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Tag: Ryse

  • Ryse: Son Of Rome Gets Its First Batch Of DLC

    It was revealed last month that Ryse: Son of Rome would continue the proud tradition of games selling DLC season passes before it even comes out. We’re not even a month out from the Xbox One’s launch and we’re now starting to see just what that season pass entails.

    Microsoft announced on Wednesday that Ryse: Son of Rome will be getting free and paid add-on content this week. The free content adds two new level events in the arena – a new enemy turret and reward statues. The first will attack players until its destroyed while the second provides buffs to players when touched.

    As for the paid content, the Colosseum Pack includes the following content:

  • Two new arenas: Henge and Ascension. Henge tasks Gladiators with seizing an ancient forest shrine from hordes of barbarians and securing it for Rome. In Ascension, combatants must fight their way through the burning embers of Hades’ lair up to the lavish surface world.
  • Two new Gladiator skins: Commodus and Centurion. Don the opulent golden breastplate of Commodus, the twisted son of Emperor Nero, or the battle-tested armor of a Roman Centurion.

    • The new content costs $4, or can be obtained as part of the season pass. Here’s a trailer:

    Image via xbox/YouTube

  • ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ Launch Trailer is Appropriately Bloody

    The launch of the Xbox One is now just days away. Though the road to the console’s release has been more than a little bumpy, Microsoft has fielded an impressive launch lineup filled with a variety of gaming experiences.

    One of the most hyped launch games for the Xbox One is Ryse: Son of Rome. Developed by Crytek, the game allows players to take on the role of Marius Titus, a Roman soldier bent on getting revenge for his murdered family. Microsoft today released the launch trailer for Ryse, firmly establishing it as the first-party launch title for gamers who need a bit of ultra-violence.

    Like the Dead Rising 3 trailer released earlier today, the Ryse video does not depict much in the way of actual gameplay. It does show, however, plenty of the action and Roman military bravado that have been showcased in previous gameplay videos and even in the live-action mini series that Microsoft produced to promote the game. Also there are plenty of brutal, bloody slow-motion executions – a feature Crytek has been heavily touting for the game.

  • Final ‘Ryse: The Fall’ Episodes Released

    Final ‘Ryse: The Fall’ Episodes Released

    Just over one week ago, Microsoft released the first episode in a live-action mini-series tied to its upcoming Xbox One launch title Ryse: Son of Rome. The series, titled The Fall, follows Marius Titus, the protagonist that players will control in the video game. Though not quite as ambitious as last year’s live-action Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, the series does sport significant production values.

    The first episode in the series provided a bit of background, showing just why Titus is bent on revenge. The second episode featured Titus re-telling a version of the story of Damocles, possibly foreshadowing his own fate.

    Today Microsoft released the final two episodes in The Fall. The third episode introduces a gladiator named Gannicus. He provides a long soliloquy about death and the brutality of Roman society. Fair warning, the video gets graphically violent near the end:

    The fourth episode of The Fall gets back to Titus and his quest for vengeance. His mentor, Vatallion, places a seed of doubt into his mind about what Rome might actually stand for:

  • ‘Ryse: The Fall’ Episode Two Released

    Earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled the first episode of a live-action mini-series based on the upcoming Xbox One launch title Ryse: Son of Rome. Titled The Fall, the series depicts the video game’s protagonist, Marius Titus, in a sort of prologue that will lead up to the events of the game.

    Today, the second episode in the series has already hit the Machinima Youtube channel. The third and fourth parts of the four-part mini-series are set to be released next Tuesday, November 12.

    The first episode itself served as a bit of a prologue for The Fall. It depicted a massacre and the reveal of Titus, who would soon set out for revenge for the death of his family.

    The second episode depicts Marius as a legionnaire in the Roman army. He tells the legend of Damocles to an inexperienced soldier, no doubt foreshadowing the story of revenge that is to come in the video game:

  • Ryse: Son Of Rome Gets Three New Gameplay Trailers

    If you’re getting an Xbox One on November 22, chances are you’re also picking up Ryse: Son of Rome. The Crytek developed game has been incessantly pushed by Microsoft ever since it was revealed to be a launch title at E3 2013. You may be getting cold feet now though, and would like it if Microsoft would provide you with just a little more incentive.

