Ryse: Son of Rome is a cinematic hack-and-slash adventure where you play as Marius Titus, a Roman soldier turned revenge-fueled warrior with serious gladiator energy. After watching his family get murdered (classic ancient trauma), Marius climbs the ranks of the Roman army, dishing out justice one slow-motion sword stab at a time.

The game is all about brutal combat, dramatic camera angles, and yelling “FOR ROME!” while absolutely wrecking barbarians. It’s like 300 met Gladiator, sprinkled with Quick Time Executions (QTE) and some very shiny armor.

Is it historically accurate? Not really. Is it entertaining to go full Roman vengeance mode? Absolutely.

Ah yes—another former console exclusive, this time from the land of XBOX One. I used to watch others play Ryse: Son of Rome with envy in my heart and popcorn in hand. I loved every second of it. What can I say? I’m a sucker for over-the-top violence and the classic vengeance trope—one man against the world, righting wrongs with a sword and a six-pack.

Now that it’s out on PC, I finally got to dive in myself—and let me tell you, the bloody violence still holds up. Between the cinematic flair, the dramatic slow-mo kills, and the “press X to decapitate” QTEs, it’s a wild ride. Sure, it’s a short game (even for its era), but it packs a whole lot of action into a tight toga-wrapped package.

I used my trusty Lexip Pu94 Gaming Mouse for this one again, and while the thumbstick helped with movement, the lack of extra programmable buttons was starting to get on my nerves. A Roman soldier needs options, people!

Overall, I’d give the game a 6 out of 10. Not perfect, but still a fun, visceral ride through a beautifully brutal version of ancient Rome.

And yes, as someone with Italian blood, I do think about the Roman Empire a lot. It’s basically my cultural obligation. Makes me more of a man. Ask any historian—or Instagram meme page.