Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

1. KONFLIKT

   Jun 26, 2013

   10

   Kingdoms Of Amular The Reckoning is an amazing yet misunderstood game. I agree with a previous reviewer that this game although compared toKingdoms Of Amular The Reckoning is an amazing yet misunderstood game. I agree with a previous reviewer that this game although compared to Skyrim and Dragon Age ect...ect, is actually more of the evolution of Hack 'N Slash RPG Classics Like Bulder's Gate & Champions Of Norrath. I thought That was a fantastic comparison. This is a game that ultimately has found the balance of fun and great design. Every system in this game is well designed, the Skill Trees are deep, but thankfully you can switch your points up at any time via a Fateweaver. So you are never stuck as a Mage or a Brawler....again a nod to fun and a great way to open up a huge game to player experimentation. The purists will rip it, but I thought it was a wonderful idea. The combat, although built on a simple framework still has good depth due to the combos and upgrades, and is never sluggish or cumbersome. You are able to mix up magic attacks with melee and ranged attacks with ease and it truly makes combat feel fun and fresh. The menu system is brilliant, as it splits up Main, Faction, Side Quests and Tasks to sub menus so you can easily track and choose the quests you feel like playing. The simple addition of a junk pile also helps you more easily manage your weapons, armor and other loot for sale. The story is super solid and each quest has wonderful back story and flavor. The characters are just as memorable as those found in other RPG titles and I find the art style refreshing. The varied environments also make the game a joy to explore. The variety of loot you find is great and is dropped at a fair yet satisfying rate. So like earlier stated, if you like the old Hack 'N Slash Dungeon Crawlers of old, or more modern day action RPG titles like Skyrim & Dragons Age, this game will give you what you've wanted for so long and so much more. To me it's a solid fusion of a variety of RPG styles, as well as a celebration of what makes all these things great to RPG players, while also maintaining a level of fun for players new to the genre. I think this was a fantastic execution of a well thought out plan to deliver a fun, yet deep experience to the RPG community. It's truly a gamers' game. It's a shame that this game was misunderstood out of the gates and held to unfair standards...perhaps if it was given it's fair shake it may have been a franchise and design style that pushed and diversified the action RPG genre. Now it's just one of those hidden gems that gamers will have to discover for themselves by world of mouth.....and this is a game I definitely suggest to all my friends and fans of any RPG. I suggest you all do the same if you enjoy the game as well.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
2. eslayer09

   Feb 11, 2012

   10

   Kingdom of Amalur Reckoning is one of the best game I had played this year. Open world with plenty of quests to complete, you will be drawn toKingdom of Amalur Reckoning is one of the best game I had played this year. Open world with plenty of quests to complete, you will be drawn to this fantasy world. The combat was very good too, had so much fun using faeblades with chakram. The only minor issue I had with this game is that the camera kinda close to my character, but that very minor and it didn't take away the fun I had with this game. I must also praised the dev, for every dungeons I entered are unique and not recycled. The storyline is pretty good too. I have put in many good hours in this game and it has not freeze/lag on me, kudos to the dev for making a game this huge being so stable.… Expand

   • 5 of 9 users found this helpful
4. CrusaderForever

   Feb 10, 2012

   10

   @Doublecross
   If I were you I would never use your computer again. All though your screen name is perfect! You are ruining an exceptional@Doublecross
   If I were you I would never use your computer again. All though your screen name is perfect! You are ruining an exceptional games metacritic rating because you didn't like a DEMO!!! That demo was 4-5 months old! Do everyone a favor and double slam your computer on the ground thus eliminating your stupidity from the internet.
   
   I am 13 hours in and I just adore this game. It's just FUN! I am going through KoAR on hard and it's challenging. So far I haven't experienced a hiccup of any kind, it's been technically perfect. Well, I fixed my camera woes by lowering the sensitivity so that doesn't really count as a technical problem since it is now fixed for me. It is truly the jack of all trades for RPGs. They really have created something special. Does it have problems yes, no doubt, but so does Skyrim. Skyrim is a great game. KoAR is a great. They cannot really be compared. They both stand on their own 2 feet.
   
   I love the combat, oh the combat is exceptional! The sound, graphics, control, story/lore are wonderful. The graphics are gorgeous to my eyes. You have beautiful colors and dark dungeons. The world map looks huge! I am reading more books and scraps than I usually do in an RPG. I am very interested in the history of Amalur. Salvatore has done a wonderful job. There is always something new going on. There are a ton of quests. The leveling system is great. I am really enjoying the Alchemy, Blacksmithing and world itself. The Fateweaver is a great idea for tying massive character fate alterations into the story. The loot is huge and prevalent. I have found many items that upgraded above what I was currently using. The enemy design is second to none. You can see Todd McFarlane's genius here.
   
   There are problems and they are in the design. I didn't like how the hero didn't speak. Reminds me of Half-Life yet I didn't mind that Gordon didn't talk. But seeing my character stand there with no real emotion reminds me of someone who isn't quite right or has some sort of deficiency. The NPC lip syncing could use some work as well. The magic shield appearing out of no where bothers me too. I also don't like how my warrior sheaths his weapon so fast after killing an enemy even though other enemies are around. Also, the camera needs to be adjustable so you can make it farther away from your character. I believe that these design decisions can be fixed in a patch if the Reckoning forums are any indication of how much it bothers players.
   
   I cannot wait to pour more time into this special game. I can only hope it sells well so that they can come out with a sequel. I won't be interested in the MMO offering. However I am so very impressed that this their first game! Unreal, that they could hit a grand slam like this with their first offering.
   
