, picking people off one by one, blah blah blah. In ryse it seems you can ONLY dodge counter hit. In assasins creed the combat is very boring or at least it gets boring with time. I have AC3 and i put it down immediately because of just how boring it was. In batman the story was just so impressive and the detective work, just everything felt right. This happens with games, some games might be similar but some just feel right and others don't.

[@vegemonsta]

the batman games have alot more fluid combat system and a lot more types of enemies and weapons to use. plus it is fucking batman.

[@legofreak18]

At least Batman mixes up its gameplay. Sometimes you need to use stealth because of how armed soldiers kill you quickly(especially on hard), there is some platforming, etc.

[@thefrivolouspessimist8117]

Okay, also coming from a non-bias point ( I have not player Ryse either ), but let me elaborate upon your Batman comment: Batman IS a dodge counter game. No one can deny that. But, the critically acclaimed combat has a few things that other games do not: 1) Fluidity ( please tell me another series that can so quickly and in such a heart-beating motion pull-off dodge-counter combat ) ; 2) Variety ( from similar games, among which belong Ryse and the newest Amazing Spiderman game, combat is only against one-sided enemies which you can easily defeat - Batman combines different sorts of enemies, not just normal enemies and shield enemies ) ; 3) It's Different ( essentially, most, if not all, third-person combat games, like Ryse, have always been about dodging and countering. There's no point in denying that. Batman did it differently because it had the guts to incorporate gadgets and mixed enemies, as well as make it quite accelerating. Now, if that hadn't made my point, Batman also has Stealth going for it masterfully, boss fights are at times fun ( need I remind you that they're quite different, as exemplified with the Scarecrow and Killer Crock fights from the first game, and needless to say the fights from Arkham Origins ), and the story is superbly told. So, I apologize, but if you have a problem with the Arkham games, it's your own damn fault, not the game's fault. Ryse, from what I've seen, does nothing beside the combat, and it even fails to do that successfully. That's why Adam does not complain about the Batman games - because even the Assassin's Creed games combat fails in relation to Batman. Case closed.

[@Helthurian]

After fully playing this game I can say that this is one of the only reviews that I think Adam is a tad bias on. You can tell that hes watched a lot of gladiator movies because he related that to Ryses story, rather then looking at the finer details that makes it an alright experience. The combat also would be really good if a little more variation was added and more enemy types were added, something that maybe could have happened if Microsoft didnt push them so hard to make it a launch title. Overall in fairness it should have been a 3/5, not a 2/5 because it almost feels as if Adam is spiting the game for being a gladiator game, instead of realizing how beautiful it is, how well the animations are done, how good the music is, how decent the story is (you cant tell everything from the first 5 minutes like Adam says because there is a plot twist later on to realize the final motives of your character), and how good the combat would have been if fleshed out further. It's not a shit game like a 2/5 says, just an average game that wasn't executed to its fullest and was pushed out early before it could have became something really good. All in all if you can find Ryse in a value bin for under 30$ id pick it up.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

Adam, the microtransactions and pay to win elements of Forza are anything but acceptable for those of us who owned forza 4 which came with MANY more tracks and cars at ship date and you were actually rewarded with new car unlocks for leveling up and winning races instead of them making you grind endlessly or pay real money for them. It's a blatant money grab decision which drags it down shamefully to the likes of free to play android and IOS pay to win racing games.

[@Flooding474]

Did you ever play Dirt3? I played a lot of Dirt2 and loved it and when I got Dirt3 at every turn they try to get you to buy something with cash. I actually had to stop playing the game after a while because not only was the game just the same thing as before (though with snowy maps) I couldn't handle the game trying to sell me something every other load screen. I am actually getting tired of gaming in general as it's more of how much are you willing to pay to "win" than actually playing to win.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

stealyphil1925 no but from what you're saying, I'm glad I didn't. I'm being much more selective with my game choices these days and the ones that I know will dump mountains of DLC on me (mass effect, battlefield) I'm waiting well after the release date to buy them once they're at a lower price point and include most, if not all, DLC. I got BF3 around the sim city launch debacle with all of the DLC including end game for $25. It's not just forza 3 though. Ryse, Crimson Dragon, that golf game, etc ALL have artificially inflated difficulty to some degree to encourage players to buy the microtransactions. The worst part about forza is that from what the people who are playing the game are saying, they have intentionally altered the design of the game from previous forza titles to make the grind to earn more cars MUCH more drawn out. Man in forza 4, you were rewarded with cars all the time for completing certain races, series of races and level ups. People are saying this is greatly reduced for the new forza :(

