Ryse: Son of Rome was announced at Microsoft’s big E3 press conference as one of the Xbox One’s exclusive launch titles. Though the game’s graphics earned praise, Ryse failed to build E3 hype the way games such as Titanfall did.
Today at Gamescom Microsoft finally revealed more details about Ryse‘s gameplay. Combat will involve players timing attacks and blocks, with perfectly-timed blocks becoming parries. Players will get to pick perks that they earn for good timing, such as extra XP or damage. The quicktime events so maligned after the gameplay shown at E3 are actually “executions, which pop up when an enemy is low on health. Developer Crytek stated that there are over 100 different executions to see in the game and that three tiers of executions will have to be unlocked to see the most gruesome of them.
In addition to combat details, Crytek also revealed “Gladiator mode,” a co-op experience in which players will test their skill in the Coliseum. The mode is similar to other games’ horde mode, but has a variety of goals to accomplish in the arena. Gladiator mode also features “dynamic” tile sets that provide randomized settings for each match. Ryse will also launch with 11 set multiplayer maps.
A trailer for Gladiator mode shows Crytek’s vision of an ever-changing non-stop challenge: