Xbox One Launch Titles Reviewed: Ryse, Dead Rising 3, Forza 5 and Killer Instinct

We’ve had the opportunity to play all three Xbox One exclusives just as much of you have! So we’re creating mini reviews in the interest of time. Xbox One is a very powerful system that has created a lot of buzz so far in the gaming industry so far and well deserves the notice. The four key launch titles: Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct and Forza Motorsport 5. How did they coincide with the launch of the Xbox One?

Ryse: Son of Rome: Doesn’t Ryse Enough

Developer: Crytek

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Genre: Action

Rated: M for Mature

Ryse: Son of Rome covers the story of Marius Titus, protagonist and lead character. Starting off Marius briefly covers the earlier events of his family being slaughtered by barbarians. Marius now seeks revenge as he leads the Roman infantry once led by his father.

Ryse features Kinect, allowing you to speak to your troops and call out commands. While the game sounds and looks amazing, it quickly becomes repetitive. As you move from section to section, you pick up there’s a lackluster of enemy models. I couldn’t help but feel like I was simply going through the motions after sometime. The game loses its momentum almost as fast as it gains it.

The Kinect feature is at times nonresponsive as you scream “Fire Volley” and other commands. Graphics, while created with the amazing CryEngine, felt outdated. With the game originally being demonstrated back in 2010, it visually feels more upscaled rather than a title genuinely Xbox One.

Overall, Ryse: Son of Rome was unfortunately only fun for the moment. A hack and slash that fell short in the end, actually far from the end.

OVERALL SCORE: 2.5/5

Dead Rising 3: Silent, yet Deadly

Developer: Capcom Vancouver

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Genre: Action Horror

Rated: M for Mature

Dead Rising 3 was surprisingly the award winner of the Xbox One launch titles. Capcom made the smartest decision of pushing zombies as a launch title this holiday season. You now take role as a new survivor Nick Ramos. It’s a new environment in an area bigger than both Dead Rising 1 and 2 combined.

Everything about Dead Rising 3 deserves thumbs up. It’s a massive, lag-free experience as you tackle on an insane amount of zombies. Previous installments of Dead Rising required you to find parts and later find a tool shed to create a more powerful weapon. In DR3 you can now create weapons the second you find the right combination. Want to pick up the pace, you can take it to the streets and even merge vehicles and weapons together to cause more devastation.

It gets even better! You can continue to play online co-op like with the other titles. Allowing you to play with a friend or drop-in and work together to survive the infestation of deados. Responsiveness throughout gameplay is a smooth transition. Two other unique features that’s a must know is the use of Xbox SmartGlass and the Kinect.

The SmartGlass for me was the perfect GPS, helping me navigate my way through certain missions. You can also call in airstrikes and find weapons thorough the help of the SmartGlass as well. With the Kinect you can cause distractions or fail horribly by giving yourself away as your voice can draw the attention of the zombies through the game.

A gruesome experience indeed should be expected when you partake in Dead Rising 3. With the Xbox One, Dead Rising feels like and shows its value of a AAA title. The soundtrack as well was awesome and tied in perfectly with the story. Get your hands on Dead Rising 3 now, it’s worth the headache!

OVERALL SCORE: 4.5/5

Forza Motorsport 5: The True Need For Speed

Developer: Turn 10 Studios

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Genre: Racing

Rated: E For Everyone

Since the launch of Turn 10 Studios previous release or Forza Horizon, the developers has took the game back to its roots. It’s simulation racing back to the core. Full customization is allowed again, a feature that titles like Grid 2, Need For Speed and Ridge Racer lacked. Enhance your vehicle the way that you see fit.

In a nutshell, Forza Motorsport is phenomenal.  The mechanics in Forza have never been a letdown. The graphics never disappointed gamers either. In fact, year over year, Turn 10 Studios successfully reached pinnacles that no other racing game could come close to. There’s a wide range of cars to choose from and 14 stunning tracks, including Top Gear.

Key mention for Forza is the controls and response time to the required turns. Seamlessly, turns and brakes are well-timed. In case of a user error you have the ability rewind and reverse that wide turn or collision that could risk you losing the race.

Without question, you should feel more need to speed where the race matters. Authenticity is what Forza has always been about. I’m glad to say it’s hands down another win for Turn 10.

OVERALL SCORE: 4.5/5

Killer Instinct: Remastered For The Fans

Developer: Double Helix Games

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Genre: Action / Fighting

Rated: M for Mature

C-C-C-C-C-Combo Breaker!!!! Killer Instinct is back with a vengeance after so many years. It’s been the talk of the town prior to launch with plenty of spectators believing that the game couldn’t possibly be as good as the original.  Double Helix, creators of the horrific Battleship and Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, has put themselves back in good standings with Killer Instinct. However, there’s still some ground to pick up.

When it comes to needing a fighting game to pass time, you can reincarnate Injustice: Gods Among Us, which is promisingly a great release from WB Games, or you can Download this free startup title available since launch.

Killer Instinct is without question unbeatable when look at the new graphics, execution of combos and the flawless overall gameplay. You start off with Jago with the options of playing Quick Play, Survival, Dojo or Xbox Live.  Survival is where you’ll get your (free) monies worth.

The only kicker is that you can only play as one character and additional characters must be purchased  at $5 each, or all 16 characters for $40 (though all players are unavailable at this time).

The lack of characters doesn’t ruin the game’s reputation one bit. It actually made me feel like I could become with the character and learn everything there is, then progress to the next player. Even better, once I’ve unlocked them all, I still saved $20 on the estimated retail value of all the other launch titles.

OVERALL SCORE: 3.5/5