[@TheMrTricksterhd]

Ryse proves the fact that M$ is not aiming at the core gamers anymore but more casual gamers and people that are new to gaming. They will appreciate the stunning graphics and the fact that the game is so easy that it almos plays itself. It only needs a huge marketing campagne aiming these people and it will probably sell well. And the option to buy upgrades that will make the game even easier underlines my theory.

[@enjoshi-godrez8271]

you can see it in all there games with forza 5 having 2x less content than forza 4 and expecting people to pay for car and map dlc that should of been in the game in the beginning

[@Wazoo3000]

Xbox fans are trying to make this look good. The wiiu/ps4 owners know what is going to happen to Xbone. Its going to have a few decent games. ANd all of the Good EXCLUSIVES(people tend to forget thats what makes the system) will come out for the other 2 consoles. this is what happened with 360/ps3 ps3:UNcharted series Journey Mgs Killzone LBP God of War etc. 360 just had Gears of war and then they Milked it. And Halo as well.

[@mendyc158]

What game does he says at 2:30

[@iamtheknight5883]

stop hating on adam! it's not his fault youre all xbox fanboys who'll say anything on their console of choice is great!

[@petetheunderdweller]

"saving private romulus" - Adam Sessler. You get bonus points for that little comment sir.

[@CanyouTheMan]

":O He just disagreed with my opinion! He's obviously a sellout!" -Xbox fanboys

[@SeeJayAre]

I'm going to look at this like it's an arcade game... Not very deep but fun in half hour segments. I pre-ordered this for $45 and will trade in for $40, Basically a $5 rental for 6 weeks. That's my justification, still quite disappointed.

[@TheN.C.R.Ranger]

True but launch games never are really fantastic when it comes to exclusives. Imo I think if they made a sequel to this they could improve it quite a bit.

[@CaptainLungi]

Same here, I cancelled my preorder, I not impressed with gameplay and story. If the story was mindblowing then it would be something, but clearly Crytek failed again, they got too carried about with graphics that they didn't focus on gameplay working harmoniously with narrative

[@holyfuckinpooyo]

you're definitely not getting 40 back. especially if you plan on having it for 6 weeks.

[@SeeJayAre]

***** There's several promotions in Canada that allow you to trade any next gen game in for a $40 credit before the first week of January...

[@SeeJayAre]

holyfuckinpooyo $40 trade in promo in Canada before Jan 2.... Looks like I definitely am.

[@DevilHunter1994]

So.....the story is poorly written and the gameplay is like Assassin's Creed Melee combat, but with less depth and weapon variety? Yeah I'll skip this. I have the Assassins Creed games so I'll just stick with those.

[@LnPPersonified]

Yeah, this game was seriously disappointing. I watched people play and got very rapidly bored. It looks gorgeous, don't get me wrong. Like, wow, so beautiful. But a launch title should have a lot more variety to its game play, its enemies, and its story. Ah well.

[@HaveButOneLife]

I agreed with what you said, except calling this game beautiful. The multiplayer looks garbage and so do the character models on the singleplayer. :/

[@dhfhs2]

My crap-senses were tingling with Ryse and Deep Down.

[@FalconOfStorms]

dhfhs2 I hope Deep Down doesn't turn out to be crap. I like the idea.

[@fuhqit3145]

Brady` Dam dude you're on ever Xbone review I've seen today. Okay so you hate Xbox. Who the fuck cares. I mean really if you hate it that much then why watch Xbox game plays or reviews?

