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Ryse $20 season pass grants access to four DLC packs
Microsoft announced a season pass program for Ryse: Son of Rome today. The $20 season pass will give players access to four DLC packs over the course of multiple months following the Xbox One exclusive's November 22 launch. Ryse's four pieces of DLC will feature a new mode, 14 multiplayer maps, six new skins for players, a new equipment tier and level events. The season pass is a 25 percent discount on the combined, as-yet-unannounced individual prices of the DLC packs, and will also come with a sword and shield exclusive to season pass holders. The Crytek-developed game will include 11 multiplayer maps at launch and an extra one specific to the Day One edition.
Crytek CEO: F2P games catching up with next-gen production values is 'just a matter of time'
North America and Europe welcome Warface on PC today, a big step for a game that is itself a big step for its developer, Crytek. Warface is the company's first free-to-play game, the first step in a planned journey that culminates in the Crysis and Ryse studio going fully free-to-play within five years. At the recent DICE Europe conference, CEO Cevat Yerli spoke about closing the visual gap between cinema and games, and how Crytek is using advanced lighting and modeling effects to make Xbox One historical adventure Ryse stand out. Afterwards, I asked Yerli about the difficulties in marrying F2P with the studio's reputation for high-end graphics. "It's just a matter of time," Yerli said. "We already introduced with Warfare a much higher quality relative to the current generation of gaming, and Ryse is [our] first game that launches a next-generation experience. Going forward, I expect free-to-play games to catch up with next-generation offerings as well. So it's really just a matter of time."
Ryse trailers include plenty of screaming, stabby Romans
Ryse: Son of Rome: Brother of Sparta: Cousin of Madagascar receives two new trailers today and some screenshots. Neither video is narrated by Linda Hunt. Both videos should be narrated by Linda Hunt. All things Roman and/or referencing revenge with Gods should involve Linda Hunt.
Microsoft: Cloud turns any Xbox One in the world into your Xbox
Most of the information in this promotional Xbox One video is common knowledge, but a few interesting tidbits can still be gleaned. Albert Penello, lead planner for Xbox, reveals that using your profile on another Xbox One not only gives you access to your purchases, but also your own customized home screen and your game saves. "Basically, any Xbox One, anywhere in the world, is your Xbox," Penello says. In terms of SmartGlass, Penello says the big appeal for Microsoft is discovery – being able to find content on the go, highlight it on a SmartGlass device, then come home and find it right there on Xbox One. "You can browse the entire catalog of games and entertainment on Xbox One on SmartGlass," Penello adds, and "you can navigate the dash; you can navigate your Blu-ray movies." Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3 are also specifically called out for their SmartGlass functionality. Ryse lets players customize their characters, set up multiplayer matches and comb through a bunch of other content while away from the console, while Dead Rising 3's integration is more literal – your real-life phone is treated as a phone, and Dead Rising 3 will dispatch mission calls with their own storylines and characters through SmartGlass.
Ryse, Dead Rising 3 launch editions detailed
Microsoft announced what in-game items will be included in the Day One editions of Xbox One launch games Ryse, Dead Rising 3, and Forza Motorsport 5 today - we already knew about the three-car pack in the Forza 5 Day One box, but the rest is news to us. Crytek's Roman romp Ryse bundles in a sword with "bonus in-game attributes," and a co-op map apparently exclusive to the Day One Edition, but Day One owners can at least invite Standard Edition bearers to join them in it - awwww. As for Dead Rising 3, the Day One box lets you deck out new hero Nick Ramos in some familiar-looking ensembles. Frank West's cool-dude duds come with a "Zombie Slugger" weapon, while Chuck Greene's biker garb has a Paddle Saw accompaniment. Both outfits come with attribute perks, while the West offering also has a custom skill move. As for when these Day One editions are due, well, that'll be when the Xbox One arrives, a date so super duper secret that if a Microsoft employee tries to say it out loud, he or she will spontaneously implode into a tiny dust cloud, drifting into the sky with a soft whisper that sounds something like "November. Just November ..."
