Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1215 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 614 out of 1215
  2. Mixed: 345 out of 1215
  3. Negative: 256 out of 1215
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  1. VETJasper
    Feb 13, 2012
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a good game (with a really bad title). A decent story, slightly generic world, and fun combat come together to make an enjoyable, but not perfect, experience.

    THE MAIN STORY does a good job of making the player feel important to the plot. It's not as detailed as comparable games such as Witcher 2, but Witcher 2 is a much more main story oriented game. In    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a good game (with a really bad title). A decent story, slightly generic world, and fun combat come together to make an enjoyable, but not perfect, experience.

    THE MAIN STORY does a good job of making the player feel important to the plot. It's not as detailed as comparable games such as Witcher 2, but Witcher 2 is a much more main story oriented game. In comparison, the huge amount of side quests in Amalur naturally make the main quest feel sluggish. It shoots for quantity while still retaining decent quality.

    THE WORLD is a bit on the generic side, using the elder scrolls method of taking your basic high fantasy races and locations and adding slight variations. Enemies follow the same route, being re-imagined classic creatures like kobolds and brownies. Overall disappointing, but still very bearable.

    COMBAT is visceral and fun, and while not nearly as difficult as current "hardcore" rpgs like Witcher 2 and Demon's Souls, it does take some concentration. Unfortunately some difficulty is given by combat animations delaying your block and roll, something the above games suffer from much less.

    GRAPHICS are vibrant and sharp, but overall very cartoonish. Depending on the person this could be one of the greatest features or biggest detriments, and I'm so-so on them. They don't have the realism and grit of Witcher 2's graphics, but are well done in their own right. Lighting is well used and there are some really great environments to admire.

    THE USER INTERFACE is a tiny bit clunky and bare, but still way better than Skyrim's launch.

    MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS include the camera, which I personally like but many find a problem with, mainly due to its floaty nature and fixed view distance. Character creation was pretty limited. My personal biggest was the lack of player voice overs, which really detracts from conversations. ALL IN ALL, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning gets a 7/10. It's a well polished game plagued by a generic take on fantasy.    … Expand
  2. laldmanx23
    Feb 7, 2012
    7
    A little more time in development and this game would probably be deserving of a 9 or 10. The story is great (for a sandbox), but the Bioware dialogue wheel knockoff is not very well done. The graphics are lacking and the actual combat just seems a little "off", it's not quite fluid. Obviously some will complain about the lack of character customization and it is a valid complaint asA little more time in development and this game would probably be deserving of a 9 or 10. The story is great (for a sandbox), but the Bioware dialogue wheel knockoff is not very well done. The graphics are lacking and the actual combat just seems a little "off", it's not quite fluid. Obviously some will complain about the lack of character customization and it is a valid complaint as it's very limited (personally I couldn't care less about customization). Most of the abilities are ascetically pleasing and the combat was more interesting than a TES game. It is essentially a solid game that didn't quite live up to my expectations, I feel like it was a little bit rushed but ultimately it's good enough to warrant a purchase at some point. Any hardcore RPG fan should pick it up, but anyone else should probably wait until a price cut.… Expand
  3. MattC
    Feb 7, 2012
    8
    Cons:
    Outdated character and environment graphics.
    Menu system is clearly console"ified" and clunky with m/k. Cartoony textures (may be a pro for some). Generic fantasy world, with all the usual players. Poor character creator. Mute main character Pros: Some of the best combat and gameplay ever in an rpg. Virtually bug free. Tons of ability to customize not only your appearance, but    Cons:
    Outdated character and environment graphics.
    Menu system is clearly console"ified" and clunky with m/k.
    Cartoony textures (may be a pro for some).
    Generic fantasy world, with all the usual players.
    Poor character creator.
    Mute main character

    Pros:
    Some of the best combat and gameplay ever in an rpg.
    Virtually bug free.
    Tons of ability to customize not only your appearance, but skills also, 3 talent tress that are all fleshed out very well.
    Forgiving leveling system that lets you reset your points. High quality voice acting.
    TONS (150+ hours) of side quests.
    Gear drops like it's going out of style.

    Overall:
    I was very skeptical after playing to demo, but once you start raking in loot and gear plus get some points into combat this game starts to get very, very, good.    … Expand
  4. bulreporting
    Feb 8, 2012
    10
    Great visuals, refreshing new combat system that's fun and beautiful to watch, encourages hybrid play styles, story is engaging. No bugs in my experience so far.
  5. CQCBerzerk
    Feb 8, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing, but sadly all the Skyrim fanboys are flocking to every review site they can to hate on this gem.
    I absolutely LOVE this game. The combat is crisp and satisfying, and does require a lot of skill to fight enemies later in the game. The character customization is superb, and every combination is viable. Rogue Mages can do devastating backstabs,and if that doesn't finish    This game is amazing, but sadly all the Skyrim fanboys are flocking to every review site they can to hate on this gem.
    I absolutely LOVE this game. The combat is crisp and satisfying, and does require a lot of skill to fight enemies later in the game. The character customization is superb, and every combination is viable. Rogue Mages can do devastating backstabs,and if that doesn't finish off your target, you can conjure up a lightning bolt or a meteor to finish them off. Warrior mages can use the mage's support spells to aid themselves in battle. There is a lot of motivation to level up in this game. Each time your character levels, it really makes a large impact on your skillset and playstyle. There are not many abilities in the game, but every point you put in to a tree makes individual spells much stronger, and adds extra strength to them. Many people say that this game's story is nothing compared to Skyrim, and I have no idea what they are talking about. Skyrim was a decent game, but it's story was pretty crappy. I mean, you are supposed to kill zombie dragons so you can learn how to speak dragon. This game's story is a LOT better than learning how to speak dragon. Anyways, I recommend you disregard all the negative reviews and try this game out for yourself.    … Expand
  6. warprincenataku
    Feb 10, 2012
    8
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a new IP from EA and with any new IP there are many risks. Like is the new world and lore rich enough? Are the game mechanics and story deep enough? Are people willing to risk buying a full priced game from the start?

    Most of these are answered with a resounding, yes! This game have sweeping visuals and a compelling story. Sure, most fantasy genre games    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a new IP from EA and with any new IP there are many risks. Like is the new world and lore rich enough? Are the game mechanics and story deep enough? Are people willing to risk buying a full priced game from the start?

    Most of these are answered with a resounding, yes! This game have sweeping visuals and a compelling story. Sure, most fantasy genre games may have some overlapping content such as elves, swords and magic, but it's how these familiar elements are portrayed that sets it apart from other games in the fantasy genre.

    First the bad. The game has mixed reviews on its visuals. The game is full of rich and vibrant areas with almost cartoonish characters. It is not Dragon Age and does not try to be. It's more along the lines of Fable, with exaggerated hands and feet, but that's ok as everything is balanced to fit that particular style. The animations are fluid, the world is rich with various flora and fauna and is beautiful. It's a different kind of beauty than can be appreciated from even the most high graphic demanding players.

    The fight mechanics are quite solid and playing a melee, ranged, magic or a mixture of them all is quite fun. I really felt powerful as a spellsword, a custom built class built around melee and magic. Launching a lightning blast only to run in and clean up with your sword is quite rewarding. Your special attacks and abilities are on timers keeping you from spamming your most powerful of attacks. The combat is fluid and makes use of a solid collision detection system. Attack animations and spells can be interrupted, so combat feels more dynamic resulting in the need to plan your attacks accordingly.

    I hear a lot of people complain about the bow mechanics in this game. I barely used the bow as my character is geared towards magic, but I can't imagine it's that complex. The combat uses an auto targeting system, so I can see the disadvantages of using a bow, but it's not much difference than using spells since they use a similar system. Rounding off combat are finishing moves which give you a boost of XP for randomly mashing a button when an animation is triggered. These moves end in a God of War style executioner such as jumping up and driving swords down through your target's head or body. The animations are canned and there are only a few for standard enemies and only one for larger enemies, but they haven't gotten old yet.

    The story is written by R. A. Salvatore, who I'm not quite familiar with and the visuals are designed by Todd McFarlane who I am familiar with. I don't know if I'm missing anything having these two names thrown around, but for me it's a big "so what"? Todd McFarlane designed the visuals you say? Great! Couldn't care less. I mean you could have told me Bill Cosby designed the visuals and I would have been just as apathetic.

    The story is standard fantasy fair. You are a resurrected soldier of one of four playable races and three skill classes and you are fated to save the world. After your resurrection the machine that brought you back was destroyed, so you are the only one of your kind and it's up to you to make what is... *falls asleep* Yeah, the story is there to take you through the world. It's there, it's written by R. A. Salvatore and it's nice.

    All in all, visuals are similar to Fable. Gameplay is similar to Fable and God of War. Story is standard. In closing, this is the game that Fable should have been.    … Expand
  7. twinki
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    This game is far better than what i though firstt!
    The combat system is really dynamic and it's lots of fun figuring out different combos and stuff! it might not be as much of an "rpg" as lets say skyrim but the gameplay is IMO miles better. dont know why this got rated this low..
  8. Syrionus
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    After several hours in, I think this is better than Skyrim. Granted they are different games but the story combat and quests are quite a bit better. I love the art and of course, can't forget the loot. The combat is a cross between Fable and God of War. The loot and questing system reminds me of World of Warcraft. As far as people saying it is easy, try hard mode. The devs are working on aAfter several hours in, I think this is better than Skyrim. Granted they are different games but the story combat and quests are quite a bit better. I love the art and of course, can't forget the loot. The combat is a cross between Fable and God of War. The loot and questing system reminds me of World of Warcraft. As far as people saying it is easy, try hard mode. The devs are working on a way to improve the camera so I am not worried that much about that. In fact the camera was only a minor complaint because you get used to it after a while. Anyway, the game is my favorite game to be released in a very long time. Any RPG fan should pick this up.… Expand
  9. NastyN8
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    There are many thing to like about KOA:R. (I am currently playing on PC with a single RADEON 6850 GPU). The story is complex but very meaningful if you take the time to talk to the NPCs. Side quests are numerous and the world is open and very vast. There is much to explore and rewards for your exploration seem to await around every corner. The combat is in a class of its own and puts anyThere are many thing to like about KOA:R. (I am currently playing on PC with a single RADEON 6850 GPU). The story is complex but very meaningful if you take the time to talk to the NPCs. Side quests are numerous and the world is open and very vast. There is much to explore and rewards for your exploration seem to await around every corner. The combat is in a class of its own and puts any other current RPG to shame. I really enjoy the art style as well, KOA:R doesn't try to look realistic, instead it focuses on looking cool (which is where Todd McFarlane is at his best). To be fair, there are some cons as well. It takes too many clicks of the mouse/keyboard to get into the menu you want and back out again and so switching a piece of armor or a weapon is more time consuming than it should be.The voice acting and character animation is brilliant but the lip syncing is far less than perfect. The NPC character models, even on PC high-settings leave something to be desired; however, the main character (you) and the monsters usually look great.