[@HolyCheeseation]

I don't think this game is that bad but i think i enjoy it more because i LOVE Roman history even tho this story is kind of fictional I still just love any thing to do with Rome.

[@RGBSF]

Look at the foot planting on the stairs at 2:27, it's well above the ground!

[@jglitch0]

I think issues reviewers are having pertaining to reviewing this game is theyre being very hypocritical when it comes to saying gameplay is redundant and everything is the same thing over and over again. Trust me when you give this game a low score and assassins creed games high or decent scores then you really need to look back on the way you look at games

[@FallenJustice]

I think Adam is being to critical of this game because of the fact that this is a launch title for a new console. Over expecting in seeing what is 'next-gen'. But this game looks gorgeous compared to almost every other game out there. As for the combat, its a human warrior. Can't get much fantastical with the combat. The batman series is pretty much counter and attack as well.

[@KyleAlexanderkneeGrowPlz]

nooooooo the batman series is a ton better plus u actually have an array of weapons and gadgets to choose from.

[@ExiledUnder]

One thing is its campaign is only FUCKING 5 HOURS LONG. It does look good (not compared to Killzone) but at least batman has a sense of impact and feeling like you're beating the crap out of a person. But if you look at other games like God of War like people said, its a very successful and barely boring hack and slash.

[@DarkBioCloud]

Sessler why do you ignore PC gaming? There are many great games on PC that you flat out ignore. All I am saying is show the PC some more love it's the ultimate gaming platform and it deserves far more screen time than you give it.

[@TheGLORY13]

It's ignored because there is no "Main" brand that makes you think of PC gaming. Obviously there are some great games on PC but the bread and butter is on consoles for game companies and review companies. No one denies PC looks absolutely amazing (I'm a console gamer) and that PC allows you more freedom in terms of modding games. The general population however won't spend the money to build a gaming PC it's not worth it when the console can be used for everyone in the house hold. I'm not hating on PC gaming,but it's still a niche market for most people. No one knows the ins and outs of computers. Even hardcore console gamers probably wouldn't understand how to build a quality PC and how to build it in a price efficient range that wouldn't run them $800.

[@MikePitcher]

Otter You are on crack if you don't think that "Valve" invokes thoughts of PC gaming.

[@itsacharcoalice]

Otter does valve count?

[@TheGLORY13]

Valve is the one exception that has slightly come over to console but it's still so strong in PC. Speaking of Valve aren't we still waiting on the next Half Life? CS is always going to be big, but the casual console gamer couldn't name Valve. Unlike console strong companies like Activision,EA,Naughty Dog,Bungie. I'm not anti PC I'm simply saying that it's still a small market compared to console which brings the numbers. LoL and Starcraft are huge, Triple A console titles have 1/10 of the population as their console counterparts.

[@DarkBioCloud]

Otter Blizzard, BioWare, Firaxis, Epic Games, Bethesda, Maxis, etc.... The list of famous PC game developers is near limitless. Yeah a few of them have released games to consoles which is entirely understandable because console gamers tend to be really foolish with their money such as handing over $60-$70 for a measly 5-10 hrs of gameplay if you are in the business of making money for your stock holders it's only logical to jump at the chance of doing 1/100th the work for 100 times more profit. Being more foolish with your money probably isn't something that console gamers like yourself should be bragging about.

[@uttkarshnarayan]

Come on sessler, the story and its execution was the one redeemable factor of the gameapart from the gory kill animations ;) I would agree to the fact that it was a very predictable story and i always knew what was gonna happen, however this preemptive knowledge of the coming events kinda made the wait for these respective events to actually come in the story progression more exciting, i was considerably more enthusiastic towards the conclusion of the tale because i somewhat knew how it was gonna end, though it still surprised me with some vague elements in the end. I know it sounds silly but the excitement factor just increases for the story when u know what you want with the progression and then you are delivered with it, sometimes even in a more cooler way than imagined. Putting in on an alternate history twist with the NOT at All clear godly element in on it made for an interesting tale. I am not at all talkin about the gameplay or any other facets of the game, i am only pointing out my appreciation towards the development of the story in fashion that was agreeably predictable BUT more deliverable on all tables that i as player wanted it to be. The story in general was just too COOL for School.... And if any1 begs to differ then i only have one thing to say "DAMOCLES" (in a sexy whispering voice, u knw from that one scene) PS I JUST remembered another redeemable factor about the game, BEWBS!! :P

[@DougM_BDXL]

Hmmm haven't played RYSE but this review seems a bit harsh. I might just be dazzled by the visuals though. I still can't help but want to play this.

