Ryse: Son of Rome
- Platform: Xbox One
- Price: $59.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Incredibly violent action game filled with bloody vengeance.
- Platform: Xbox One
- Price: $59.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Ryse: Son of Rome gallery
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Ease of play
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Privacy & safety
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ryse: Son of Rome is a grisly and decidedly mature action game in which players take on the role of a fierce Roman soldier who cuts his way through enemies with a sword, leaving a trail of blood and limbs behind him. Next-generation Xbox One graphics only intensify the violence, adding a level of visual realism to the gore and severed body parts that many players likely haven't seen before in a game. The hero, ostensibly a good and honorable man, spends much of the game on a quest for vengeance, vowing to be satisfied only by the deaths of those who wronged him and his family. Also, be aware that the game contains a Roman orgy sequence with topless women who grind against men.
What kids can learn
Subjects
Social Studies
- history
Hobbies
- collecting
Skills
Thinking & Reasoning
- logic
- strategy
Collaboration
- cooperation
- teamwork
What Kids Can Learn
Although elements of Ryse: Son of Rome focus on history and strategic reasoning, we don't recommend it for learning because of its graphic violence.
User reviews
Parents say
Kids say
What's it about?
RYSE: SON OF ROME follows the story of Marius Titus, a Roman soldier, who loves his country but eventually finds himself betrayed by those in power. After witnessing the murder of his family, he swears vengeance on those who did the deed, barbarians from Britannia. He journeys with the Roman army to wage war on those who live on the island, but when he gets there he realizes that his real enemy may be closer to home. The game's action is centered squarely on brutal but strategic melee combat with swords and shields, with special attention paid to gruesome executions carried out via a quick-time event system that requires players to copy on-screen button cues. There are also moments in larger battles in which players can command their troops, ordering them to various sections of the battlefield or grouping them to form a phalanx. Beyond the campaign lies a multiplayer arena mode, where players take on the roles of gladiators in the ring and fend off wave after wave of attackers.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
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.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. How do you think games on next-generation systems such as Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will affect the way violence is presented in games?
Families also can discuss sexuality in games. Are the few women in this game depicted fairly and honestly? What message might they send to any mature female gamers who play?
Game details
| Platforms: | Xbox One |
| Price: | $59.99 |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Developer: | Microsoft Studios |
| Release date: | November 22, 2013 |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| ESRB rating: | M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language (Xbox One) |
Great handpicked alternatives
For kids who love action and history
Browse more games
Top advice and articles
What parents and kids say
Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines
QUALITY
The good game to play but watch for the gruesome bloodshed violence.
Pretty violent if you ask me, don't let you kids play this as the violence is pretty graphic and gruesome in this game. The language isn't so bad but the violence is all over the place.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Was this review useful?
QUALITY
brutal and gory ( like it should be)
this game has the most realistics kills in gaming history and why shouldnt it many movies like troy and gladiator have the same amount of gore but the only thing is the brutality as you can drown and dismember foes the game also features tactics used in real roman history like the testudo the game has life like graphics and is next gen so its more intense on the big screen themes can also be found in this game
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Safety and privacy concerns
Was this review useful?
QUALITY
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
What other families should know
Too much violence
Was this review useful?
Poll
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
Total votes: 760