Ryse: Son Of Rome Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Worth Checking Out

This! Is! Sparta!....wait wrong reference. Welcome to another Friday game review with your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh. I been excited about this game from day one it was showcased back at E3 2013 but was immediately bummed out to hear it was a Xbox One exclusive. Fast forward to October 10th 2014 and the PC master race is blessed with a version of Ryse: Son of Rome to the elation of PC gamers everywhere. This was no mere carbon copy port however as it effectively made the most of the PC's well know graphical prowess. Anyways enough of my elitism, it has a tendency to show up now and again; were off to Rome...

Ryse: Son of Rome is a third-person action-adventure video game developed by Crytek and published by Microsoft Studios. Ryse follows the life of the Roman centurion Marius Titus as he becomes one of the leaders in the Roman Legion. Released as a launch title for the Xbox One, Ryse received mixed critical reaction from reviewers, being praised for its high production values but criticized for its repetitive and simple gameplay. The player controls Marius Titus, a Roman general.  In combat, Marius can block attacks to break enemy combos to counterattack. There is also a co-operative multiplayer mode, where players team up to accomplish various challenges in a gladiator arena setting. The story follows Marius' life from early childhood to becoming a leader in the Roman Legion. The story is described as "an epic tale of revenge spanning an entire lifetime".

What’s Good:

Graphics: Without a doubt the area this game shines the most in. The PC copy is simply stunning when turned to max graphics. The textures, the shadowing and lighting , it all blends so perfectly together to deliver a top notch cinematic experience. You get to see a wide variety of environments as you progress through the game all with their own unique look and feel.

Story-line: A well portrayed story of revenge, personal growth and honor. It will have you eager to discover the progression and eventual end of it all. Tying in the presentation and delivery of the subject matter is also a testament to the well written story-line of the game.

Soundtrack: Well representative of the era the game depicts. The voice acting is top notch and all auditory cues are executed well.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: They get repetitive. Fast. Thankfully there is a great story-line and a fair portion of epic cinematic scenes to help distract you from noticing too soon. Added to that they include a system of buying and unlocking new moves for kill moves that improve as you progress through the game.

What Should Have Been Added:

Honestly I would have liked to see more of a fleshed out story cause such a rewarding single player experience felt too short as I managed to beat the game in roughly 6 hours. Maybe if they let us play Marius from his Teenage years upwards as he learns to become the epic soldier he is. That would have helped add some more content into the game so it doesn't feel as short.

Final Thoughts:

Not the greatest of games but still a good game. Combat gets repetitive but i enjoyed chopping off many an arm and leg. Wasnt much a fan of the multi-player aspect as it too like the combat system suffers from repetitiveness but more so due to the lack of a story and cut-scenes to distract you from it. In any case I have been mostly just streaming my gameplay having fun with the whole cinematic experience, so feel free to check out my stream archives below.

Watch live video from The_Ghost_Who_Walks on Twitch

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Unadulterated Fun Is The Order Of The Day

Game Mechanics - 2/2

Story-line - 2/2

Graphics - 2/2

Soundtrack - 2/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 10/10

Why do you play games? Some people play games for achievements, others for the challenge  some play for the storyline, and others for the competition. Me I like to play games mostly for the storyline and overall fun of the game. Saints Row delivers this in unbelievable amounts; strap in for the rollercoaster ride of excitement you have been waiting for. Today we review Saints Row IV in all its unadulterated glory...

Saints Row IV is an action-adventure video game set in an open world environment. It is developed by Volition, Inc. and published by Deep Silver after THQ sold the intellectual Property due to bankruptcy.  It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the Saints Row series, after the release of Saints Row: The Third in 2011. As other games of the series, the player controls the leader of the Third Street Saints, who in this iteration has become the president of the United States. Don’t ask how just play the game and find out your epic rise or should I say fall (hint hint) into the most powerful role in the world. Saints Row IV still shares most of its gameplay aspects with the previous installment, being primarily played from a third person perspective in an open world map scattered with campaign quests, secondary objectives, and various collectibles. The player can steal, drive, purchase and customize vehicles, among other things such as clothing, plastic surgery, weapons, etc. In an element new to the series, the player can now purchase and upgrade various "powers" that offer superhuman abilities.