    Flaws aside, I gave this game a 10 because the experience of playing it is brilliant and it feels different from any other game in the genre.    … Expand
  10. Eidolon
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    I have spent the last few months searching for a new game that would capture and hold my attention for more than a couple of hours, a game that I would look forward to playing when I got home. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has filled that role. The detailed storyline and history of the world combine with beautiful storybook graphics and an addictive fast paced combat system have me eagerI have spent the last few months searching for a new game that would capture and hold my attention for more than a couple of hours, a game that I would look forward to playing when I got home. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has filled that role. The detailed storyline and history of the world combine with beautiful storybook graphics and an addictive fast paced combat system have me eager to embark upon my next quest and see what's hiding around the next corner.… Expand
  11. nirvycn
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    Excellent fast action combat system i LOVE the combat in this game. GRaphics a bit below par, as is the UI, but the core of this game is the loot and fighting system, both of which are superb.
  12. CMPN
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning delivers exactly what it promises: a pitch-perfect fantasy RPG, with visceral, intuitive gameplay that is easy to pick up, difficult to master, wildly flexible and just plain fun, in a way that has yet to be seen in the genre. The world is accessible and vast, offering genre fans plenty to sink their teeth into. One gets the sense that they are watching anKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning delivers exactly what it promises: a pitch-perfect fantasy RPG, with visceral, intuitive gameplay that is easy to pick up, difficult to master, wildly flexible and just plain fun, in a way that has yet to be seen in the genre. The world is accessible and vast, offering genre fans plenty to sink their teeth into. One gets the sense that they are watching an entire world unfold before them, one rich with history and lore and life. Amalur opens itself up to the player in a way that is both familiar and refreshing, then empowers the player to do incredible things. 38 Studios and Big Huge Games have created a world worth saving, and they have given us some pretty damn cool tools with which to get the job done.… Expand
  13. Allions
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    Not as good as Skyrim, but this is a very good RPG. There are some good ideas (inventory, armors, weapons creation) and the story looks good. Some problems: cameras and V Sync on PC (with v sync enabled loadings time are more than a minute on a high end pc).
    I'll give it a 9
  14. FearTheCalm
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    I am quite enjoying this game, but I urge everyone to look at CMPN's user profile. It's obviously a fake as all this user has posted are reviews for all the versions of KOA:R, with a copy and paste review that reeks of a review from the developer or publisher. Please, people in the business, do not do this. It is unfair to try and artificially boost your scores.
  15. kofelovr
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    Overall, a solid RPG. I personally prefer a different art style, but that's just a personal preference. The combat is better than most RPG's and, hopefully, they'll be able to make some changes to the camera with future patches.
  16. op8
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    really enjoyable action rpg, kinda like a mix of oblivion and fable.looks great, has awesome combat, tonnes of loot,weapons,armours abilities and skills to customize with. (not witcher2 grfx but serves its purpose, and you have maybe 5 second load screens entering homes,caves etc., and new lage areas of the map).you will recognise a lot of aspects from other rpg's but thats fine because itreally enjoyable action rpg, kinda like a mix of oblivion and fable.looks great, has awesome combat, tonnes of loot,weapons,armours abilities and skills to customize with. (not witcher2 grfx but serves its purpose, and you have maybe 5 second load screens entering homes,caves etc., and new lage areas of the map).you will recognise a lot of aspects from other rpg's but thats fine because it works well, so why the hell not use it.Also it is BUG FREE. There really is a HUGE amount of quests to do and so far they have been excellent, and i have only explored 25% of the map.Just wanna say again its so nice to be able to play a game WITHOUT ridiculous bugs, awful animations, dreary dialogue,boring quests and pathetic combat.........(i honestly dont know what game user "sf2000" was playing but it certainly wasnt this game, so please IGNORE this fool)… Expand
  17. DarkChaplain
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    From what I've seen these past 2 hours of the Demo and 7 of the Full Game, KoA:R is a great game.

    The world is open to travel, and I've yet to come across an area I could not enter if I wanted to, although I am more entertained by exploring the world, solving quests as they come and talk to NPCs. I wonder what people expect from an Open World game - sure, Reckoning connects the bigger    From what I've seen these past 2 hours of the Demo and 7 of the Full Game, KoA:R is a great game.

    The world is open to travel, and I've yet to come across an area I could not enter if I wanted to, although I am more entertained by exploring the world, solving quests as they come and talk to NPCs. I wonder what people expect from an Open World game - sure, Reckoning connects the bigger spaces on the map through smaller paths, but who gives if I cannot view the other end of the world from my house? Even in Real Life, areas are connected by bigger roads and passes.

    KoA:R has its fun moments, where it does not even take its own characters seriously. One example would be a wannabe-alchemist trying to assume the identity of a legendary man of that craft, but can only keep up with that due to a potion that makes him smart. He also resembles black rapper stereotypes, which makes the nonsense he talks even more enjoyable.

    While there are fun moments like these, the world itself feels consistent so far, with a bigger conflict being hinted by multiple important NPCs. There is a lot more depth to be found here than people would like to admit when comparing it to the grand, excessively overrated "skyrim".

    Yes, this is no Skyrim. But quite honestly, I'm glad for that fact. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning feels far more engaging and exciting than Skyrim ever did.
    This game offers interesting combat, customization both in terms of equipment and skills, with basic traits and abilities split and a world which is fun to explore with its multitude of colors and nice voice acting.

    It will take multiple playthroughs to explore everything the skill and ability trees have to offer. Spending points either on Might, Finesse or Sorcery also make your character much more specialized than in an "you can be anything you want, all at the same time"-RPG like Skyrim. You sure can weild a hammer, staff or sceptre whenever you want, for sure, but you won't be quite as good as with the weapon types you spec on, and its fairly noticeable early into the game.

    The combat itself is nicely balanced so far, from easy enemies you could mow down without effort to fiends who'd require faster reactions and different ways to approach in general, and bosses that can be quite frustrating if you underestimate them. The dual-weild style of combat works extremely well and it is rewarding to watch enemies get pushed back by your melee attacks just to get finished by an arrow or ability. switching between combat styles is simply and works to the player's advantage, as there is a weapon for any taste, and different flavors of these weapons.

    There are multiple traits a weapon can carry, some strengthening your energy or health bars, others protecting of damage or adding status effects to your attacks, and you'll compare your gear all the time.
    KoA:R uses the typical "white, green, blue, purple, gold"-pattern for equipment levels, which is a good and intuitive decision. You'll feel right at home.

    Crafting requires some talent points to be truly effective, as you first dismantle gear into their basic parts, where the quality (and success) depends on your blacksmithing skill, and then reattach gear by using the necessary basic parts and adding enhancements in the process after unlocking these optional slots on the skilltree. Alchemy works similarly, you'll have to actively spend points on that tree to be able to brew stronger potions rather than having you craft x potions to level up. Of course, experimenting is in as well as brewing by recipes.
    There's also sagecraft, where you can combine shards or put them into weapon/armor sockets to give the gear special traits, but these are typical lategame-things.

    All crafting screens are easy to navigate and intuitive to use, which is a definite plus.
    There's much more to the game as a whole, but these are the points which I personally find noteworthy and deciding.

    Overall the game is great, entertaining and engaging. I can't see why people already start downvote-spamming on release day (which isn't even worldwide yet).    … Expand
  18. RodrigoGalliard
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    Please, remember, the world is FULL OF fanboy, ignorant people. This game has flaws, of course, but the MAIN OBJECTIVE in a game is have fun! I already reviewed this game, but some people has accused us, the people who like the game and gave him a good score, saying we are fakes, or something stupid like that. I'm made this account just for review this game, a lot of people have account,Please, remember, the world is FULL OF fanboy, ignorant people. This game has flaws, of course, but the MAIN OBJECTIVE in a game is have fun! I already reviewed this game, but some people has accused us, the people who like the game and gave him a good score, saying we are fakes, or something stupid like that. I'm made this account just for review this game, a lot of people have account, at least is what i can deduce, just for make bad reviews, so, i decided do something positive, this game deserve a better note, this crap people who are giving to him notes absurdly low, they are just saying empty words. I actually have the game, not just the demo, and believe me, it's way too different, very much more polished.… Expand
  19. lagendofdoom
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    I can't believe how many haters there are out there, if you want to understand what the hell am i saying well watch the user score in the xbox 360 and the ps3 after that watch how many in the pc version have a bad reviews ( and also you should see the difference between the number of negative reviews and the negative score ) after that you should watch the user's account to check how manyI can't believe how many haters there are out there, if you want to understand what the hell am i saying well watch the user score in the xbox 360 and the ps3 after that watch how many in the pc version have a bad reviews ( and also you should see the difference between the number of negative reviews and the negative score ) after that you should watch the user's account to check how many reviews they did ( you will find out that only two users did many reviews while all the others are just haters... and made a new account only to lower this game's score ). My suggestion to you is to check the critic reviews and not the users. The only reason i give this game a score of 10 is because this game's user score is too low and should get a score over 7.5 while in my opinion this game's score deserves an 8. Reckoning has flaws in storytelling,difficulty level which is too easy,the camera and sometimes have screen popping other than that everything was well executed, the gameplay is the best thing that Reckoning can offer, some could say this is the best Rpg gameplay, in my opinion the gameplay is one of the best Rpg gameplays i have ever experienced. voice acting is well executed, the skills and abilities are great and the leveling up system is also great. The exploration is fascinating, the graphics is more of a Cartoony style which reminds me of Fable only better executed, the items which you find while exploring aren't useless and sometimes you can get a real rare item. Kingdoms Of Amalur : Reckoning isn't perfect but its a game which you should try out… Expand
  20. infinite
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    I've played a little more than 10 hours and I have yet to get away from the starting area! This world is absolutely massive! So. Huge. It's not a true "open world," but I prefer a more guided experience -- smaller digestible chunks. This helps someone with ADD as you'll constantly be discovering new visual styles, areas/dungeons, creatures and piece of lore. The attention to detail in manyI've played a little more than 10 hours and I have yet to get away from the starting area! This world is absolutely massive! So. Huge. It's not a true "open world," but I prefer a more guided experience -- smaller digestible chunks. This helps someone with ADD as you'll constantly be discovering new visual styles, areas/dungeons, creatures and piece of lore. The attention to detail in many aspects of this game is pretty special. I, personally, love this artistic style. The combat is wild (including all of the animations/sounds that go with the combat moves)! It's certainly not bad, at all, for a first studio title. This will likely be the first game to keep my attention to the end since the release of SC2.… Expand
  21. Grosher
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A MASTERPIECE Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning . Spectacular and Amazing is the first title of 38 Studio and is very very competitive with other fantasy RPG . This game not have to be jealousy to other games like Skyrim. Dragon Age, Souls Demons /Dark Souls, Dugeon Siege, LoR War on The North, M& M Heroes 4, The Witcher and Quest Titan so that it has everything in one. Is a world totally different, full of color and spectacular history, You feel the personages with real life ,delicate movement . The music WAooo!!! the music is the most important factor for the game and this game you found it Violins , Cello, Trumpet , French Horn ,Timpani drums and many more (Waooo!!! again) . The visual and sounds are HD 3D effects. I hope other title of the same studio (I wish be a open World, to feel the water, cascades and rivers).If this title is interesting the following must be equal or far better. The studio to be remain the same work party a same think to give to the true good players good titles. Thanks for do a better world my personal Score 9.6 for not be a open world… Expand
  22. evolvia31
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    Excellent RPG Game is a bit under skyrim but games is very long to the main quest (~30h) and if you add the side quest, faction quest and all other there are very very much hours of games.

