Dance Team Patrick

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Okay, so Dan got the new Xbox One on launch night and, with it, two games to put the next-gen console through its paces. The first game, which he got before launch night, was BF4. We've already played through most of the game with the 360, so he really just got it to witness the upgraded graphics and responsiveness. It's beautiful, to say the least, but when compared to the second game he got, Ryse... whoa.

Ryse: Son of Rome is the One's first "hack-n-slash" game that definitely takes full advantage of the console's power by dazzling the player with breathtaking level design, realistically brutal combat sequences at 60 fps, and stunning detail right down to the dirt and grime on the characters' faces.

One of the One's brilliant features is the Upload recording app and constant DVR. We wanted to test this out, so after a minute of cutting off arms and humorously driving pilums into bad guys' faces, we told the Kinect to "record that" and *bloop* it was done. Awesome. Now, the video above is obviously edited with a few funny sound effects and some homage to Mortal Kombat, so don't think that Ryse suddenly took a page from Metal Gear Solid and the fat bastards squeal.

Anyway, after tinkering with the One's DVR and editing the clip, we continued with the game's campaign. The story revolves around a Roman soldier named Marius Titus, who becomes a centurion in the beginning of the game and assists Commander Vitallion in leading the 14th legion to Britannia. Now, the story leaves out a bit of would-be-helpful information, such as major characters and even the dang time period. After putting the pieces together, I can deduce the time is somewhere in between 50 and 60 AD, since Nero is emperor and the empire only has a foothold in Britannia, rather than total dominance up to where Hadrian's Wall would be. That aside, there's still a lot we don't know and it leaves for some confusion for the player when the story ends. For instance, who were the god and goddess that kept intervening in the story, and where was Russell Crowe when we were in Rome's famous coliseum (joke)?

All in all though, the game was spectacular and a thrill to play. Unlike most hack-n-slash games, the player needs to keep strategy in mind and have perfect timing in some cases. You can't block unless you know what you're doing, and you can't dodge unless you're for sure you can't block. The enemies are smart, but you can outwit them by using your environment - such as impaling the bastards into a wall of spikes. Did I mention the executions? Hell, those made the game. When an enemy is weak enough, you can start an execution sequence. Just play a bit of Simon says and before you realize what's happening, your victim is losing arms, legs, and is being impaled through the back of his throat with your blade. Shoot you can sometimes even suplex the guy with your sword. Some of the moves had be jumping out of my seat like a football fan seeing his team score a touchdown.

If you have or are getting the One, I definitely recommend buying Ryse. I haven't even touched the multiplayer or co-op modes yet but... oh yeah, this is a hack-n-slash where more than one can play. Enough said.