[@JamieForestell]

game critics are just getting bored in general.

[@DougM_BDXL]

Jamie Forestell Did you pick up RYSE yet?

[@jay3535340707]

Even with the bad reviews, I still plan on getting the three main launch titles. Personally, I can't see why people would by into the fact that we would see "next-gen" games at launch. I have the PS4, and I enjoy both Killzone and Knack. Sure, they don't scream next-gen, but there still a lot of fun to be had in playing them. My question is this. How does the "pay your way work"? Is it buy real money, or by money earned in game? Overall, I'm overjoyed at the fact that we have both these new consoles today play on!

[@Redx2213]

This has nothing to do about this game but this is how i felt about Assassin creed one it was fun has good story and character, but it got boring and repetitive after a while (just my opinion) the other AC's gave more. Now about Ryse everyone has their own taste in games so if you like this then you like it of you don't then you don't, but rent it and try it is the only thing to do is get your own experience with it.

[@Evan8787]

Oh God Assassin's Creed was such a mediocre game. Bad ending and repetitive gameplay

[@willywonkaMusic13]

Forerunner The fourth one? I disagree because the side missions were great! But yes the ending was disgusting.

[@Redx2213]

Paul Dang i haven't played the fourth one yet is it worth it?

[@Redx2213]

scourge G as am I but i doubt i'll ever finish it lol i know my brother did so i ended up beating the second one and my brother didn't lol

[@Ciruss_Boy]

I can't quite recall but was Ryse at first going to be in first person?

[@Price1way]

I played this game and I agree with Adam. The game is like a beautiful woman without a good personality: Pretty on the eyes but lacks quality.

[@VideosbySteve]

5:35-5:46 Well said Adam.

[@KrazyBean14]

I'd play Knack over this ANY DAY.

[@junoa117]

Another great review Adam, man you've been busy. I think we all saw this one coming though. I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about the retreat from the kinect features. I thought that might explain why the combat is so uninspiring as they seemingly had to fumble something together for launch

[@RolandTheJabberwocky]

Called it, knew this game would blow. I was wondering why they were advertising such a shit game so heavily.

[@bo-bear]

Does anyone remember that this was originally supposed to be a kinect title?

[@HaveButOneLife]

The fact that Microsoft can only offer us garbage games like this... really urks me. I have a feeling that there will be more garbage Xbone exclusives in the future.

[@Akwyndor]

I like the way you talk. X-Bone For Never

[@MegaDrake47]

your profile pic is enough for me to agree

[@ZeldaFreakGaming]

***** Just cuz he likes kingdom hearts doesn't mean he likes every square enix game. It doesn't even mean he likes ever kingdom hearts game. Your argument doesn't make any sense.

[@MegaDrake47]

i hope it wasnt supposed to be funny :P

[@HaveButOneLife]

***** I'm glad it was a joke, because what Square is releasing is way better than any xbone exclusive lol

[@Zer0Hour17]

The fact it used to be a kinect game is more than enough info to not be surprised the game is bad.

[@IAMLS360]

lolol, didn't see this coming, what. Is anybody surprised by this lackluster ramshackle of release titles? Next Gen begins at Watch Dogs/Destiny/Infamous and that Quantum thingy.

[@LocalContentShow]

dont forget The Division (extra hyped for that)

[@rodrigo_deway]

***** So am I.

[@IAMLS360]

Rodrigo Deway Same here, but it's a fair way away and the games I listed come along sooner.

