Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, from 38 studios, is an epic, open-world RPG set in the world of Amalur: a mysterious and magical fantasy world created by names such as New York Times best-seller R.A. Salvatore, Elder Scrolls III-IV lead designer Ken Rolston and comic-book artist Todd McFarlane. What we have here, is a title that can proudly stand among today’s RPG giants.

If you like good stories, you like Amalur

When the game begins, you are deceased yet pulled back into being by a contraption known as the Well of Souls. This event is so unpresidented that it severs the characters ties to fate. Being fateless, you have the unique ability to forge your own path and alter the destinies of people around you.

Being fateless, you have the unique ability to forge your own path and alter the destinies of people around you.

This is where the story gains its depth. Your power is something so incredible that people seek to take advantage of that. Explore the story and you’ll explore the world of Amalur. Salvatore has created a world with so much lore and fantastic locations that it is a real treat for the fans of fantasy genre.

The world of Kingdoms of Amalur is split in continents and it is not non-linear as i.e. Skyrim is, but on the other hand there aren’t big restrictions either. You won’t be stuck on remote locations and you can explore as much as you want if you manage to survive. This kind of presentation actually feels good, because these “continents” do present each area in more coherent and complete manner. Yes, we have also played over 150 hours of Skyrim and enjoyed every moment…

That said, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning offers hundreds of hours of gameplay. You can run through the main story in approximately 30+ hours, but then you wouldn’t be enjoying the whole game. As you play the game, your quest-log is almost always full of side-quests to do, so there is no need to fear for the lack of content.

Choose your own style of playing the game

This kind of character development allows you to create your own style of playing the game and allows a lot of variety.

When it comes to characters classes and abilities, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is not your average RPG. You’re allowed to pick and choose abilities without constraints and use the earned experience points in the following ability categories: Finesse (Rogue), Might (Warrior) and Sorcery (Mage).

In total there are over 60 different abilities to choose from and you’re free to mix them as you like. This kind of character development allows you to create your own style of playing the game and allows a lot of variety. Even if you make “poor choices” The game gives you the ability to clear the table and re-attribute your earned skill points and levels, for a nominal fee.

In addition to abilities, you will be choosing a variety of skills for your character which will assist your style of playing the game. There are variety skills available such as blacksmithing, lock picking, communication and mercantile skills. Some skills also dabble in the magical arts. The thing is, you could spend a lot of game-hours only to skill related tasks, if you wish to do so.

At the heart of game: Combat

The most important aspect, and the true gem of this system, is the way in which your chosen abilities fuel the combat system, which is one of the finest examples of how action RPG can cover combat. This arcade style combat makes you feel the impact of your actions on the battlefield.

In Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning you are fighting a lot enemies. You’ll be hacking and slashing your enemies, but you’ll do so with a style and depth that rarely is seen in action RPG’s. It is amazing to see how, even in the most chaotic and fast-paced combat scenes, you’ll have the total control of your character in the heat of the battle.
 

 

At the heart of the game lies the combat system, currently one of the finest examples I’ve ever seen.

If I have to nay say something about the game, it would be the camera which, on rare occasions, leaves you fighting somewhat blind. Well you are in the center of the screen and the view pans out a little when the fights begin, but this small mishap can be seen especially with ranged attacks. Since there isn’t real lock on system, you may find yourself shooting enemies you can’t see.

Even though Kingdoms of Amalur is a very rich roleplaying game, at its core is an action game which is excellent. At the heart of the game lies the combat system, currently one of the finest examples I’ve ever seen.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning simply shines

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is very rich when it comes to colors and visuals. The overall cartoony style works surprisingly well, but that is personal-taste thing. Here is an easy comparison: If Skyrim was gray, Kingdoms of Amalur is orange. While both games do look excellent, when it comes to vivid colors Amalur just screams attention.

Here is your dose of “Chainmail bikini”

When it comes to character design and visuals, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning just shines with excellence.

Todd McFarlane has done excellent job bringing the world of Amalur to life. Characters and equipment are unique and capture the look and feel of a fantasy world. There are designs such as Fae Blades which is a pair of daggers that translate to whirling dance of death and sorcerers can rely on thrown devices called chakrams that are not your average sorcerer type of weaponry.

The Verdict

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a title you simply should not miss. Excellent gameplay wrapped around in truly rich fantasy universe is enough to keep you busy for a long time. So if you love good action RPG’s with deep narrative and excellent combat, this game is a must buy for you.

9.8 out of 10

Why so high? Impressive story, beautiful environments, excellent combat and lasting appeal.
Why so low? Minor flaws with the camera (main character doesn’t have a voice).