War in the ancient world was incredibly brutal and violent. So why is this game getting criticism for this when people have loved TV shows such as Starz's Spartacus and the film Gladiator for their representation of this in violent action scenes where gore was a major feature (not saying people only liked Gladiator for the action). The brutality of the combat in Ryse is meant to add to the atmosphere and immerse the player in the desperateness of war. It is meant to encourage the player to have an opinion and feel something about what they are doing. Those feelings may not always be pleasant but is it not more troubling that people constantly run down civilians and shoot police officers in GTA without any misgivings or feeling anything negative.