Ryse revised: How Crytek altered combat for the better
Many people really latched onto Ryse: Son of Rome's execution system when Crytek showed off the game at E3 earlier this year – but probably not in the way the developer wanted them to. Ryse's executions, which grant the player various in-game perks – and see protagonist Marius stabbing, gouging, slicing, bashing and otherwise maiming barbarians – are performed via short quick time events. Even though the majority of Ryse's combat has an ebb and flow similar to the Batman Arkham games – flurries of attacks sprinkled with timely parries – many prospective players, myself included, worried about the QTE-infused combat getting stale. Crytek has responded to those concerns, and the build of Ryse being shown at Gamescom has a significantly altered execution system. Gone are the garish button prompts. Instead, enemies are subtly highlighted with the color of the appropriate button: Yellow for the shield (Y) and blue for the sword (X). By watching Marius' animations and keeping an eye out for each color, I easily slipped into the rhythm of various executions, something I can't say about the E3 build I played in June. The E3 reaction didn't directly inspire the changes to the execution system, design director Patrick Esteves tells me, but it definitely played a part. "We were already down a course. We already knew where executions were going. And, of course, in game development, we have to figure out what's the best way to do something." "People don't like the idea of a QTE-based combat system. Thank God we're not a QTE-based combat system," says Esteves, alluding to the fact that there is more to Ryse's combat than people may have perceived from the E3 demo. Just as I did in June, players will eventually discover that the combat is more about a dance-like back-and-forth between Marius and foes than it is about executions. "That was the first thing," says Esteves, "and the second thing is, is the communication language good enough for the game?" Crytek decided it wasn't.
Ryse enters the arena with co-op multiplayer mode, 'Gladiator'
"Gladiator" is the cooperative multiplayer mode in Ryse: Son of Rome, Crytek's ancient Roman action game due out for Xbox One at launch. Gladiator puts players inside the Colosseum, where they participate in battles against an onslaught of enemies, while the crowd cheers on.
The brutal, proactive combat of Ryse: Son of Rome
When I saw Crytek's Ryse: Son of Rome demonstrated during Microsoft's E3 press briefing, I was worried. The once Kinect and now controller-driven game, apart from being visually impressive thanks to an Xbox One upgrade, looked pretty generic. When I sat down to play it at an event later that night, I learned something that improved my outlook dramatically: Ryse has no block button. It's still too early to tell whether or not Ryse's hack-and-shield-bash combat will hold up over the course of an entire game, but this one simple fact is enough to give me hope.%Gallery-191091%
Microsoft Xbox One gaming roundup (hands-on)
It's a black set-top box. It's a media streamer. It's dependent on an internet connection. It's a living room hub. It wants to be your everything. But really, the Xbox One (or any new, next-gen console for that matter) is nothing without launch games. To get a real sense of that lean-in experience on the Xbox One, we spent some time in Microsoft's (very green) E3 booth playing the various available demos. So join us then, as we deliver some brief impressions of what to expect when you boot up that Day One edition console later this year.
Crytek's Ryse: Son of Rome demoed for Xbox One, available as launch title
With Microsoft's Xbox One hardware reveal out of the way, the company's shifting focus to its launch lineup. And here at E3, we got a first look at just what the One is capable of with Crytek's previously announced Ryse: Son of Rome. The game, an exclusive for the platform, lets players take control of a Roman General and features gameplay that'll have players slashing through hordes of warriors, engaging in quick time events, all set in the Roman Empire. From what was demoed on stage, Ryse looks to be a technically impressive feat, showcasing strong particle effects, lighting and a massive number of onscreen characters. It'll be available as an XBox One launch title, so if you're planning on a pre-order for MS' next-gen console, this is a future purchase worth considering. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Ryse is now Ryse: Son of Rome, coming to Xbox One at launch
"But the Gods know what once was can be again," an English narrator says of Ryse: Son of Rome, the upcoming Xbox One game from Crytek. The game stars Roman general Marius Titus. The reveal then cut to a beach invasion, showing a squadron of Roman soldiers assaulting an entrenched enemy force. Eventually, a Roman soldier squares off against a Barbarian in one-on-one combat, revealing contextual kills and a parry system. Ryse: Son of Rome will be an Xbox One exclusive and available at the console's launch.