   If you are on the fence get off and give this a try. Right now this is my 2012 GOTY! I am not sure if it will hold up with Mass Effect 3 less than a month away.… Expand

   • 18 of 25 users found this helpful
5. Kai82

   Nov 28, 2020

   9

   It was a really good action RPG game back then. However while it aged not terribly more recent games have set the bar higher. I will rate itIt was a really good action RPG game back then. However while it aged not terribly more recent games have set the bar higher. I will rate it like I experienced it back then. Lets start with the story of the production. It was developed by 38 Studios founded by major league star Curt Schilling. It was their only project before bankruptcy (There are many stories circulating around that) and it was ambitious. They had R. A. Salvatore as writer (famous for the Drizzt novels), Todd McFarlane for the artwork (I think he is famous enough so no introduction) and Grant Kirkhope for the score (So many good scores in his career). It was amazing back then. While slightly missing to be a masterpiece it has an amazing battle system, a good story (Some expected a bit more from R. A. Salvatore so there are mixed opinions) and a unique character development system. The world of Amalur has interesting concepts. Fate is absolute and cant be avoided no matter what. There are even some with the ability of seers that can spot glances of the future (That does also make no difference). There are mortal and immortal races. Immortal means not that they cant die. Their essence is reborn and I will use the game term respawn for better comparison. Then Gadflow became leader of the immortal Tuatha Deohn and did the unthinkable and broke the cycle of fate for him / his supporters while declaring war to the rest of the world claiming that a new god is coming into existence. 10 years have past and the tide of war is slowly turning against the rest of the world. In a hidden complex there are made experiments to gain the ability to revive the dead as there is no chance in winning the war otherwise. Your hero is the only positive result and has a remarkable ability. He is no longer chained by fate and even more can cut the yarn of fates (He is called the Fateless). This is the start of the adventure. The story is really good and has a few good twist. Side quest are a bit mixed. I think 50-70% are good. The gameplay is however great. You can freely combine any kind of two weapons for your play-style. Some are faster than others and you can test many combinations. I prefer twin blades and bows (Very fast melee and fast range attacks). Bonus for magic Chakrams (Xenas weapon). The battle system overall is excellent and entertaining through most of the game. It made this game unique and a standard which later games were compared to. There is a fate meter that fills for fighting actions. If full you can activate a powerful mode where time slows and you can crush enemies with experience bonus if you have fast fingers (= repeatly triggering a random button). For character development: You have the standard warrior, thief and mage approach. However you can freely mix them. At level up you can use ability points to these roles. Then you can chose a fate. Depending on points spend you get additional bonuses. These are different for pure roles and mixed roles. Additionally you get some permanent fates by finishing series of quests for factions or trough progressing along the main story. There are also abilities for you to learn like lockpicking, persuasion, forging etc. You get 1 point per level and there is one skill-book and trainers in the world. I know this is today nothing special but was really innovative back then. The graphics and artworks were great for its time. The soundtrack holds still up and there are many memorable tracks. The lore of the world is interesting and there are lore stones that give you small bonuses when you find all of a kind. My main complaint is that the gameplay will get too repetitive far before you finish the game if you are like me and do many sidequests. Overall this is an excellent game for its time and definitely deserves a place in an RPG collection. An amazing game that you will remember for its gameplay and presentation. It slightly misses the 10/10 mark as the later parts are weaker.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. DarthMang

   Apr 2, 2012

   8

   Kingdoms of Amalur is a bit of a roller coaster, albeit maybe a kiddie coaster. At first you get this sense that you are in for somethingKingdoms of Amalur is a bit of a roller coaster, albeit maybe a kiddie coaster. At first you get this sense that you are in for something truly amazing, then a few hours in you begin to wonder. The action begins to stagnate and the loot begins to seem all useless, but what kept me going is the fact that although many sidequests seemed bland, and the action did feel a little stale, the main quest remains interesting enough and the visuals and music create a beautiful atmosphere in which to watch the story unfold. Also, looting seems less of an issue once you learn what is worth looting and what is worth ignoring. I would hope to see a patch that adds more difficulty, because even on hard it's a mashfest, but I survived the original Final Fantasy, so I can overlook it here. The lore is deep for those who are interested, but easy to ignore if not. In the first hour, I'd have given it a 10, in the 15th, I'd have given it a 5. But now that I'm nearing completion, I think an 8 should do just fine, now I know HOW to enjoy this game.… Expand

   • 2 of 4 users found this helpful
7. durant0s

   Feb 14, 2012

   7

   It's in no way original but the combat system is very fun to use. You don't have to stick to only 1 skill tree so you can create really coolIt's in no way original but the combat system is very fun to use. You don't have to stick to only 1 skill tree so you can create really cool character combinations. Also this being the studios first title you can tell this is kind of a setup game, showing off the universe while not pulling too many strings. I have a whole lot of fun playing the console version and I expect better things out of their second game, a MMO.… Expand

   • 1 of 4 users found this helpful
8. death-dismantle

   Nov 18, 2013

   0

   This game is by far the worst game I have ever played. Graphics are plain ,ugly and utterly revolting. Gameplay is repetitive simply mash andThis game is by far the worst game I have ever played. Graphics are plain ,ugly and utterly revolting. Gameplay is repetitive simply mash and dodge. Sound is horrible all the npc voices are horrendous the hits have no impact and feel like hitting a pillow and there are some reused assets from dragon age another terrible game. Story is pointless and boring. If you are searching for a real action rpg look towards Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, or Dragon's Dogma or just play Shadow of the Colosuss which are far better games. All in all avoid at all costs.… Expand

   • 1 of 24 users found this helpful

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