    Craft and spellcraft are funny and can make a very good item, weapon and armor.
    This game is a new licence and it's a very good launch to it.
  23. musicgamer
    Feb 13, 2012
    4
    On receiving this game I thought it was fantastic Rpg/Adventure with great Action. I was really hoping to enjoy this game, BUT!, am now discovering how actually bland and simplistic this game is - esp once your about 7hrs inn!!

    I was hoping KoA:R would have varied quests and many options/decision paths/discoveries as described and mentioned by the makers before the games release!!!!.. Now    On receiving this game I thought it was fantastic Rpg/Adventure with great Action. I was really hoping to enjoy this game, BUT!, am now discovering how actually bland and simplistic this game is - esp once your about 7hrs inn!!

    I was hoping KoA:R would have varied quests and many options/decision paths/discoveries as described and mentioned by the makers before the games release!!!!.. Now with 14hrs of game play(approx); all I've been doing is bashing the attack button, slaying creatures for the many samey side-quests, or, simply fetching mostly useless item(s) that still involve slaying everything!!!. While combat seems cool and engaging at first, it's nothing more then a series one button presses and occasional block pausing. You can easily take on groups of 4-7 guys with ease!! EVEN ON HARD LEVEL!!..This does start to drag at times, as it doesn't really require anything, just attack, attack, attack!. You walk a few steps before you have to repeat the same action attacking everything in your way, but, without any real challenge, as enemies do fall fairly easily. I actually just run past them now!...After a few hours play the gameplay with KoA:R doesstart to become action repetitive, actually very repetitive!!! . This is made worse as KoA:R lacks challenge, or required skill, or even discovering enemy weak-points, that can make fighting more varied and interesting as battles come far to often. I also found one attack technique seems to beatsall (so-far!) - the many attacking options are there, but, are not , actually required.

    I do find it rather stupid, for a game of this sort, that annoyingly, you are stuck to the ground!! You can't jump freely or over anything!. Because of this stupidity you are forced to walk around everything just to reach a place you can see just a few steps away, but can't, as its blocked by a small rock, fence, water, edge, lake..etc; forcing you to find a longer route. You can't even fall/step-off the edge(unless its at a very limited fixed game design place)!!!!...The world, while attractive and fairly varied, it is rather flat as you don't reach high places, no hills, no mountains, no ladders, no reaching high peaks - everything is on ground floor! This is also not a true open world game in the sense of Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout games, as you are funnelled into a one direction with many area architectural designs within the game world fairly similar - though painted with different textures !

    The story isn't very engrossing at present (14hrs) and seems fairly generic so-far. Also there seems to be NO consequences to the actions you make!! I slaughtered a whole village, yet no-one cared! this destroys feeling for a living game world. There isn't much activity gong onn in the villages, and can be quiet and empty in many areas too (so-far!). Cut scenes are poor, your character just stands staring of into the distance not reacting to anything; as do other characteres!!. Lip sync is bad too! like a badly dubbed movie.

    I will continue to play to the end, but it feels I'm using my thumb to bash buttons more then making deep choices, figuring out things, making moral choices that effect game direction, or searching for meaningful items/loots to help progress (everything is just thrown at you without ant real discovering!). With the streamlined and generic Rpg that is rather simplified has taken away the depth of an involving Rpg and has made it more a arcade large Hack n Slash game - without depth!!!    … Expand
  24. sh4dow
    Feb 9, 2012
    5
    A lot of what the more critical reviews say is true. I gave this a chance because I am disappointed of Skyrim and I am not yet desiring a second Witcher 2 playthrough, even though that was awesome. Personally, I am fine with the story of the game (which a LOT of people seem to criticize the most). But unfortunately, first of all - the game really does look like an MMO. Anybody claiming itA lot of what the more critical reviews say is true. I gave this a chance because I am disappointed of Skyrim and I am not yet desiring a second Witcher 2 playthrough, even though that was awesome. Personally, I am fine with the story of the game (which a LOT of people seem to criticize the most). But unfortunately, first of all - the game really does look like an MMO. Anybody claiming it looks gorgeous clearly has not played any newly released games for five years. Secondly - the camera really is awful. And I mean AWFUL! It is incredibly close, cannot be adjusted and when you run to the side it even lags behind a bit. At least with a gamepad, the bow is especially useless because if you want to "aim" (there appears to be only auto lock-on - so "aiming" is just switching between targets), you have to use the right stick. Now try keeping X/Y pressed while moving the right stick. And then there is the cumbersome inventory management... which anyone can realize by just briefly looking at a gameplay video. Personally, I wouldn't even care so much that it looks like crap and that the bow seems a bit broken. I almost only use swords in RPGs anyway. And the fighting system does look like fun. I appreciate the combo-style fighting system embedded in a loot-heavy fantasy RPG. It's new and interesting and it would work for me. The way the weapons are drawn immediately and blocking reacts very rapidly makes for a very pleasurable fighting experience. Only the response of the dodge button seemed a bit hit and miss. AND one can save at any point!! After experiencing games like Metro 2033, Alice: Madness Returns, Batman: Arkham City, etc., I don't take that for granted any more. Yes, it's an RPG but... it IS very action-focused and the madness that is quicksave-only seems to take over every damn genre. But what I really can't ignore, no matter what intriguing aspects the game may have is that damn camera. I remember Sonic Adventures (yes, a console jump'n'run...) like it was yesterday... and people were **** all over about how crappy the camera was. I didn't think so. It wasn't the best but it was very playable. And I have seen worse since. But Kingdoms of Amalur beats ALL of them, it is THAT crappy! Maybe they'll patch it (ha!) and I'll end up at some day enjoying this game as I should (without the **** camera, if the whole story and quests and everything would be nice, I would probably bump it up to 7 or even 8)… Expand
  25. cmoyano
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    hahaha, not as good as skyrim? are you people serious? this is miles ahead of that boring, lame, atrocious looking game. Skyrim is all the same. You see the same crap over and over again, fast travel, take a quest, go to dungeon, beat it, go back and it all culminates in an insanely boring lame conversation with an npc. Amalur has great combat, fxaa injector makes it look gorgeous onhahaha, not as good as skyrim? are you people serious? this is miles ahead of that boring, lame, atrocious looking game. Skyrim is all the same. You see the same crap over and over again, fast travel, take a quest, go to dungeon, beat it, go back and it all culminates in an insanely boring lame conversation with an npc. Amalur has great combat, fxaa injector makes it look gorgeous on pc, the story is good, not boring and the loot is very good. It actually makes you want to look for armor to wear, something that skyrim didnt have cause all of its armor is so bad. Graphics are good and its very well optimized with a full smooth 60 fps at all times. Amalur is a much better game than skyrim in almost every single way. Now back to playing… Expand
  26. Kaizerfist
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    FAst paced action with all the staple rpg elemts. It does what skyrim could not do for me. Its fun and engaging. I highly recommend trying it for yourse;f instead of trusting any reviews.
  27. pjlennon
    Feb 7, 2012
    5
    - Even on the highest difficulty this game is jokingly easy. - No ability to zoom the camera out is nauseating (blur effect from turning) and it makes combat more difficult than it should be (at times). - Crafting is completely worthless,
    - Different character classes are pointless as they're all the exact same. Customization is awful. - Quests are repetitive. This is a MMO that was turned    - Even on the highest difficulty this game is jokingly easy. - No ability to zoom the camera out is nauseating (blur effect from turning) and it makes combat more difficult than it should be (at times). - Crafting is completely worthless,
    - Different character classes are pointless as they're all the exact same. Customization is awful. - Quests are repetitive. This is a MMO that was turned into a single player game and it really shows. - Cartoon graphics are fine, there is some decent lighting effects, it looks kind of like Aion. - It's by no means "open world" and it can get old real quick. - There are minor UI things that could be changed to enhance the game, which maybe they'll do in future patches. Still disappointing seeing as how much they play tested the game. - The story is absolutely forgettable, you click through almost all the dialog and click the blue quest lines, run to spot on map, repeat. - I can think of at least 10 other MMOs that could be turned into single player games and they would be more fun that this, which is disappointing as this just came out.    … Expand
  28. adler
    Feb 9, 2012
    3
    First of all this isn't an RPG, its Hack&Slash with light RPG elements. Game has rather bad graphics for a game that is released in 2012. Story isn't that great, once again main character with lost memory. I see all people that give 8-10 ratings on this game brag with "best combat and gameplay ever", combat is fast left clicking with mouse until everything around you is dead, if that isFirst of all this isn't an RPG, its Hack&Slash with light RPG elements. Game has rather bad graphics for a game that is released in 2012. Story isn't that great, once again main character with lost memory. I see all people that give 8-10 ratings on this game brag with "best combat and gameplay ever", combat is fast left clicking with mouse until everything around you is dead, if that is best ever they saw in games i don't have anything to say to that except LOL. Oversized lighting weapons, shield that main character holds in his pocket are just laughable, like its made for japanese market. Best way to say about this game is Cursed Crusade with EA logo on it.… Expand
  29. Artoflameness
    Feb 10, 2012
    4
    The review sites have failed again, big time. Corruption runs amok..
    Another worrying trend is that the first (few) poster(s) in the user reviews section on any game are from the marketing department of given game. At the moment the game is available to the public, they already know that the game is polished, contains X hours of gameplay, it delivers, etc.. And of course 10/10..
    This is    The review sites have failed again, big time. Corruption runs amok..
    Another worrying trend is that the first (few) poster(s) in the user reviews section on any game are from the marketing department of given game. At the moment the game is available to the public, they already know that the game is polished, contains X hours of gameplay, it delivers, etc.. And of course 10/10..
    This is absurd.
    Fortunately they can't offset the user score too much. I am grateful for this, thank you metacritic for your site and system.

