Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is the same game many of us fired up for the first time back in 2012. For the most part that’s a good thing, the vast world offers plenty of paths for the player to take and the combat still feels so dang good. The technical improvements are well done also, the extra details of each environment adding a little more color to Amalur’s world while keeping the framerate manageable. There’s still a few warts along the way, mostly involving things and people popping into view when passing or speaking to them, but none of them break the game to the point of starting over. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning accomplishes everything a remaster should accomplish, and stepping back into Amalur should be a top priority for everyone.

THQ Nordic brings another forgotten great IP from the past back to the market. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is still a great action RPG today, but not a great remastered one.

It may not be the most important remake of the year, but Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a gorgeous, dense, and charming adventure.

If even the original game wasn't able to take that extra step and stand out among its competition, you shouldn’t expect that its remastered version will be able to accomplish this task. Nevertheless, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning remains enjoyable despite its age. It is a "vintage" game, capable of entertaining for hours (and hours and hours and hours) with its classic fantasy story full of fantastic creatures, epic legends and fairy lands.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is the perfect opportunity to properly assess one of the most amiable and unnoticed ARPGs of the past generation of consoles. Despite not standing as a remarkably distinguishable product from its original version, it is an ideal offer both for those who wish to return to the dense Amalur and for those who have not yet enjoyed such entertaining entertainment.

Improved textures and revised balancing complement this terrific action-RPG classic, which, however, features too many generic side quests.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning finally gives a second chance to one of the best role-playing games released in the previous console generation, making the gameplay even better with select balance tweaks that increase the challenge level and make it easier to engage with side content. Despite some issues and a dated gameplay design, the game's battle system, great writing and extremely deep lore make Re-Reckoning a game that most role-playing game fans will enjoy. Especially if they like juggling enemies to death.

It’s a polished game, but it’s polished for 2012. It’s a solid RPG, and if you want a very well fleshed-out fantasy world, you’ll find joy here.

All things considered, your enjoyment of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is going to depend wildly on what your experience is with the base game thus far. If you’ve already played the original Amalur, I don’t think any of the changes here are substantial enough to warrant your money. If you’re new, this is definitely the best way to jump into an experience that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Re-Reckoning is underwhelming as a second release, but, with the original game being as much fun as it is, it’s hard to hold much enmity. While I may yearn for a truly modern Amalur title to bring the franchise into more modern times, Re-Reckoning is a solid blast from the past that, if we’re lucky, might give the franchise the demand it needs to keep moving forward.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning isn't the best Action RPG today, but at the time it was so good that it felt like a window into the future of the genre. After replaying it, it's clear that it has aged like a good wine, because it manages to connect two aspects as important as an accessible but deep combat and a huge world full of characters and stories to discover.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is less of a wholesale remaster and more of a reminder of the original's quality outside the hype bubble and separated from its controversies. With this second chance, Amalur stands on its own as a weird and often wonderful action RPG.

Almost the same game that we played back in 2012. Nothing has changed enough... It is not awful if you didn't played the game when it came out, but doesn't offer enough new reasons to come back to this world on 2021. The good news is that THQ hasn't thrown in the towel with the franchise, and that everything that we see here would be improved in the future.

A solid, if slightly underwhelming remaster of an underappreciated gem of an action RPG. Well worth your time, especially if you missed out on it the first time around. Subtle visual tweaks but some more useful under-the-hood fiddling make it the definitive version of the game.

This whole game suffers from the stains of time: The quest system feels old, it's world building can get quite flustered and messy and the graphics - while improved - still feel like an early 2010's game. They're lucky the gameplay is just too much fun.

I always remember Kingdoms of Amalur as a game that took risks, and then delivered on them despite the rocky development it went through. There are many other examples of games that have improved considerably using some of its design choices, but it’s undeniable that there’s no experience that quite matches this. I just wish it would have maintained that once present rebellious spirit here as well, coming up with the sorely needed update in the face of a new generation.

As of right now, Kingdoms of Amalur is a good introduction to a universe that doesn't have any other entries. The fluid combat is brought down a bit by overstuffed quest design and repetitive dungeon areas, and the front-to-back storyline is a little basic, but it offers a solid foundation to a world whose fate is once again uncertain.

Re-Reckoning is the most barebones remaster it could possibly be. It’s only barely been touched up visually, and the most gameplay changes are under the hood. If you’ve already played the game, there’s no reason to return here.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is let down by a lackluster plot and a few technical issues, but if you focus on the gratifying combat, it's a fine way to burn through 20 to 30 hours.

I am a huge fan of Kingdoms of Amalur. That's why it hurts my soul somewhere to have to write negative about this game in this test.

I appreciate Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning for giving gamers who missed it the first time a chance to see what could have been, but ultimately, it’s a project that should’ve been left to its previous fate.

The lack of any real upgrades to its visuals or gameplay unfortunately make Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning the same soup, just reheated. At least the overall experience is still the same as in the original release back in 2012.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning retains all the major flaws of an original game, but if you want to dive into the interesting world of Amalur, buy this remaster.

Feeling very dated in both visuals and gameplay I really can’t recommend it at the full asking price, especially as there are ways in which you can still get hold of download codes for the original release at a fraction of the price. It may have been a different story had there been more work done bringing the game up-to-date and squishing those darn bugs, but this feels like nothing more than a cash grab to make up for some of the money spent on purchasing the IP. Wait for a price drop.

A remaster of a shamefully overlooked game. Beaming with colors and flexible build management, Kingdoms of Amalur offers an engaging RPG experience that is, however, somehow spoiled by a botched remaster that should just have been something more. [Issue#306]

Clearly, go your way, or rather refer to the original version.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-reckoning is a handful of solid gameplay systems trapped in a world that’s lost its magic. There’s plenty to play with as far as combat and crafting are concerned, but the game is defined by its decision to choose quantity over quality.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning provides the best possible way for old fans and new adventurers alike to check out the world of Amalur. However, before purchasing the game you have to know what you are getting for you money - an HD version of highly polished 2012 game with or without an upcoming DLC depending on your edition. Quality of life, UI and many other aspects of the game fit the time of its original release. If you are not put off by rough around the edges gameplay, the world of Amalur awaits.

I honestly feel silly for getting my hopes up and expecting more from a remaster, such as finally having the ability to jump, but love makes you do stupid things, even if it is just a video game.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning removed some dust from the textures but left the polygonal models and the user interface almost identical. Both of these elements would have needed a little more work to be modernized just enough to keep up with more recent productions.

Kingdoms of Amalur was one of the most underrated games of the previous decade and its return will make that pretty clear to some players. However, the remastering of this borderline classic is hamstrung by a 2012 inventory and menu system, a 2012 user interface, and 2012 icons and health bar. That being said, the updated environments, characters, and other elements do look great and the actual gameplay is superb. However, it feels like a wasted opportunity that THQ Nordic didn’t spend the time to bring those lagging elements into 2020 along with the rest of the facelift.

Yet another setback for a title that seems unable to break free from the plots of an adverse fate, unlike its revived silent hero.