Speaking on Reddit, the dev stated that, “I’ve played through the campaign and the story is amazing. Granted, some minor bugs here and there as I played a dev build but the combat was solid from start to end. Smooth and satisfying.”

Interestingly, the dev talks about the QTEs that Crytek was criticized for and calls them “optional”. “Those optional QTE executions, totally addictive. They take some practice to get the timings right. Especially on the highest difficulty as it’s not the same one every time and there are pages of them to unlock. Made the game much more fun imo.” If they’re less of a necessity, then it could bode well for the overall combat but pages of QTEs to unlock? Hopefully they’ll be rewarding and interesting enough.

Ryse: Son of Rome launches for the Xbox One on November 22nd.

However, speaking to producer Mike Read, this is most definitely not the case. “What we showed at E3 was a small slice of what we had planned to deliver for the final game. Unfortunately, we had to make a series of cuts to the demo to make it a more enjoyable and polished experience for both the visuals and the gameplay.

“After E3, we took note of the response to it and felt that we could have done a better job in explaining where we were going with the combat systems. We feel that coming into Gamescom last month helped to dispel some of the negative views people had on what we presented with regards the ‘game playing itself’ or being ‘nothing but a series of QTE’s”.

We also quizzed Read on how Ryse was supposed to work out on the Xbox 360, especially since Kinect isn’t as major a component on the current-gen console as it is on the Xbox One (though recent developments now allow Kinect to be disabled on the latter as well). Read replied that, “The game you see now is very different than what we showed some years ago as a purely Kinect-based title. There were a series of prototypes that were put together and the version that we are showing now is what ultimately ended up as the winning idea in the end. The option for Kinect integration is ultimately left up to the developer as to how far they want to take it.

“We experimented with a series of things including things like hand gestures as a method of control. At the end of the day we found that things like this took away from the player experience we were trying to deliver. That’s not to downplay the Kinect at all. It’s a very powerful device and with the standard inclusion of this with the Xbox One it will be interesting to see what kind of things developers will be able to pull out of it in the years to come.”

Ryse: Son of Rome is currently scheduled to launch with the Xbox One when the console releases on November 22nd across 13 territories.

5. Cut-Scenes

You’ve just finished a major battle, annihilating squads of enemies, and are aptly walking into the next development when suddenly you shift to a cut-scene. Well, no issues there – let’s just see how the story develops. And if you’re playing a Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy, that could easily be a good ten minutes later. Afterwards, you’re all geared up and complete another segment when, oh, another cut-scene. And then another. And then another. And by now, all happiness has shriveled up in the world. Why lord, why?

But on the other hand…

Wanna know how some people solved the cut-scene crisis? Try reading. Yes, walls of text, meant to advance the story, without any voice over. Cut-scenes look like a far less painful alternative.

Then again, that’s not their only function. Cut-scenes lend that extra special something to a game, elevating it beyond just an experience into a cinematic affair. What did adventure games like The Longest Journey and Sanitarium do with the cut-scenes? Only present some of the best damn story-telling in gaming. If cut-scenes tend to annoy you due to pacing, length or simply because they “take control away from the gamer”, then have a look at Mass Effect, which turned the majority of it’s interactions into decision making processes that impacted the entire game.

4. Complicated Control Schemes

Remember the good old says of Mario Bros.? A Jump button, a Run button and the control pad to move Mario around. So simple and so fluid – the antithesis of today’s controls. Running, dodging, attacking – oftentimes all at the same time – and that’s not including moving around in cover (because, you know, realism). Wouldn’t games be more enjoyable if the controls were made that much easier and simpler?

But on the other hand…

“Different eras, different schemes” sums it up. Think about it: Mario wasn’t meant to do much…in the beginning. As things got more complex, so did the control schemes. “Complex” is actually a misnomer – they simply gained more depth to reflect the characters they now serviced.

Of course a game like Batman: Arkham City is meant to use every single button, directional pad, and alternate trigger function. How else do you properly capture the feeling of being Batman if you can’t have this much functionality at your fingertips? For it’s part, the game never forgets what makes Batman: Oftentimes, you’ll need only two buttons to breeze through most fights.

3. Set Pieces

You’re wandering down an alley way, patrolling with your marine pals when suddenly terrorists strike! Buildings explode, and you’ve gotta make your way to that turrent and clear out some enemies! But do it quick, because then everyone’s gotta shove into a jeep and evacuate to the air base, before they get swarmed. Don’t forget fighting off the pursuing gangs of baddies, as you immediately call down fire support from your friendly neighbourhood AWACS plane.

Pretty cool, right? Now imagine that happening 15 times in a row (so pretty much the whole game), in different variations with a few new additions and twists. Now imagine every game replicating the same format.

But on the other hand…

Why do you think every game copies the same format? Abusing it fastidiously is a different matter altogether, but no one can deny that set-pieces, gargantuan and epic in their Michael Bay-ness can liven up the proceedings. Look at Inversion.

Just forget the floaty fights and gravity alterations – it was just straight up running and gunning, all the time, which wasn’t all that good to begin with. It’s honestly monotonous and you beg for something big and awesome to happen lest you die of boredom. Just pace ’em out a bit more, devs, rather than laying down your big guns one after the other without any respite.

2. Alternate Endings

So dig this: You’ve just gathered armadas of space ships, veritable civilizations spread across the galaxies of star systems, and are finally ready for the all-out assault to determine the fate of humanity. But the final encounter is anything but – and for some reason, it feels wanting. Then you discover the real meaning behind the ending. What the hell? So fire forth the hate mail and demand a recut. Sure, most developers don’t do it, but the developers that do? Well, what the heck? Why go through all of that effort, all of that time, when the definite ending isn’t even definite? It’s a whole mixed debate about which endings people prefer and which ones people don’t. And Mass Effect 3 isn’t the only example. Final Fantasy VII saw various expansions on it’s ending with Dirge of Cerberus and the CG movie Advent Children. So even in the face of hate and demands for retakes, why can’t the developers just leave well enough alone?

But on the other hand…

This will be explored in more detail at a later point, but alternate endings do more than just assuage fanboy rage: They give us another look at the game, expand upon the universe and just continue breathing life into a property we love.

Yes, the creative directions may not always satisfy us – ask anyone who’s seen FFVII: Advent Children and enjoyed the plot – but they let us belong in that world again. That world which our favourite characters inhabit, and where new challenges and adventures await. It gets annoying but if it continues breathing life into our favourite games (without just plain ruining the experience), then carry on, oh wayward sons.

1. Quick Time Events

This one’s old-school and personal pet peeve. I’m sorry but when I’m being dropped through a pit and spikes await my supple body, the last thing I expect is to have to mash two random buttons that I must recognize at a moment’s notice. And if I don’t, well, I’ve gotta replay it till the next random pair of buttons appear. Let’s not forget those moments in, say, Vanquish or Bayonetta where a mix of buttons during fights is necessary to ensure victories. What has Shenmue done and why won’t it stop?

But on the other hand…

What are Quick Time Events? They’re hitting the corresponding buttons at the right time to ensure a result. Where would we be without them?

Well, for starters, no Free Flow fighting systems for the dark knight. No Guitar Hero or Rock Band – which brought a great deal of mainstream success to gaming. No Elite Beat Agents, or even Ossu Tatakae Ouendan (and that is a whole other level of tragedy). Yes, it’s annoying when used at the most abrupt times, but it’s still contributed towards a major chunk of gaming.