    About the game:
    Pros: Somewhat solid combat system, more than average content, stable-polished engine -> no bugs.
    Cons: Generic world, bad and boring story, low level of immersion, horrible camera placement, outdated graphics, console-port feeling (GUI and controls)

    The game plays and feels more like Diablo, than a traditional RPG. Some people may like this, some may not.
    The main problem with the game is the disparity between graphic style vs story. The game tells us a dark and epic story , but tries to do this with a cartoon-ish, funny style. (in fable the story was in harmony with the graphic style).

    (sorry for my bad English)    … Expand
  30. Desdicado
    Feb 8, 2012
    3
    I'm amazed at the 100% "professional" reviews, are they playing the same game? Has money changed hands? I've played RPGs since the late 80s so love them. Unfortunately the game doesn't live up to the hype at all. I really really dislike the cartoony graphics, they look 5 years out of date and the camera is way too close in to you. The quests are repetitive, go here kill that, go thereI'm amazed at the 100% "professional" reviews, are they playing the same game? Has money changed hands? I've played RPGs since the late 80s so love them. Unfortunately the game doesn't live up to the hype at all. I really really dislike the cartoony graphics, they look 5 years out of date and the camera is way too close in to you. The quests are repetitive, go here kill that, go there kill that over and over. The skill trees are ok, but they've been done in similar ways in countless games. The cut scenes are poor, your character just stands there staring of into the distance not reacting. There are no consequences to your actions so it doesnt feel like a living world. Bows are broken, you can't aim. All guards know when you've done something psychically which I hate. You can't jump, even over small things. it's not open, just interlinked blocks of space, the only good thing is the combat which is fun and well executed, but harder on pc than xbox. Lets hope KOAR 2 is way more polished. Oh and the weapons degrade which I don't like either! And it doesn't suck you in like a really good RPG should, waste of money.… Expand
  31. Keyboardhero
    Feb 8, 2012
    1
    This game is proof how corupted video game review sites are wtf 9/10 10/10 8/10 hilarious
    They tried to mix god of war,dragon age,skyrim and wow in 1 big game but problem is they failed Main story is boring you are the one only you can save the world you are that special snowflake gtfo
    Side quests are typical bring me 10 kill 10 crap mmo style quests that they shoulda remade so player    This game is proof how corupted video game review sites are wtf 9/10 10/10 8/10 hilarious
    They tried to mix god of war,dragon age,skyrim and wow in 1 big game but problem is they failed Main story is boring you are the one only you can save the world you are that special snowflake gtfo
    Side quests are typical bring me 10 kill 10 crap mmo style quests that they shoulda remade so player would actualy be interested in doin them.Game art style is mix of fable and wow and its to **** and childish for a game that is suppose to be mature "rpg" game.Dialog options give false C&C cause in the end same thing happens whatever you say.
    Inventory interface is complete crap for pc users you need 5 times to press left click in order to equip something camera is to damn close entire game is stuck in characters a s s
    Crafting is completely pointless game is to damn easy even on hard so no point in craftin anything and also in the end you get better items from looting Magic is insanely overpowered like in fable combat system is riped from god of war and dmc
    Game world is big but you get the feeling when playing the game that you are playing offline mmo so everything feels empty characters are uninspiring and forgettable complete game looks like its big test for a mmo version of this game thats probably gona fail when they release it Kingdoms of amalur:reckoning is overhyped and overrated boring and banal game that does not offer anything new to the dying rpg genre don't spend money on this    … Expand
  32. Salamandra
    Feb 8, 2012
    1
    To put it simple guys, the only bright and fascinating feature of KoA were its' advertisement videos. The actual gameplay and overall game quality are so substandard that it might seem that all the budget went in to the creation of the aforementioned videos (which were in fact very good).
    This game is like a WoW clone without the online element. The camera is absolutely abhorrent. The    To put it simple guys, the only bright and fascinating feature of KoA were its' advertisement videos. The actual gameplay and overall game quality are so substandard that it might seem that all the budget went in to the creation of the aforementioned videos (which were in fact very good).
    This game is like a WoW clone without the online element. The camera is absolutely abhorrent. The open-world reference in the professional reviews is a complete lie - there is no open world in this game - just small narrow instances. The story - you will get tired of it after clicking through tens of meaningless quest screens.
    Overall Skyrim is like 1 billion times better then KoA and instead of buying this pathetic excuse for an RPG you might as well do yourself a favor and play Skyrim another round about.
    KoA is a prime example of how RPGs should not be made.
    Solid 1/10.    … Expand
  33. Q8eZy
    Feb 9, 2012
    3
    Zero challenge.

    There are three settings--easy, easier, and stupid easy. There is no skill requirement or learning curve worth mentioning. Yes I know there has to be the handholding and stupid-easy settings to prevent ragequiting. But it seems that some newer games are removing all the difficulty from their games, even on the hardest setting. I have a theory that this is because    Zero challenge.

    There are three settings--easy, easier, and stupid easy. There is no skill requirement or learning curve worth mentioning. Yes I know there has to be the handholding and stupid-easy settings to prevent ragequiting. But it seems that some newer games are removing all the difficulty from their games, even on the hardest setting. I have a theory that this is because people who see themselves as hardcore gamerz always put their games on the hardest setting; and if that setting actually is hard, then they ragequit and start badmouthing the game. That's what Bioshock: Infinite's lead dev said when he was asked why B:I's hardest setting was going to be completely hidden from users and only available to those who know how to access it through a secret button press combination.

    There are 12 different kinds of basic enemies, a few mini bosses, and an unintentionally hilarious end boss fight. Which you will go through like butter. Even though I powergamed through the main quest only thereby avoiding becoming even more powerful through sidequestting, the exp and loot came so fast I never needed tactical or finesse play, and I never felt any tension or satisfaction from finishing a quest or boss fight.

