If you’re still aboard Christopher Nolan’s hype train after his recent Hollywood blockbuster, The Odyssey ,and are looking for a video game alternative, then you should check out this underrated Xbox banger from 2013.
Right now, there’s little you can do to escape the marketing push for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the latest adaptation of the ancient Greek poem from Homer (not Simpson). Released on July 17, The Odyssey is already on its way to becoming one of the most successful movies of 2026.
The Odyssey is a box office smash!
As reported by Forbes, during its opening weekend, The Odyssey made around $264million worldwide, making it Christopher Nolan’s biggest opening movie, toppling The Dark Knight Rises, which made around $249million within the same timeframe.
As for its critical reception, on Rotten Tomatoes, it scored 94% from critics and 97% from the audience. However, what if you’ve had your fill of the movie and are on the lookout for a video game alternative? Well, we might just have the game for you.
The game in question is Ryse: Son of Rome, released in 2013 on PC and Xbox One. It’s also backwards compatible on Xbox Series X/S, and is included in Game Pass at no extra cost.
READ MORE: 7 great games to play if you enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
What’s the story of Ryse: Son of Rome?
“Ryse: Son of Rome tells the story of Marius Titus, a young Roman soldier who witnesses the murder of his family at the hands of barbarian bandits, then travels with the Roman army to Britannia to seek revenge,” reads the synopsis of the game.
“Quickly rising through the ranks, Marius must become a leader of men and defender of the Empire on his quest to exact vengeance – a destiny he soon discovers can only be fulfilled much closer to home…”
Was Ryse: Son of Rome well received?
At the time, not really. While it was praised for its stunning visuals and cinematic presentation, it was heavily criticised for its focus on QTEs (Quick Time Events), with some accusing it of lacking gameplay and short in campaign length, but with the power of hindsight, that may have been a little unfair.
Nowadays, it feels like “interactive movies”, if you will, are more widely accepted by the video game community, and if Ryse: Son of Rome were to be released in 2026 (albeit with improved visuals and gameplay), it may have been received more fairly. Considering this game is 13 years old, it still holds up, especially in the visuals and cinematic perspective.
Granted on Metacritic, it only scored 60, but on the PC platform Steam, Ryse: Son of Rome is rated “Very Positive” from over 13,700 user reviews.
“Beautiful visuals that still hold up today, satisfying combat, and a cinematic story that never overstays its welcome. The gameplay can get repetitive, but for a five-to-eight-hour campaign, it’s a great experience,” wrote ZYOTTO.
So, if you are looking for a video game fix after watching The Odyssey that you can easily blast through in one weekend, it might be worth checking out Ryse: Son of Rome on Xbox Game Pass; you may be pleasantly surprised.