[@kzgc8y3n]

Bahaha "Saving Private Romulus" that was hilarious. But seriously, how is this not a 1/5... Everything in that review screams 1/5. But I guess the pretty visuals (bad art style can still have pretty graphics, they are two different things) can bump it to a Two. Outta Five.

[@billcenters]

I think to get a 1 the game needs to also be broken and nearly unplayable. A 2 is about the lowest a competently made game can get.

[@bslapshot]

No surprise here. When this game was revealed the combat looked repetitive, way too slowed down and boring. It's a shame Crytek couldn't do better. Crysis 3 was insanely fun and overlooked. Hopefully Warface on Xbox will be sick.

[@Angelmaylaugh]

I don't get how you can have so many dislikes on the game but still give it a near-average score. A 4/10 just because it looks nice?

[@PlaceNameHeere]

A 1/5 is usually only applicable if the game is completely broken and fucked.. Ryse is still a working game with amazing graphics.. just a really boring one

[@caleborman9329]

Ryse is one of the best games I have ever played, and it deserves a much better rating than 2.

[@LonelyKnightess]

You have god damn low standards.

[@caleborman9329]

Dude, just shut the fuck up right now, im am fucking fed up with this damn console war already. If you don't like Ryse, stfu, I do.

[@TheNamikaze4th]

Caleb Orman What a baby. Screaming and whining when someone objects to your opinion. If its so good, defend the game for why you think its good! And by the way, your comment about the console war is irrelevant.

[@caleborman9329]

How the fuck is it irrelevant? and fuck you

[@LonelyKnightess]

Caleb Orman Implying I am not just an Xbox gamer with standards.

[@deadfox0091]

I'm a Sony fanboy but this game looked good. It would've been amazing to see an open world version of this, like a centurion exiled or taken from Rome forced to fight his way back home.

[@J01789]

Knew this game was going to be shit.

[@J01789]

No, I'm no fanboy. I have no preferred platform for gaming, fanboys are a shit stain in the gaming community. I just have a taste in good games. But please, continue to assume and talk out of your ass. Did my last comment give any indication that I'm a fanboy of some kind? No. Hell, I could own and prefer an Xbox One over the PS4 for all you know. But you don't.

[@FalconOfStorms]

J01789 "for all you know. But you don't." Exactly. A knee jerk reaction that exposes the only real fanboy here. Trugunir. Even not liking a single game on the Xbox platform means you are the enemy, J01789! Infidel!

[@TheZXReviews]

J01789 I've played Ryse at a friends house and it wasn't terrible, but was not that good. I find it to be "meh". It kinda falls between good and bad for me. I wouldn't spend any money on it till it's in the bargain bin though. So I agree with Adam 100%.

[@jakegreen7394]

"It's not that liberal borrowing from classic themes is so bad, but here it's so sincere, so in rapture with its own epiphany that you would think it was written by a twelve year old." 2:15 to 2:25 Whether or not people agree with you, I really LOVE the way you said this. It's so stylized, yet retains the outstanding diction of a professional. This is an exceptional review. Although it is subjective and opinionated, that is, after all, the point of every review. You keep knitpicking, Adam. Carry on.

[@TheMooseWaffle]

Looks like it couldn't Ryse to the occasion!

[@dynastes4938]

This is what Crytek does. They are great at creating technically astonishing games, which normally suffer from the simplicity of their mechanics and the stupidity of the story. Exception being, perhaps, the first crysis. Since then, they pretty much stopped developing something else than graphic benchmarks.

[@jamiem.9443]

Guerrilla games makes Prettier games, with better gameplay. they just suck at story telling.

[@nickv1212]

Jack Davidson KZ has great lore but they never use it for some reason. Instead, they use cliched storytelling and barely ever reference the lore. It's like they're trying to market their games to dudebros instead of anybody with an average level of thinking and reasoning.

[@jsh020]

zeuanimals same problem with halo, though that handles a bit more of its lore better than killzone has, but seriously halo made thius massive universe with wonderful locales and creatures, and what do they do for their games? desert level #4, jungle level #8, Brutes and elites re pasted multiple times. I hope halo 5 actually spends time actually exploring the world its been given by the novels that predate the game series