They are just optional dude, you can play on a harder mode to disable them. It was already said by the devs. Anyways....not surprised by your comment after i saw your sig...

Oh boy this would have been a different story if it was a ps4 exclusive...

The story would be EXACTLY the same. It would just be told by Sony fans instead of MS/Kinect fans.

"Kinect fans?" Is that even a thing? 

Back on topic, Ryse has the potential to be the game that totally legitmizes Kinect as a gaming device. Or... it could be another Star Wars Kinect. 

No, Haze even had redemption(s), as few and far between as those m*fers were. Two Worlds had none! HORRIFIC experience!

Gaming journalism...

"When it comes to combat and gameplay aesthetics, one of the early misconceptions has been that Ryse is nothing more than a QuickTime events free-for-all. The developers on hand assured us that the game was built on an intuitive system where players have the option to either button mash simultaneously or use the QuickTime prompts as directed. Both actions lead to different attack variations and precise timing can lead to bonus XP (experience points) and health boosts."

http://thekoalition.com/2013/06/ryse-son-of-rome-preview-brutally-satisfying/

it's so sad how true this is