    I guess if you like a true button masher and gameplay that feels like you've turned on god mode, then Amalur's your game.    … Expand
  34. msbungle
    Feb 8, 2012
    3
    I accidently posted this in the PS3 portion when I meant to post it here. So here it is again:
    I really wanted to like this game, but obviously I didn't. Just remember that all reviews are written from a perspective. My perspective is someone who mainly plays MMO's, Sims and Elder Scrolls on the PC. So if you are a pc-gamer such as myself, then this review may have merit - if you hate and    I accidently posted this in the PS3 portion when I meant to post it here. So here it is again:
    I really wanted to like this game, but obviously I didn't. Just remember that all reviews are written from a perspective. My perspective is someone who mainly plays MMO's, Sims and Elder Scrolls on the PC. So if you are a pc-gamer such as myself, then this review may have merit - if you hate and abhor all things PC-gaming, then feel free to ignore the rest of this. Or maybe, as others have said, you have nothing else better to play right now and so this may be good for you too. First, I will say there were a few things I liked. The story seemed okay, the graphics were cartoon-y, but not in what I feel is a bad way. The combat was fast and fluent , but you can still pause the game for pots or to change weapons, etc - just like other solo RPG's. There were quick slots at the bottom of the screen which I really liked - I hate having to hit every button to find the weapon or spell I want in Skyrim. Otherwise, I really felt like they took WoW, Rift, Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age, put them in a blender, and then just created a back story for it. It feels more linear than any Elder Scrolls game and like there is a bit of hand-holding involved - which is what I really disliked. BUT, others may be annoyed by the lack of linearity and back store in ES games. Then this game may be for you. Now, I've read in other places that if I would have just played for 5-7 hours, it becomes more open. I have a few other games I am playing right now that have kept me interested from the beginning so 5-7 hours is unacceptable. And I'm sure there will be the naysayers so let me show you a few comparisons: In KOA you wake up and don't know your history (every elder scrolls game), and then you have to fight your way out of this "dungeon" area (Oblivion) all while being shown the finer points of the game. One of the first things I found after leaving the dungeon and continuing on with the story was a stone alter. When I clicked it, I got a buff (elder scrolls). I'm not sure why so many people care so much about whether this game "beats" Skyrim or not though. It's not like Salvatore or Shilling are going to pay you for kissing their butts and neither is anyone at EA. They will just continue to take your money! If you are on the fence about this game, I would say wait a few months until it goes on sale on Steam and then pick it up.    … Expand
  35. kckkryptonite
    Jul 31, 2013
    6
    Playing through single-player it seemed the game was made for multiplayer based on the sheer amount of drone-style side quests presented and the vast amount of interlinked areas. I felt that it disconnected me from the main story and indirectly detracted from the quality, eg. the MMO-quality cutscenes. Running from area to area collecting or killing X amount of things, skipping through thePlaying through single-player it seemed the game was made for multiplayer based on the sheer amount of drone-style side quests presented and the vast amount of interlinked areas. I felt that it disconnected me from the main story and indirectly detracted from the quality, eg. the MMO-quality cutscenes. Running from area to area collecting or killing X amount of things, skipping through the pointless dialogue, made it feel like I shouldn't be doing this alone; then making a 180 and going back to the main questline, actually listening to everything Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, felt really weak and sub-par. One thing I liked was how the skills and abilities were done. Along with the presence of Destinies, which granted you passive bonuses based on how deep your were in a tree/multiple trees, was a pretty innovative concept that allowed for some effective customization. Unfortunately, the game couldn't decide whether it wanted to be an MMORPG or a single-player RPG it tries to fuse elements from both and comes out playing like a very mediocre hack-n-slash experiment.… Expand
  36. Bullfrog1983
    Apr 19, 2012
    6
    What can I say about this game? It appears to be a blend of RPG, MMORPG, and an action game. It claims to have better action sequences than Skyrim - not true whatsoever. In the combat all it comes down to is a series of special moves you learn that easily gain you victory against anyone that tries to kill you without the slightest challenge. If they were attempting to make an RPG into anWhat can I say about this game? It appears to be a blend of RPG, MMORPG, and an action game. It claims to have better action sequences than Skyrim - not true whatsoever. In the combat all it comes down to is a series of special moves you learn that easily gain you victory against anyone that tries to kill you without the slightest challenge. If they were attempting to make an RPG into an action game they failed horribly because there isn't enough variation or excitement in fighting enemies - all you do is line them up and when they get in range execute the same ability, roll away, rinse and repeat until you win. The crafting system is something to be proud of but sometimes finding the materials you need is like pulling teeth and you end up finding items much better than you yourself can craft - although some can be broken down to make better ones. The backdrop and scenery of the game creates an immersive atmosphere but the game mechanics undermine it by not allowing a free-look camera and constantly introducing wave after wave of enemies in the style of an MMORPG, forcing you to carve through enemies any time you want to make progress. The basic plot of the game is okay but the premise of your character (oh noes I've lost my memory) kind of deal feels so old that I wish somebody would design a game where you don't have Amnesia and are a powerful demigod-like being that you can name. Recognizable voice actors are aplenty in this game and makes me suspect that the creators spent top dollar getting them, Mr. Salvatore, and other faces of the industry and left the rest of the game out to rot. By having Canderous Ordo as one of the main characters EA scored some points but overall the game doesn't really achieve anything significant in any facet of the game-play experience - it feels bland, boring, and most of all easy.… Expand
  37. dprkforum
    Dec 12, 2012
    6
    This game is not bad at all. Lots of fun, predictable storylines, stuff to do, and a good time waster. This reminds me a lot of a cartoon-like Skyrim. The game is shallow, but lots of fun. Downsides? Very dated graphics, unintuitive keyboard mapping. Otherwise, not a bad game, but NOT worth the $59.99 retail price. Buy this on sale.
  38. Pandafrag
    Jun 3, 2012
    7
    Lots of issues with this game. Side-Quests causes over leveling making content a joke. Then you are forced to skip ahead content, but the cycle continues. You reach your appropriated level content and skip ahead. Combat is fun but gets a bit boring towards end game when you are spamming the same thing. The game is fun to explore and wide variety of side quests are nice too. Too bad this isLots of issues with this game. Side-Quests causes over leveling making content a joke. Then you are forced to skip ahead content, but the cycle continues. You reach your appropriated level content and skip ahead. Combat is fun but gets a bit boring towards end game when you are spamming the same thing. The game is fun to explore and wide variety of side quests are nice too. Too bad this is the last game for 38 studios. Sequel had A LOT of potential to fix the problems with Amalur to create a VERY good game.… Expand
  39. heatbr
    Mar 16, 2013
    9
    It was a solid, well done and greater battle system RPG that I played last year. In 2013 I wanna play the expansion, really anyone who likes RPG will love this game. The main quest are amazing.
  40. Honeybadgers
    Nov 16, 2015
    6
    I wanted to like this game more, the multi class system, the genuinely original plot, generally fun combat, all are absolutely smothered underneath a thick layer of grind and mostly terrible side quests. I feel like a streamlined approach would have made this a much better game, with almost none of the side quests and more time spent with the core characters. I love the New way that elvesI wanted to like this game more, the multi class system, the genuinely original plot, generally fun combat, all are absolutely smothered underneath a thick layer of grind and mostly terrible side quests. I feel like a streamlined approach would have made this a much better game, with almost none of the side quests and more time spent with the core characters. I love the New way that elves and immortal races are put forward, but feel like all the great ideas were just ground into boring dust with respawning enemies and a pretty poor interface and map for the multi quest style. Combat got very tedious, and while counterattack and blocking fishing felt nice, a lot of the combat got too clustered and messy to actually pull any smooth combos off, as you are far to easily interrupted, and enemy casters are literally the most frustrating thing i have ever seen in a video game. It mostly boils down to a button mash. I felt damage math was too complex, as I'd land a flurry of attacks for essentially no damage, only to have the next flurry take off eighty percent of a monster's life, so the damage system needed simplifying or better ways to communicate damage. Crafting was mostly junk, and the stealth is absolutely garbage. Overall, i don't think this one is worth playing, because while there were two excellent boss battles and a nice little story, it takes far too long to tell it and by the end, you simply won't care. I put fifty hours in, beat the last boss, and uninstalled it immediately.… Expand
  41. Aviod
    May 18, 2012
    7
    I enjoyed the game other-all (even if i skipped most of the side quests and involved alot of running[second time])... First time I played it. I joined the house of ballads fraction, did all there quests. defeated the spring feary thing, but doing the house of ballads quests I wasn't able to the Summer King, due to some bug [after research] :@ Hours and hours of game-play wasted. I was notI enjoyed the game other-all (even if i skipped most of the side quests and involved alot of running[second time])... First time I played it. I joined the house of ballads fraction, did all there quests. defeated the spring feary thing, but doing the house of ballads quests I wasn't able to the Summer King, due to some bug [after research] :@ Hours and hours of game-play wasted. I was not pleased, not at all... For this reason, I felt like giving it an even lower score... The second playthrough I didn't do any side quests or faction quests, afraid it might bug out somewhere, once again. The game not the best looking game. On originally trailer watching of it, i was put off the combat, it looked fickle but in the game it was not so bad. It has it kinks, but overall it does a good job, if you manage to avoid a bug that breaks progress making within the game.. Overall I would recommend it, just don't join the house of ballads faction and you should be fine.… Expand
  42. skeith
    Jul 14, 2012
    7
    I really enjoyed playing this game. I am the kind of person who enjoy wondering around peaceful world, looking for quests and talking to NPCs by myself. The game is not really complex, and I think Mage is overpowered, because you can basically kill anything in one hit in reckon mode with the fire meteor spell. Although many complain about the graphic, I am perfectly fine with it. RealisticI really enjoyed playing this game. I am the kind of person who enjoy wondering around peaceful world, looking for quests and talking to NPCs by myself. The game is not really complex, and I think Mage is overpowered, because you can basically kill anything in one hit in reckon mode with the fire meteor spell. Although many complain about the graphic, I am perfectly fine with it. Realistic graphics cannot present storyline like Kingdom of Amalur's, but it is just my opinion. Overall, very enjoyable but gets boring if you play for too long for the quests are repetitive sometimes, just finish it before you get bored.=)… Expand
  43. doctormexican
    Jul 6, 2012
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning does not revolutionize the RPG genre. The combat is adequate, providing somewhat enjoyable gameplay. The story is boring and in no way engages the player. Graphics are cartoon-like and do not stack up against modern releases. Gameplay remains entertaining throughout the game but the quests quickly become repetitive, detracting from the experience. An RPG fanKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning does not revolutionize the RPG genre. The combat is adequate, providing somewhat enjoyable gameplay. The story is boring and in no way engages the player. Graphics are cartoon-like and do not stack up against modern releases. Gameplay remains entertaining throughout the game but the quests quickly become repetitive, detracting from the experience. An RPG fan will be entertained for one play through, at most. There is no re-playability since the first play through is more than enough. Unless the game is priced at under $30, I do not recommend it.… Expand
  44. Karnos
    Sep 23, 2012
    7
    This game is a very interesting rpg although there are a lot of problems to it. It has a very interesting campaign, a well designed class progression and skill tree, although nothing we haven't seen before and it's generally an open sandbox game, which gives you a sense of freedom. I also found enjoying the plethora of weapons and fighting styles. On the other hand though, there are a lotThis game is a very interesting rpg although there are a lot of problems to it. It has a very interesting campaign, a well designed class progression and skill tree, although nothing we haven't seen before and it's generally an open sandbox game, which gives you a sense of freedom. I also found enjoying the plethora of weapons and fighting styles. On the other hand though, there are a lot of negative points. First of all, the environment graphics look a bit old and i personally don't like their being cartoony. Furthermore i found out that although there are some interesting quests, most are very simple kill this, go there, kill that, bring me that and so. One of the things that I didn't like at all though, is the camera angle, which get frustrating many times, especially in the middle of fights. Then we have the battles themselves. I have to say that i really enjoyed the rogue player i had, moving out of the way an killing enemies from behind, but then again on the other hand, i can't jump? seriously...?... The customization options were pretty good too. To sum up this is an above average simplified rpg game that manages to do well against competition but not surpass some of the latest rpg giants like skyrim and dragon age… Expand
  45. PsychoTwin92
    Nov 5, 2012
    9
    The game itself was very much enjoyable, minus the jittery camera movements and aside from the fact that the demo itself had to be tweaked a bit to have it work properly.

    The numerous weapon types and crafting made the game fun and different, but the Chakrams, in my opinion, were a little too overpowered. I found myself always wanting the use the Chakrams for their range and power.    The game itself was very much enjoyable, minus the jittery camera movements and aside from the fact that the demo itself had to be tweaked a bit to have it work properly.

    The numerous weapon types and crafting made the game fun and different, but the Chakrams, in my opinion, were a little too overpowered. I found myself always wanting the use the Chakrams for their range and power. Also, some of the quests are a bit glitchy (i got locked out of a quest building that i couldn't start over, forever having a quest i couldn't complete). On the whole, i loved the game.    … Expand
  46. Jaz
    Feb 23, 2013
    7
    Not a bad game but nothing special. Recommended to play but don't expect too much.Combat is getting repetitive after a while and story isn't very immersing.
  47. weijie2941
    Mar 22, 2013
    7
    Although many reviews state that the game is bug free, mine isn't. I had some instances during combat, when the camera had a mind of its own and sometimes clipped through the ground, obscuring the enemies right in front of me. Speaking of clipping, when I was in town, many chickens were clipping through fences and people. However, other than these two bugs, the game is totally bug free.TheAlthough many reviews state that the game is bug free, mine isn't. I had some instances during combat, when the camera had a mind of its own and sometimes clipped through the ground, obscuring the enemies right in front of me. Speaking of clipping, when I was in town, many chickens were clipping through fences and people. However, other than these two bugs, the game is totally bug free.The game had its own share of pros and cons. Some things I did not like about the game was the character customization menu in the beginning of the game. I could hardly create a character that I was satisfied with, due to the many presets in the menu. Another con I would like to bring up is the mute character. The developers could have at least put in a few preset voices for us to choose from. A pro of the game that really defines it is the real-time combat. Other than that, the game is very well-voiced and had a good generous level system, also the 100 long hours of side quests, more if you include the dlc. Overall, Amalur has everything you expect from any RPG, only taken to a higher level. If you are sick and tired of all those normal RPG games, be sure to pick this one up.… Expand
  48. Ixoziel
    Sep 20, 2014
    6
    This game is very fun at first... you'll probably wonder why the user score is quite low. It has very few bugs, especially for being such a massive game, it has a ton of items and a ton of customization. Your choices have some impact on the story, which is nice. It's kind of like Skyrim meets Darksiders without the puzzle elements. There's tons of dialogue, and the story is interesting.This game is very fun at first... you'll probably wonder why the user score is quite low. It has very few bugs, especially for being such a massive game, it has a ton of items and a ton of customization. Your choices have some impact on the story, which is nice. It's kind of like Skyrim meets Darksiders without the puzzle elements. There's tons of dialogue, and the story is interesting. The combat is fantastic. So why am I giving this a 6? When I was about 30% finished with the game, boredom hit me like a freight train.

