Creed: Rise to Glory Critic Reviews

Creed: Rise to Glory is an experience unlike any I’ve ever had with a video game. While not a boxing simulation, the technology that powers the game is fun and addicting. With each passing match, players will get better and have a better understanding of what it takes to land punches that count. The PVP has a ton of potential, but unfortunately it needs a lot of work. Because the fighting mechanics work so well, though, Creed: Rise to Glory is a reason to get in on virtual reality.

By taking a fun and exhilarating boxing framework and painting it with the glorious trappings of the Creed/Rocky franchise, Servios has delivered a game that is simply magical. Sure, the campaign is a little short and the hit detection might feel a bit wonky, but in the heat of the moment none of that matters. Whether fighting AI opponents or engaging in the more challenging fights against real-life players, you will find yourself bouncing in place, floating and stinging with the best of them. This is a game that will leave you sweaty and proud. How many other games can say that?

Overall, I’m pretty impressed with how well Creed: Rise to Glory works on PSVR, and I’d imagine the other VR platforms are executed just as well. The only thing that feels a little iffy at launch is the online versus mode, which led to a couple of laggy matches against real-world opponents, enough so that I never finished a match. For me, the online versus isn’t a huge draw, but you might want to give the game a patch or two before picking it up if that’s a deal breaker for you. Outside of that, I think Creed does a great job of simulating the boxing experience with an arcade-style approach, and is certainly worth checking out if you’re looking for a fun, boxing VR workout at home.

Shadowboxing with a plastic helmet on might not sound all that enjoyable but Creed's simulation of the sweet science makes it one of the most compelling boxing games ever.

The playful foundations of Creed: Rise to Glory seemed to us to be decidedly solid.

Less a rise to glory and more a stumble towards modest success, Creed feels good but lacks the depths of its closest rival, Knockout League. It’s good fun and a visceral experience, but it’s over too soon.

Creed: Rise to Glory is superb as a boxing simulator, but it’s almost non-existent in its storytelling. The spirit of Creed and the Rocky franchise isn’t just in the fights, it’s in why they fight, and that’s something this game completely fails to capture.

CREED: Rise to Glory can be entertaining, but the PS Move’s inability to track things properly makes it hard to call this a good game. A thin narrative and smattering of other shortcomings detract from the overall experience, but it's not a disaster by any stretch – just not worth its full $24.99 price point.

The game’s most notable problem is that its gameplay lacks narrative context. Over the course of the two-hour-long campaign you just complete some enjoyable minigames at the gym, fight nine times in the ring, listen to Stallone impersonator mumble some nonsense and wonder what was the only retrospection about.