Crytek's Ryse confirmed for Xbox One
Crytek's 'Kinect-enhanced' brawler Ryse is exclusive to the Xbox One. The game, previously confirmed as exclusive to Xbox platforms, is revealed for the Xbox One by a countdown on Crytek's site, which is set to end on June 10 - that happens to match up with E3 time. The countdown also features the year 2013 in Roman numerals, perhaps pointing to the game being released this year for the new console. A blurb on the countdown reads, "Fight as a soldier. Lead as a general. Rise as a Legend," and the game is described as "controller-based gameplay enhanced by Kinect." We'll have more details on Ryse for Xbox One as we learn them.
Crytek's Ryse still in the works, Kinect will be 'part of it'
Ryse, an Xbox-exclusive action game from Crytek, isn't ready to be shown beyond the concept trailer released during E3 2011. I asked Phil Spencer, corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, about the game's progress since Microsoft revealed its partnership with Crytek two years ago under the banner of "Codename Kingdoms.""We're just not at a point right now to show the game, and instead of ... we're still working with Crytek, we're still extremely committed to the relationship, but we want to make sure that we're putting our best foot forward every time we show the game," Spencer said. "You'll see more about that game, no doubt."Ownership of Ryse was rumored to have shifted between studios, from a downsized and redirected Crytek Budapest to Crytek's Frankfurt studio. Ryse is alive and well, Spencer assured, though I got an inkling that the brutal, first-person combat shown in the initial trailer may not be entirely relegated to Kinect when we see it next. When asked if Ryse was still "a Kinect game" as before, Spencer replied, "Kinect will be part of the game, absolutely."This year Microsoft highlighted several more games that are "better with Kinect," even when you're slouched in the couch. The most prominent example comes from Capcom's mech action game, Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor, which pairs several seated gestures with a traditional controller.
Anonymous Tumblr account accuses Crytek of employee mistreatment
A CEO with a big personality? A game with a high-profile delay? Disgruntled employees? You'd think we were talking about LA Noire and soon-to-be-defunct studio Team Bondi - or, uh, Red Dead Redemption, now that we think about it – but you'd be wrong! Nope, this time it's German developer Crytek in the crosshairs of an anonymous Tumblr account alleging a whole host of unsavory management practices.
Spencer: Microsoft once considered Crytek for 1st party development
According to Microsoft's Phil Spencer, the company was once in talks with Crytek to turn the German developer into a first-party studio. Speaking to the UK Official Xbox Magazine, Spencer noted that Microsoft first started talking to Crytek around eight years ago and "started talking about what it'd mean for them to become first party." At the time, Crytek was dead set on creating the motherboard-melting sci-fi shooter, Crysis. Unfortunately, the title would have clashed with Microsoft's then full slate of "militaristic future shooters" (which one, we wonder), so the deal never came to be. Fast forward a few years and Crytek is developing Ryse -- an Xbox exclusive -- with Spencer saying that Crytek has "fallen in love with the Kinect" and that the project is "a perfect marriage" between the two companies. So remember, kids, true love does exist!
Kick (and punch) back and check out Crytek's Ryse Kinect brawler
Unfortunately, the first teaser for Ryse, Crytek's Rome-based Kinect title, isn't much more than a concept video, showing off the game's graphic engine, and then a little bit of what the gameplay might be like, with a Kinect player using arms, legs, and even his head to throw down with a Roman countryman. The game looks pretty precise when faced with actual shield-bashing and front-kicking movements from the player. But we'll have to wait and see just how it handles our standard Kinect operating procedure: Randomly flailing our various limbs around.
Ryse coming from Crytek, puts you in the fall of Rome with Kinect
Crytek has formally announced Ryse, a first-person action game that's currently under development at Crytek. The trailer, which aired during Microsoft's E3 press conference, showed a massive Roman battle in which the player duels an invading soldier using gesture-based attacks. Swing (or throw!) a sword with one hand, block attacks with the other, and kick with -- you know, your foot. The traditional kicking appendage.