    This game is massive. You can easily get 150, maybe even 200 hours out of the game on your first go through. The problem isn't the breadth, it's the depth. There are very, very few enemy designs. You will see the same 6-7 enemy designs in almost every zone. They arn't even recolored. There's only so many times that I can fight "Giant Spider" and "Venomspitter" while suspending disbelief. These two in particularly are nasty offenders... they're even in the DLC zones. Going into a new zone starts to lose its novelty when you see the exact same boggarts, red legion bandits, threshes, and giant spiders as you saw in the last 5 zones. They could have at LEAST recolored them or changed some proportions.

    The zones are also fairly unimpressive. The camera is oriented towards the ground, in kind of a second-person view, so you don't see the sky much (which is a good thing because it's not visually impressive). Many zones look exactly the same. There are a few exceptions, such as the Sidhe, but you're left wondering why the 10 forest zones weren't merged into one.

    The game is extremely easy. I'm playing on hard and havn't come close to dying. I havn't felt threatened by any mob so far... if anything becomes remotely challenging, you can activate fate mode and do double damage while slowing down time.

    You can craft gear that's drastically better than anything that drops at your level. You can easily max blacksmithing and sagecrafting at level 20 and make greens that are better than the epics you find. this only makes the game even easier, although it's easy enough just using gear you find. To make matters worse, you can max out blacksmithing and sagecrafting, make what you want, then reset your talent points and put those into other things. You don't really need gold other than training, so that's never an issue.

    The talent trees have major problems. You end up having to waste points in specializations for weapons you don't even use just to advance to higher tiers. Some talents make earlier actives utterly pointless (looking at you, archer multi-shot). Why do I need to waste points in Faeblades when I just want to use daggers?

    TLDR, this game could have been a masterpiece if they had invested more time in fleshing out the individual features. It's like they had one team that did everything... they worked on creatures, got bored, worked on environment, got bored, and then released the game when they were done. Or they just hired one person to do the monsters (the diversity is THAT bad).    … Expand
  49. charrudeboy
    Apr 12, 2013
    8
    Really engaging and full of lore.

    A game which contains elements of Skyrim and WOW. Story is deep and fantastical as you could imagine being authored by decent fantasy writers. It looks pretty and plays well. The combat is much better than most RPG's. The game is huge with many quests that I ignored after the first zone. I just did the faction and main story quests and that took    Really engaging and full of lore.

    A game which contains elements of Skyrim and WOW. Story is deep and fantastical as you could imagine being authored by decent fantasy writers. It looks pretty and plays well. The combat is much better than most RPG's.

    The game is huge with many quests that I ignored after the first zone. I just did the faction and main story quests and that took 36 hours, this game is huge. If you like your RPG's this is not a game you should miss.    … Expand
  50. Hokk
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    There's so much going on in this game that the easiest way to inform new players about it is in a list type format:

    Graphics: Similar to Fable. Sorta cartoony, but they nail the whole fantasy feel right on the head so I can't really knock them too much. Combat: They went the God of War combat route, which is fairly uncommon for open world RPGs. It works very well and allows for the    There's so much going on in this game that the easiest way to inform new players about it is in a list type format:

    Graphics: Similar to Fable. Sorta cartoony, but they nail the whole fantasy feel right on the head so I can't really knock them too much.
    Combat: They went the God of War combat route, which is fairly uncommon for open world RPGs. It works very well and allows for the player to combine might,magic, and finesse moves to create some truly devastating attacks. The camera can go wonky sometimes, but it doesn't happen often enough for it to really hurt the gameplay.
    Class System: Every RPG developer needs to take notes on how they've done the class system in this game. You have 3 skill trees (might, magic, finesse) and you put points into whichever ones you want when you level up. Depending on the total amount of points you put into each one determines which class you get as you level up. For example, if you go full on strength you'll eventually unlike a Knight or Berserker type class. Put some point into magic as well? You'll end up with a Battlemage, giving you bonuses to spell power, mana, and physical damage/resistance. Your class and skill allocation can also be changed at anytime for a menial amount of gold.
    Crafting: The crafting is easy to pick up and adds more to the game. You have Alchemy, Blacksmith, and a type of Gem crafting. You can make armors, weapons, and gems to socket into them.
    Story: The story is alright. There's enough there to keep you interested, but the real interesting stuff lies within the games hundred and hundreds of side-quests.
    Factions: Various factions you can join; all of which provide you with unique armors and weapons throughout their quests and various boosts to your hero's abilities.
    Gear and Loot: Needless to say the game has a ton of stuff to collect. It follows the generic color scheme to inform you of the items strength/value/rarity as well as having tons of collectible unique armor sets and weapons.
    Length: For me, RPG's can go on forever. If the average guy wanted to know how much playing time they'd get out of it I would say easily around 30-40+ hours. If you complete the story, which by itself takes near 20 or so, and immerse yourself in the side-quests and characters then you'll have no trouble spending hours and hours here.
    Lore: My God the lore. This game has more lore in one faction's side-quest line than some RPGs have in their entire story. Where Skyrim let down pretty much everyone on the lore front this game provides almost too much lore to handle.

    If there's something I'm missing it's understandable simply because there's so much here. If you're a fan of RPGs than this is a must play. Without a doubt.    … Expand
  51. Nimbus1701
    Oct 5, 2013
    6
    Pros A fairly large world map, engaging combat both as melee or caster, and enemies that move around a lot which makes combat interesting again. Cons utterly forgettable characters pulled out of a fantasy name-generataring-pot, and equally forgettable stories/quests. A great effort, but ultimately gets boring and repetetive almost like if you were playing World of Warcraft as aPros A fairly large world map, engaging combat both as melee or caster, and enemies that move around a lot which makes combat interesting again. Cons utterly forgettable characters pulled out of a fantasy name-generataring-pot, and equally forgettable stories/quests. A great effort, but ultimately gets boring and repetetive almost like if you were playing World of Warcraft as a single-player game. Combat is dynamic and interesting, but it feels like the lead writers got bored at some point. Players will follow suit. Could have been much more.… Expand
  52. dyspeptic
    Feb 20, 2015
    7
    Platform: EA's Origin :(
    PROS: + Oversaturated colors look really pretty + Combat can be rewarding with a controller (some skills make it dumb, though)
    CONS: - Story so hollow the best thing about it is the "skip" button - The "over-levelling" problem in which monster levels are permanently set when you enter a new area is obnoxious: you have to be careful not to "discover" new locations    Platform: EA's Origin :(
    PROS: + Oversaturated colors look really pretty + Combat can be rewarding with a controller (some skills make it dumb, though)
    CONS: - Story so hollow the best thing about it is the "skip" button - The "over-levelling" problem in which monster levels are permanently set when you enter a new area is obnoxious: you have to be careful not to "discover" new locations too soon or monsters will be too weak when you return - Really only one subquest that repeats ad-nauseam - About 10 monsters which also repeat ad-nauseam, they get more health but don't even bother with reskins

    Starts fun with good character skill progression, but once you master the good skills you are in a hurry to end the game (I always seem to be ready to finish about with about 4-6hr main questline still remaining) . In other words, there isn't consistent interest throughout the game, the repeating side quest is a rehash of "go to location X and kill/interact with Y" and the main quest is barely different: the main quest is as thin on reasons to go to new locations as the side quests are. At the end you'll be thinking, ok it's a new continent, but so what? Enemies, quests, abilities and shops are all the same...

    On the other hand, some of the individual game mechanics stay solid the entire game--don't try combat without a controller, though. It is doable but not actually fun.    … Expand
  53. zombiechan
    Jun 4, 2014
    9
    The game is probably one of my top favorite RPGs, I love the class system and the combat was really smooth and entertaining. The story is written by one of my favorite fantasy authors so that is also a win.
  54. LifeHistory
    Apr 19, 2017
    9
    This game is very underrated because most of the people did not give it a proper chance. And most of them keeps comparing it to other big RPGs like Skyrim. The game lost because it was released a few months after the release of Skyrim and everyone was just playing Skyrim and using mods and stuff.

    This game is more like a SinglePlayer MMORPG. Its massive with a big map and lots of stuff    This game is very underrated because most of the people did not give it a proper chance. And most of them keeps comparing it to other big RPGs like Skyrim. The game lost because it was released a few months after the release of Skyrim and everyone was just playing Skyrim and using mods and stuff.

    This game is more like a SinglePlayer MMORPG. Its massive with a big map and lots of stuff like side quests and things to collect and uncover. The story is alright, The world is so beautiful and colorful. The gameplay is really nice you have some good solid combat with lots of moves and abilitys and you wont get bored anytime soon. Some people complain about the voice acting but its not that bad to be honest. Its a lot better than the games we are getting today like the trash DA:Inquisition and such.

    Don't listen to everyone telling you that this is bad game because its not and its probably very cheap now. Pick it up and give it a chance. Don't give up after a few hours because the game is very big and it will only get better.    … Expand
  55. lexblow
    Dec 11, 2016
    9
    I simply loved this game in a way i cannot explain. Don't know exactly what got me, but i had really fun with this, i remember avoiding playing it afraid of finishing it too fast.
  56. AbeMC
    May 12, 2016
    8
    A lot of users compare this game to Skyrim, when really it is more like a single-player mix of Torchlight II and Guild Wars 2. Tons of missions, deep crafting, combo-friendly combat, a huge game-world and genuinely interesting lore means a lot of time can be spent in Amalur.

    Reckoning is rather like a single-player MMO, if that makes any sense. Looting, crafting and leveling are the    A lot of users compare this game to Skyrim, when really it is more like a single-player mix of Torchlight II and Guild Wars 2. Tons of missions, deep crafting, combo-friendly combat, a huge game-world and genuinely interesting lore means a lot of time can be spent in Amalur.

