Microsoft has released a big round of Ryse: Son of Rome DLC today, part of which is free and part of which costs anyone who doesn’t have the Season Pass. The first-party game was the most pleasant surprise of the Xbox One launch, as you can read in our Ryse: Son of Rome review.
One of the updates today amounts to DLC, but it’s really more of a game update. The free game update affects Gladiator Mode and includes two new level events. The second update is the true first add-on pack for Gladiator Mode, called the Colosseum Pack, and includes two new character skins and two new arenas.
The free Ryse: Son of Rome update adds two new level events as you slay barbarians in the Arena that occur randomly across a variety of maps. In the first, a new enemy turret will appear and bombard your Gladiator with deadly arrows until destroyed. In the second, Reward Statues of Roman deities will emerge from the sands and can be activated as a one-time bonus to boost your Gladiator’s Health or Focus.
As for the paid Ryse: Son of Rome DLC, the Colosseum Pack is available for $3.99 through the Xbox Live Marketplace or as part of the Ryse: Son of Rome Season Pass. The Colosseum Pack includes: Two new arenas, Henge and Ascension, as well as two new Gladiator skins. Here’s a quick video, followed by additional information.
The new Henge map tasks Gladiators with seizing an ancient forest shrine from hordes of barbarians and securing it for Rome. In Ascension, combatants must fight their way through the burning embers of Hades’ lair up to the lavish surface world. Two new Gladiator skins, meanwhile, are called Commodus and Centurion. The former lets combatants wear the opulent golden breastplate of Commodus, the twisted son of Emperor Nero. The latter gives players the battle-tested armor of a Roman Centurion.