Key characters from earlier games in the franchise make a return in Saints Row IV. Most of them hold positions of power in your presidential party, from long standing friends to old enemies. My favorite character from the previous game Kinzie Kensington returns as the socially awkward FBI hacker we all know and love to become the White House's press secretary. Often tasked with clearing up the mess left behind by the President's verbal missteps she somehow manages to keep the president and his antics under control. Benjamin King from the original Saints Row, becomes the President's Chief of Staff, while Pierce Washington gets appointed the Communications Director with Shaundi as Director of the Secret Service. Matt Miller, having abandoned the Deckers presumably returned to the United Kingdom and became employed by MI-6. Shortly after the events of Saints Row: The Third, Pierce, Shaundi and the Boss are called upon to assist MI-6 agent Asha Odekar and her contact, former Deckers leader Matt Miller, in infiltrating a Middle Eastern compound to assassinate Cyrus Temple, the former leader of STAG who has since gone insane and obsessed with killing the Saints, and plans on destroying Washington D.C. using a nuclear missile.

What’s Good:

Game Mechanics - There is so much to do in this game it is ridiculous. With so much to do and so many varying aspects of game-play to get right in surprised that Volition did such a great job with the game mechanics. From the controls to the interaction to the fluidity of getting around the city of Steelport; it all meshes so seamlessly together. From hacking stores to gain access, to insurance fraud, to clearing flashpoints it all ties together perfectly. 

Story-line - Only Saints Row could deliver a story so epic and way out there but still have it make complete and total sense and immensely fun to participate in. Everything in the game is just so overpowered and ridiculously broken and over the top that you almost find yourself having a god complex because you feel so almighty and powerful. At least until you run into other super powered beings as well and quickly realize it's not just fun and mindless destruction. You have to strategize and plan accordingly the best course of progression throughout the storyline and side quests.

Graphics - Everything is a step up from Saints Row 3 graphically. From the weapons and the damage they output to the character model diversity and customization options. They really went all out to make this game surpass its predecessor that was already an awesomely fun game. The most beautiful thing you will ever see in this game is the Dubstep gun and all the chaos that ensues.

Soundtrack - I can't even begin to tell you the diverse soundtrack present on this game. The game has 109 songs spread over 7 radio stations; you can also place your own music to be played in game. GenX 89, KRhyme 95.4, K12 97.6, The Mix 107.77, Mad Decent 106.9, Four 20 103.6, Klassic 102.4, and Mixtape which is a custom playlist you make yourself. Personal favorite of mine is Four 20 103.6.

Replay Value - There is dare I say almost too much content in this game. With not only a huge map to take control of but also co-operative play and upcoming DLC; Saints Row IV is poised to be played by many for quite a while. This game is truly a game you can be in no rush to beat because there's so much to do and have fun with you will not want it to end regardless if you are playing by yourself or with a friend.

What’s Bad:

Nothing; this is the pinnacle of the Saints Row saga in all its epic grandeur. 

What Should Have Been Added:

I can comfortably say there is nothing I would add to this game. Solid game length, content, customization options and room for growth with upcoming DLC support.

Final Thoughts:

Everyone should be playing this game; I dare you to spend just an hour playing it and you not enjoy yourself. Granted this game is being touted as a place filler until Grand Theft Auto 5 is released I still maintain that it is just as good and deserves the same if not similar accolades as it's more serious older brother in the genre of open world sandbox games. I know I for one will be playing this long after I beat GTA V. If you can't get to enjoy the wonders of the game for yourself feel free to check out my bit of gameplay with commentary to see how fun it is...

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