    Reckoning is rather like a single-player MMO, if that makes any sense. Looting, crafting and leveling are the primary attractions. There is a ton of loot; putting points into the “detect hidden” skill reveals secret rooms and passageways that have even more loot. You'll want to loot as much as you can, even armor sets that you won't use – put points into blacksmithing, disassemble the armor and weapons you don't want to get the parts, and craft something truly epic. Leveling up provides new abilities, new special moves for weapons. At the end of each leveling session, you get to choose a “Fate Card” with special bonuses. Fate Cards are not class-specific, meaning you can use them to create a warrior mage who equips heavy armor, or an archer can wield heavy weapons, or a thief / rogue who also has some magic. There are dozens of hybrid “Fate Cards.” And if you're not happy with how your build has turned out, visit a Fateweaver to “Remix your Fate” and reset your build so you can level up again with your existing points.

    The world is huge. There are a lot of places to explore with side-missions hidden everywhere. The graphics are 2012 era DirectX 9: Colorful, bright, and occasionally low-res. The general comic-book style of the artwork hides some graphical shortcomings. And on the plus side, if you have a less-than-stellar gaming PC, the game will probably run just fine. (Back in the day, I ran it on a 1GB Radeon 6670 without issues). The soundtrack by Grant Kirkhope catches the ambiance nicely. The voice acting is generally good (though your hero is silent, like in Dragon Age Origins).

    Not everything is excellent, unfortunately. Combat flows well, encouraging the use of different moves. Despite the many different skills and abilities at my disposal, once I found a way to dispose of mobs, I just stuck to that, and never really tried to change up my attacks. I won't say combat is easy – if you go into an area under-leveled, you'll die fast (even with potions). But once you're comfortable in the system, combat becomes just another chore. Fetch quests are repetitive. All exploration is done on foot – no horses. The dungeons are NOT copy / pasted; there's a lot of variety here. But the missions that use the dungeon and cave levels tend to follow similar patterns. If you try to do a completionist run of Reckoning, you'll need a titanic level of patience and dedication. Inventory management, frankly, stinks. Oh, and jumping. You can't jump, except at prescribed places (“press F to jump”).

    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a great game if you love messing about in an open world while worrying about plot later. If you're looking for a go-anywhere, do-anything adventure (with the freedom to jump wherever you want), you'll probably be happier with Skyrim. Or online with friends in Guild Wars 2. Sometimes, though, a solitary, easy grind for loot is exactly what you want - and exactly what Reckoning provides.

    On DLC:
    The Weapons and Armor DLC provides three complete weapons sets that are accessible at the start of the game. While great to have, the things you craft will quickly surpass them in quality and effectiveness.

    The Teeth of Naros and The Legend of Dead Kel are both large additions to an already massive game. Each provides a new campaign and entirely new areas to explore. Naros in particular is a great piece of DLC. Both have a lot of content in an industry where content-laden DLC are rare. Definitely worth it to get both.

    Notes:
    An EA account is NOT required. Though the game asks for an EA login on startup, you can simply click the X in the corner to skip the login. The game will play and save normally.

    The company that developed Reckoning, 38 Studios, went bankrupt in 2013. The only support for the game is what you will find when trawling the forums.    … Expand
  57. Zedben
    Apr 24, 2012
    5
    At first, this game is really fun. You start out weak and gradually gain powers and such (depending on your style of game play). However, it just gets way too easy. To top it off the story is incredibly predictable. If you are on a tight budget, rent/buy used/borrow from a friend. The Escapist summed it up by saying it is Skyrim for beginners.
  58. Olvenskol
    May 18, 2012
    7
    Fun and pretty game for awhile, but gets old before its finished. The action-oriented combat is very fun! However, the difficulty of the game doesn't scale well and about half-way in it becomes way too easy which spoils all the work put into the combat system. Surprisingly bug-free for a big game like this from a new studio. The world itself is somewhat interesting for a bit, butFun and pretty game for awhile, but gets old before its finished. The action-oriented combat is very fun! However, the difficulty of the game doesn't scale well and about half-way in it becomes way too easy which spoils all the work put into the combat system. Surprisingly bug-free for a big game like this from a new studio. The world itself is somewhat interesting for a bit, but eventually overwhelms with things you have no reason to care about. The studio has long promised, but yet to deliver, a patch to fix a camera annoyance and the difficulty level. The failure to deliver has been pretty disappointing and I've shelved the game before finished because I'm too bored with the impossible-to-lose fights (I can literally go make a snack and come back to find myself still alive with 3-4 mobs beating on me to no effect). The studio (which appears to be having financial issues) is now working on an MMO. This seems like a terrible idea to me: too much competition and the world they have is much too generic to be interesting. I suspect this will sink the studio. Too bad, since Kingdoms of Amalur shows good promise with a little more focus on single-player rpg gameplay.… Expand
  59. Nataraja
    Mar 16, 2013
    5
    I decided I need to downgrade the game more. Great initial concepts with horrid execution. Bad porting of console controls. Mediocre graphics. Horrible voice acting. Bland quests. Horrible facial animations and out of sync dialog. I pretty much only give it 5 due to the concepts. Execution is TERRIBLE. Avoid this unless its really cheap and you have nothing else to do.
  60. Atsuri
    Jan 7, 2014
    5
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a so-so game, sometimes even good, but it fails miserably at trying to be something it will never be.

    Pros: - Good variety of side quests - Ability to join numerous factions and enjoy related storylines - Ease in grasping game mechanics and flexibility in changing playstyles - Intuitive combat system with an emphasis on dodging/blocking and chaining    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a so-so game, sometimes even good, but it fails miserably at trying to be something it will never be.

    Pros:
    - Good variety of side quests
    - Ability to join numerous factions and enjoy related storylines
    - Ease in grasping game mechanics and flexibility in changing playstyles
    - Intuitive combat system with an emphasis on dodging/blocking and chaining attacks

    Cons:
    - Bland, generic, uninteresting characters, which look almost like clones
    - Uneven, exaggerated voice acting
    - Disappointing, generic main plot
    - Console-specific gimmick strongly tied to the main plot (Reckoning Mode)
    - Bright WoW-ish graphics completely misaligned with the dark theme of the main plot and frequent brutal finisher animations
    - Poorly executed, generic skill tree
    - Oversimplified mechanics crafting, lockpicking, sneaking and performing stealth kills
    - Generally low difficulty even on hard mode catered more to younger, casual gamers, but conflicting with the age requirement (18+ in Europe)
    - Uneven difficulty of challenges very easy lockpicking versus extremely hard dispelling (which has a time-lag bug sometimes rendering it impossible to complete)
    - Uneven difficulty of enemies some are ridiculously easy, while others can constantly and unrealistically home-in their attacks into the player character
    - Stagger on every received blow (be it player character or enemy) leading to stun-locks on both sides
    - Lack of player character voice-over or even simple mimicry during cut-scenes and dialogs
    - Etc, etc.

    If for some reason you still want to play KoA: R, I suggest buying it at cheaper than 10 euro/dollars. For more you can simply pickup Skyrim, which is far superior with all of the available mods, at random sales. I really tried to like this game, but the number of ludicrous mistakes on the developers' part make KoA: R not worth one's time.    … Expand
  61. thesept
    Jun 15, 2013
    9
    KK guys, dont look at these outdated reviews of noob users of cheat engine that keep saying the games is crap haha... now, i just bought the complete pack of this game and here how it is.

    Main story and some sub quests: 17-20hours Teeth of Naros DLC: 10hours (Epic 10hours!!) 4/5 Legends of dead kel: 10-15hours 4/5 Amor & weapons bundle: Epic stuff this is just fantastic! its full    KK guys, dont look at these outdated reviews of noob users of cheat engine that keep saying the games is crap haha... now, i just bought the complete pack of this game and here how it is.

    Main story and some sub quests: 17-20hours
    Teeth of Naros DLC: 10hours (Epic 10hours!!) 4/5
    Legends of dead kel: 10-15hours 4/5
    Amor & weapons bundle: Epic stuff

    this is just fantastic! its full of amazing content!! i saw some ppl saying "duh this sucks after 10hours" loooooooolll look every city has a small story to tell you so when you pass through a city and buy some gear with your cheat engined cash (like a noob) just stop and do the quest to get some money and rare items unless than hacking!

    This game isnt short, fantastic graphics, amazing gear/mobs/stuff, AN EPIC combat system and a lot more!    … Expand
  62. Yalingo
    Jul 21, 2013
    8
    Played and finished KoA twice with both DLCs. Love this game! The combat is fluent and fun, the story is woven deep into the world they created and the class and item customisation is extensive!

    The quest design is probably one of the only negatives I would say about the game, with too many fetch quests and talk to this person quests, feels too MMO-y. Otherwise, great game!
  63. RinEvangel
    Dec 29, 2013
    8
    Amalur is easily and by far my favorite RPG i have played in 2012 only since Dragon Age origins have i ever truly liked a western made RPG. Amalur like dragon age was one my most immersive experiences i had. the gameplay, story, and game world were all so wonderful for me to indulge in.
    To start of with the gameplay was some of the most invigorating i have seen in a western RPG. with the    Amalur is easily and by far my favorite RPG i have played in 2012 only since Dragon Age origins have i ever truly liked a western made RPG. Amalur like dragon age was one my most immersive experiences i had. the gameplay, story, and game world were all so wonderful for me to indulge in.
    To start of with the gameplay was some of the most invigorating i have seen in a western RPG. with the game being an action RPG you will spend most of your time in combat witch is by far better than most other western RPG title, more comparable to combat in God of War or Castlevania Lords of Shadow, Amalur's combat is heavily based on dodging parrying and attacking rather than preplanned elaborate tactics, this style of combat serves and fits well in this type of game. to go along with the game play the UI is very well design, the HUD is simple yet solid and the menu catagorizes all your gear and items so well its never hard to find what you want. the RPG elements that support the game are impressive as well. being able to blend the three styles of combat Might(warrior) Finess(rouge) Sorcery(mage) in anyway you want is great i found my self preffering the rouge mage build and a combination of all three. there is also crafting but im never much for crafting in any game it so i wont judge it. navigating the world is all simple and sastifying a massive map filled with many areas strung together with narrow interconneting pathways makes navigation easy and not at all overwhelming to any player. all together the gamplay package with this game is one that borrows alot from good examples and excutes them just as well
    the game world its self is quite pretty i found it seems like it started as a very bright and colorful MMO but stopped half way to be a single Player RPG. the art direction is one i really like especially with many games having such bland color pallets its nice to see a game like viva pinata thats not afraid to use colors thats are browns and greys. the creatures in the world arent very original in though or idea but have their personality in execution (except wolves but come on they're wolves you can only make them look so different). also the game is riddled with lore. that can be found in many forms such as books NPCs and Lorestones(stones that when activated play an audio file related to the background story of the world) are scattered throughout the world. the game world is one that i find to be immersive and interesting.
    lastly the story which is very possible the hardest thing to review. some may find it boring while other may find it entertaining. it all falls heavily on what you like in a story. for example many people find the witcher to have a great story where i find it to be a whatever story but its all opinion. So in my opinion the story to Amalur is good. any one who knows of Joseph Campbell knows what to expect from any story that involves a hero's journey there is no originality here in plot devices and what not just like any other hero story but the circumstances and setting around it supports it enough and makes it stand out in my memory. to give a quick no-spoilers summary: having being brought back from the dead you discover that you are no longer bound by the weaves of fate the determine the fate of the world and all who inhabit it. and since you are the only one free to choose your own destiny its up to you to save the world. nothing new here same as many hero stories, but i believe that the fateless one angle is worked pretty well.
    all in all Amalur is a great game and should be at least tried by any RPG fan. I was so infactuated with this game i actually bought it 3 times once on all the platforms it was released on eventually. and of course like every other game its has its faults but none take away from overall enjoyment i give it a solid 8/10 the game would earn a 9 from me if it didn't suffer from boring side quest syndrom(where all almost all the side quest are go here do that come back for hours on end) more varrying enemy types and a greater visual variety of armor sets(just about all armor of the same type looks exactly the same) just to name a few problems i had and guess a slightly better fast travel system to, if only to be picky at this point.    … Expand
  64. FuFy
    Dec 11, 2016
    10
    i love this game the combat is very fun.