    If you’re still having trouble deciding if you should pick up Ryse, three gameplay videos emerged yesterday showing three different sections of the game. These videos should give you a decent idea of what to expect from the third person action game:

    While it’s certainly no God of War, Ryse: Son of Rome looks to be the kind of mindless action game that will help you pass a few days. The game will also feature a multiplayer mode to keep players engaged long after the campaign ends. That’s at least what Microsoft would want you to believe as it’s already planning a season pass for the title.

    [Image: GamersPrey/YouTube]

  • ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ Live-Action Series Begins

    Last week, Microsoft announced that it had created a live-action web series tied-in to the world and story of Ryse: Son of Rome. Ryse is one of the launch titles for Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One console.

    Much like last year’s Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, the Ryse series, titled The Fall, is being released episodically through the Machinima Youtube channel. The first episode of The Fall is out now. The series features Marius Titus, the same protagonist from the upcoming game, as his tragic backstory is revealed.

    The production value seen in the first episode of The Fall already seems similar to that of Forward Unto Dawn. And though there is already plenty of violence to be seen in this first short prologue episode, the preview near the end of the video foreshadows a longer tale of bloody revenge.

    New episodes of The Fall will be posted on Machinima each week in the run up to Ryse’s launch on November 22.

  • Ryse: Son Of Rome To Get Season Pass

    The online pass is all but dead. Long live the season pass.

    That seems to be the rallying cry of the games industry these days as more and more publishers abandon the much maligned online pass in favor of something that, at least on the surface, looks to be consumer friendly – the season pass. After all, you’re basically pre-ordering upcoming DLC for the game instead of being punished for buying it used. It sounds like a pretty good deal, but some people aren’t fans. Well, the practice isn’t going anywhere anytime soon as Microsoft has announced that its Xbox One flagship title – Ryse: Son of Rome – will be getting a season pass.

    In today’s announcement, Microsoft says the multiplayer component in Ryse: Son of Rome will be getting spruced up with a variety of content over the course of its life. That content will hopefully turn what looks like a pretty standard horde mode into something more exciting.

    The Ryse season pass will include four add-on packs that include 14 new multiplayer maps, a new game mode, six player skins, new level events and a new tier of weapons and armors. All of this will be offered to players for $19.99 upfront which Microsoft claims is a 25 percent discount versus buying each pack separately.

    Oh, and to further incentivize into buying content that doesn’t exist yet, Microsoft will throw in an in-game sword and shield with bonus attributes for use in multiplayer. So even if something happens and Crytek can’t deliver your season pass content; you’ll at least have a shiny new sword and shield that cost you $20.

    [Image: Xbox Wire]

  • ‘Ryse’ Live-Action Series Starts November 5

    In the run-up to last year’s release of Halo 4, Microsoft Studios produced a live-action Halo mini-series titled Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. Aside from the series’ probably origins as a marketing effort, the quality of Forward Unto Dawn was impressive for a video game tie-in, and even garnered an Emmy nomination for its title sequence.

    This year, Microsoft will be using the live-action format to market its upcoming Xbox One launch title Ryse: Son of Rome. A live-action series based on Ryse will be premiering on November 5. The series, titled The Fall will be four episodes long and air on the Machinima Youtube channel in the weeks leading up to Ryse‘s launch on November 22.

    The Fall will follow the protagonist of Ryse, Marius Titus as he seeks revenge against those who murdered his family. Along the way he will “confront the corruption, turmoil, and depravity that marked the final days of Rome,” according to Microsoft.

    A preview trailer for The Fall was released on Machinima earlier today. The video teases a series that seems similar to the upcoming video game, with plenty of sword fighting and tons of blood:

    The Fall is being created by twofifteenmccann, a video marketing firm that has produced marketing materials for Microsoft in the past.

