Parents' Guide to

Ryse: Son of Rome

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Incredibly violent action game filled with bloody vengeance.

Game Xbox One 2013
Ryse: Son of Rome Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 13+

about the son of rome

This game has the violence of a lord of the rings movie but also has alot of roman history in it

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
age 14+

Interesting and not too difficult

This game is a lovely drama set during the Roman empire. Though the accuracy of the historical details isn't too impressive, the game itself is gorgeous and has an interesting story. Great for helping kids really sink their teeth into the atmosphere of Roman history.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much violence

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Ryse: Son of Rome may be brutal and bloody, but it's not just a series of simple button-mashing slaughters. It demands that players think about each button they push, choosing when to attack, dodge, block, or break an enemy's defense. Also, although the vicious executions may be intended first and foremost to thrill the game's adult players, they require a good deal of strategy as well since carrying out a successful execution results in a boost to Marius' health, damage, or experience collection rate. Players will need to choose which of these is most important just before striking the killing blow.

Still, although the combat is generally engaging for adult players, some parts of the experience leave room for improvement. The phalanx system is too simplistic to really satisfy, and sections in which players command an army are often just confusing. Plus, the co-op multiplayer mode lacks depth. But these aren't deal breakers. Ryse: Son of Rome is a well-crafted and thrilling historical action game that ought to prove satisfying for many of the grown-ups who play.

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate