Microsoft’s E3 show was about games, and one of the headlining exclusives was Ryse: Son of Rome. The game puts the player in control of a Roman general back in times of antiquity, predictably enough, who happens to be an extremely hands-on leader.
Graphics look solid, with combat based on gaining the advantage to provoke scripted executions of foes worked into the real-time combat system using slow-motion segments. E3 showed a trailer having Roman soldiers storming a fortified beach amidst hails of arrows and defending soldiers.
The trailer opened with a speech from our protagonist-general giving his troops their motivation and promoting their courage in the face of barbarians, pointing out they bleed like any other man.
Gameplay features shown other than the executions include combat between multiple targets and the player and coordinated maneuvers with AI allies befitting a game depicting Roman warfare tactics, including shield turtles and volleys of pilae hurled at defenders.