  • New ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ Trailer Previews Story

    The launch of the Xbox One is less than one month away now. Microsoft is ramping up its big ad campaign for the new console, and today the company released a new teaser trailer for one of its biggest launch titles, Ryse: Son of Rome.

    Though the trailer does not include any gameplay, it does give an idea of the intense, bloody story that developer Crytek has crafted for the game. Gamers will take on the role of Marius Titus, a Roman soldier who is seeking revenge against those who murdered his family. Judging from the new trailer, Titus will quickly become embroiled in a larger conflict – one that the fate of the Roman Empire itself may hang on:

    Ryse is scheduled to debut on November 22 along with the Xbox One.

  • Microsoft: Some Xbox One Games Won’t Be Running At Native 1080p

    The Xbox 360 and PS3 introduced the world to high definition gaming, but rarely did any of the game actually display in full 1080p. In fact, some games were built in sub-HD resolutions, and then upscaled to 720p. We assumed that would be a thing of the past with the next-generation of consoles, but that’s not the case.

    Aaron Greenberg, Chief of Staff for Devices and Studios at Microsoft, recently tweeted out that Forza 5 would be running in native 1080p and that Crytek’s Ryse would be in native 900p. The news is somewhat of a shock considering many assumed that Microsoft would be targeting native 1080p resolutions in all first-party Xbox One games.

    So, is this is a problem? Not at all. Greenberg goes on to note that the Xbox One upscales everything to 1080p. Sure, it’s not native, but it sure beats what we were getting in the last generation of consoles. Considering how far away we sit from the TV when playing console games, there should be no discernible degradation in quality.

    Case in point – check out this recently released gameplay trailer for Ryse. The game looks absolutely stunning in a YouTube video, and you can bet that it will look even better when running on your HDTV set:

    The point being made here is that the next-generation of consoles are going to deliver some pretty games. You shouldn’t get hung up on resolutions, especially when one of the prettiest games on the Xbox One has only had its resolution reduced by a bit. That reduction will hopefully ensure that Ryse plays smoothly, and that’s always the most important factor.

    [Image: xbox/YouTube]
    [h/t: Eurogamer]

  • ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ Combat Video Released

    Ever since Ryse: Son of Rome was unveiled as a launch title during Microsoft’s big E3 presentation, impressions of the game have called the game’s fun factor into question. Though the game’s graphics are clearly next-gen and intricate, the numerous quicktime events seen in the game’s early gameplay trailer made it seem easy or on-rails. Subsequent trailers have revealed that the combat has a bit more depth, but an emphasis is still being placed on bloody, instant-execution abilities.

    Today Microsoft revealed another look at Ryse, this one focusing on the specifics of the game’s combat. The new video has many of the game’s designers describing combat as “brutal,” “up-close,” and “intense” (the word brutal was used multiple times). The gameplay footage itself still emphasizes insta-kill executions, which each appear to have a Zack Snyder-style slo-mo stutter attached to them. Players will have to damage enemies enough that the executions are available, and the build-up to those executions seems to resemble recent action games such as the Batman: Arkham series.

    Regardless of how interesting the combat may or may not be, the animations should be nice. Developer Crytek brought in a Roman weapons expert to consult.

  • Xbox One Launch Title Pre-Order Bonuses Announced

    November is less than three months away, and the smell of the coming console war is in the air. Despite rumors of lowered shipment numbers for the year, hundreds of thousands of gamers in the U.S. and U.K. will have shiny new Xbox One consoles on launch day – and they’re going to need games.

    Microsoft and its publishing partners today announced the pre-order bonuses that will come with the Xbox One’s exclusive launch games. Since not everyone will be able to get their hands on an Xbox One immediately, the bonuses are tied to retail pre-order “Day One Edition” copies of the games “while supplies last” and to digital downloads of the titles for two weeks after the console launch.

    A pre-ordered Ryse: Son of Rome will come with an exclusive Gladiator Mode co-op map called Ruins. An in-game weapon called the Legionnaire’s Trust sword is also included, and comes with “bonus in-game attributes.” Players who have the Ruins map will be able to invite players who didn’t pre-order into their game on the map.

