Ryse Developers Cut Two-Thirds of Planned Content to Meet Deadlines

A new report reveals that Ryse developers had to cut two-thirds of the content from the original game to meet the launch deadline.

New details about the Ryse franchise have emerged from a recent report. The franchise aimed to be the Xbox’s equivalent of Assassin’s Creed, exploring various settings across different projects. The developers also disclosed that they had to cut a significant amount of content to ensure the game could launch alongside the Xbox One.

Ryse Devs Were Okay Cutting Content As They Thought They Were Laying Foundations For a Franchise

A report by IGN reveals that the launch version of Ryse: Sons of Rome was only six hours long, as the developers had to cut “two thirds of planned content” to have the game ready for launch day. The dev team had to go through considerable crunch to make this happen, but they were okay as they felt that this would become a foundation for a franchise.

The developers revealed how a Viking game and Feudal Japan were also being considered as viable settings for future games. With the next games, the developers would also have wanted more open-ended design, as the original game was a bit linear. They wanted to change the levels to make them feel more like God of War 2018.

New mechanics were also being considered for future games, as they couldn’t be included in the original Ryse due to time constraints. These included vehicle navigation and a multiplayer PvP mode.

The devs also spoke about wanting to make Ryse: Sons of Rome’s combat more dynamic. They cited an instance in which players venture into Britain to crush Queen Boudica’s rebellion and use a testudo formation. The original game was limited to shielding from enemy fire and returning fire with the press of a button. They had originally planned for players to leave and reenter the formation at will, allowing them to fight enemies on their own too.

The developers also spoke about sequels featuring other real-world military tactics, such as the Parthian shot or Kakuyoku. The original game had two characters that looked mortal, Aquilo and Aestas, who were eventually discovered to be gods in a secret game where people are their pawns. This element would have made its way into sequels as well; however, it was adapted to different religions and mythologies while keeping its presence subtle.

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