    Forza Motorsport 5 will come with three exclusive vehicles, each with an Xbox One paint job and “custom tuning.” The cars are the 2010 Audi TT RS Coupe, the 2013 Ford Focus ST, and the 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera.

    Capcom’s Dead Rising 3 comes with exclusives that should please fans of the Dead Rising series. Players who pre-order the game will get exclusive outfits and weapons from previous Dead Rising protagonists. The Frank West outfit comes with the “Zombie Slugger” (spiked bat) and boots melee damage. The Chuck Greene outfit comes with the double paddle saw weapon and gives vehicle and weapon duability bonuses.

  • ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ Combat, Co-op Revealed

    Ryse: Son of Rome was announced at Microsoft’s big E3 press conference as one of the Xbox One’s exclusive launch titles. Though the game’s graphics earned praise, Ryse failed to build E3 hype the way games such as Titanfall did.

    Today at Gamescom Microsoft finally revealed more details about Ryse‘s gameplay. Combat will involve players timing attacks and blocks, with perfectly-timed blocks becoming parries. Players will get to pick perks that they earn for good timing, such as extra XP or damage. The quicktime events so maligned after the gameplay shown at E3 are actually “executions, which pop up when an enemy is low on health. Developer Crytek stated that there are over 100 different executions to see in the game and that three tiers of executions will have to be unlocked to see the most gruesome of them.

    In addition to combat details, Crytek also revealed “Gladiator mode,” a co-op experience in which players will test their skill in the Coliseum. The mode is similar to other games’ horde mode, but has a variety of goals to accomplish in the arena. Gladiator mode also features “dynamic” tile sets that provide randomized settings for each match. Ryse will also launch with 11 set multiplayer maps.

    A trailer for Gladiator mode shows Crytek’s vision of an ever-changing non-stop challenge:

  • Comic-Con 2013: New ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ Details Revealed

    Though the gameplay in Ryse: Son of Rome failed to greatly impress critics at this year’s E3, there was no disputing that the game’s graphics were next-generation quality. This week at the Ryse panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Microsoft Studios and Crytek finally revealed a bit of the story surrounding the brutal violence seen in previews of the game.

    In Ryse players will take on the role of Marius Titus, a Roman soldier out for revenge against bandits for his family’s murder. According to Microsoft’s announcement, Marius is “completely dedicated to Rome and her ideals.” When the character finds out that there is “an even more insidious threat than the barbarians” he sets out to save from from “her true enemies.”

    Other characters from the game were also announced at Comic-Con. Vitallion is a “wise and charismatic general” who is Marius’ mentor. Roman Emporer Nero makes an appearance in the game, along with his sons, Commodus and Basillius. Oswald, king of the Britons is also a figure in the game as is his daughter Boudica, who leads a rebellion against Rome. The character Glott is the leader of the Northern barbarian tribes. Various spirit gods will also appear to Marius throughout the game.

    In addition to the story details, Micrsoft announced three interactive graphic novels titled Ryse: Sword of Damocles that fill in some of the story surrounding Ryse. The first comic, titled “Claudius,” is already available at the Ryse website. It contains a few audio and animation elements to interact with.

    Ryse comic

  • Ryse: Son Of Rome Gets A 7-Minute Gameplay Demo

    Ryse: Son of Rome was one of the more surprising games to be shown at E3. Most of us thought the title, which was originally intended for the Xbox 360 and Kinect, was canceled after hearing nothing about for two years. The title was revealed to be an Xbox One launch title at E3, however, and it even ditched the Kinect in favor of quick time events.

    Now you can make your own decision as to whether Crytek made the right decision to ditch Kinect in this 7-minute gameplay demo. The experience will be even more pleasant this time around as Microsoft has fixed the audio issues that plagued the original trailer:

    Ryse: Son of Rome will be a launch title for the Xbox One. It’s looking to be a pretty solid action game, and if not, at least you can trade it in now.