    still looks great in 4k max out on nvidia drivers for enchance games graphics. :)

    i want the second game !! xD
  65. DeusXCom
    Aug 2, 2014
    8
    Beautiful RPG fairytale packed with fantastic combat and tons of content. Amalur feels like The Elder Scrolls for kiddies, especially thanks to the cartoonish colorful artstyle that evokes Mickey Mouse more than anything, so the target audience seems to be about 3-12 years old, but don't get fooled, this is an amazing fantasy RPG and once you get used to it, it's just pure joy to play.Beautiful RPG fairytale packed with fantastic combat and tons of content. Amalur feels like The Elder Scrolls for kiddies, especially thanks to the cartoonish colorful artstyle that evokes Mickey Mouse more than anything, so the target audience seems to be about 3-12 years old, but don't get fooled, this is an amazing fantasy RPG and once you get used to it, it's just pure joy to play. Controls and interface are a bit consolized so a good gamepad is recommended, but then it just feels so smooth and fluid. With the exception of Souls series, I don't remember having so much fun with combat and tight fighting mechanics in RPG anywhere else, these battles were just brutal. I played as a mage and I must admit that after reaching certain level of higher power spells like meteor shower, I have never seen such overpowered mage ever in my life. My char was just a total magic death machine. The world is huge and varied, there are tons and tons of quests and side quests, which is arguably not the best thing about this title, but the main story is pretty good and the primary thing is that progressing your character is fun and the combat is just pure bliss. It took me about 100 hours to finish it, so just about right amount to call it a big solid RPG and even years after finishing it, I'm still remembering memories of playing it very dearly, listening to the soundtrack played by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Pity 38 Studios went down after this release, I would love to see more material like Amalur. 8/10… Expand
  66. Ronnie22-94
    Sep 24, 2018
    8
    This game actually deserves a sequel.First of the story becomes boring and annoying at times but its decent worths finding out at least.Gameplay is a mix of Elder Scrolls, Witcher and Darksiders but it's fun anyway.Graphics are awesome the best aspect of the game.Combat also is one of the best aspects of the game independently of the class you play.There are some minor problems about theThis game actually deserves a sequel.First of the story becomes boring and annoying at times but its decent worths finding out at least.Gameplay is a mix of Elder Scrolls, Witcher and Darksiders but it's fun anyway.Graphics are awesome the best aspect of the game.Combat also is one of the best aspects of the game independently of the class you play.There are some minor problems about the game like the camera you can't control sometimes and unfortunately the player character is not voiced kinda disapointed but not every game is the best..To sum up in my opinion worth playing the game but don't expect the worse and not the best.It's a very good game with minor problems.… Expand
  67. Dragonmastr
    Jun 9, 2014
    8
    Kingdoms of amalur is a great RPG which sadly the company declared bankruptcy.

    Pros: Kingdoms of amalur allows you to design your own combat, mix up with rogue/mage might/finesse. The skill tree varies around different weapons as you build your own destiny, each category has it's own major skill moves some of them will fascinate you. Famous weapons such as chakrams which will be at your    Kingdoms of amalur is a great RPG which sadly the company declared bankruptcy.

    Pros: Kingdoms of amalur allows you to design your own combat, mix up with rogue/mage might/finesse. The skill tree varies around different weapons as you build your own destiny, each category has it's own major skill moves some of them will fascinate you. Famous weapons such as chakrams which will be at your disposal. Each weapon has a set of combos which you can invest in. The graphics are mediocre but I still like them. Tons of side quests and faction missions which are actually really interesting, despite some of the dreadful ones. Unlimited voice actors, you'll find so many voice actors throughout this game.

    Cons: The main storyline isn't that all good, and the voice actors also drag down story telling as you're listening to some horrible voice acting with no enthusiasm or emotions thought towards the story etc. Menu system is still annoying, as you have to go back and forth just to switch from one thing to another and you cannot delete quests so you're stuck with what ever you pick up. The character creation is very limited and is not up to date with most RPGS.

    Give this game a go, expect some major gameplay!    … Expand
  68. XxSoULxMaNxX
    Oct 25, 2015
    9
    This is a great game with fun and fast-paced combat in a vibrant world with excellent loot and character models. I enhanced the graphics with a program and made some other minor tweaks but, overall, enjoyable game. I recommend it.
  69. Luka1998010
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    One of the best RPG games i have ever played, hands down !

    +Lots of quests
    +The story
    +The various characters
    +A great combat system, which i hope more games would use, instead of just clicking on an NPC and pressing buttons
    +Classes
    +Great big open world
    +Level design
    +Weapon enchantment
    And much more...
  70. Sharpen
    Jul 31, 2018
    8
    I was expecting something else looking at title and cover, but I was pleasantly surprised. I like dark hard games, however even though it's easy and bright (atmosphere) game it's quite pleasant. Nothing amazing, but still really well done. The combat is great when you learn how to combo normal hits with your abilities so you get a chain of attacks that obliterates everything on your path.
  71. Vincent_Belmont
    Oct 30, 2018
    9
    The only problem I had with this game was that you could not jump. I did not understand why this game received such low marks. I thought it was great. If you liked Fable 1, or games like this, I would definitely suggest this one.
  72. IronGuy410
    Jun 20, 2012
    9
    After playing this game for 93 hours (according to STEAM), and completing everything it has to offer, from the main campaign to the Teeth of Naros and Legend of Dead Kel expansion packs, and every side quest I could find, I can safely say that this is easily one of the funnest, longest RPGs in recent memory, mainly thanks to the super fun combat system and the customization options, which,After playing this game for 93 hours (according to STEAM), and completing everything it has to offer, from the main campaign to the Teeth of Naros and Legend of Dead Kel expansion packs, and every side quest I could find, I can safely say that this is easily one of the funnest, longest RPGs in recent memory, mainly thanks to the super fun combat system and the customization options, which, when combined, let each player create their own unique hero, be it a mage, warrior, rogue, or anything in between, and fully utilize the fast combat in any way they feel, as it is designed to offer a fast paced thrill to wielders of anything from hammers, swords and daggers to staffs and sceptres. It's great fun. The main story doesn't fare quite as well as the gameplay, mainly because of the flawed execution. There's a very small amount of cutscenes for a story this grand and as a result what could have been an awesome, epic tale feels much, much smaller. For example, at about 1/3 of the story the Fateless One (you), has to put together an army to defeat the evil Tuatha. But after doing tons of quests and gaining new allies, there's never a point where you actually get to see this massive army in all its glory. Ever. You talk about it, it comes up in plenty of conversations, but you never, ever see it. Aside from this main complaint however, KoAR is a truly engrossing game with tons of content. Even the DLC is very much worth picking up for what it adds to the game. Each expansion adds a new little continent that you can explore, a new story line for each, lots of new side quests, and the Dead Kel DLC even gives you your own castle to renovate, and then lets you play ruler over the surrounding lands. It's just a small meta-game, but it's very fun and quite addictive. As far as presentation, the game isn't very detailed, but this is one of the cases where the art design kind of made up for the lack of sharpness in the graphics, because there are truly some great looking and imaginative areas, but ofcourse they would have benefited from some extra polish. The sound effects and voice acting are good, if not great, but my main complaint with the sound is the music, which is very scarce and limited. Overall, this game and its DLC are worth buying for fans of RPGs and action games alike, thanks to the fast paced, arcadey combat, hundreds and hundreds of side quests and the hours and hours of pure, high fantasy entertainment on offer. It's just a shame that the developers shut down before they could make a sequel to fix some of this game's problems, because I truly believe that a second trip to Amalur that opens up more of the world and fixes what few issues this game had, could have easily achieved true greatness.… Expand
  73. Belyar
    Mar 16, 2012
    6
    The flexibility and the storyline are the strong side of the game. But with such poor graphics and repetitive quests i just didn't want to play it till the end.
  74. Paranoia
    Mar 27, 2012
    6
    Exactly how Belyar said:
    "The flexibility and the storyline are the strong side of the game. But with such poor graphics and repetitive quests i just didn't want to play it till the end."
  75. Chipzahoy
    May 16, 2012
    5
    The game starts off better than it ends in my opinion. At first you are welcome to a lush world to explore, simple but effective graphics, and easy to learn & use combat. You immediately see the potential this game has early on. Thousands of side quests available, farming and crafting, making decisions during the story and the ability to try different classes mid game if your bored ofThe game starts off better than it ends in my opinion. At first you are welcome to a lush world to explore, simple but effective graphics, and easy to learn & use combat. You immediately see the potential this game has early on. Thousands of side quests available, farming and crafting, making decisions during the story and the ability to try different classes mid game if your bored of the one you are using. I found my self excited to explore a world that R.A Salvatore has written and do every side quest possible. However, just as quickly as you saw the potential, it is just as quickly washed away. Before long you realize you are doing the same quests over and over and over. The main story becomes so incredibly boring that you will start to skip the dialogue scenes. By the last areas on the map, I was walking past every side quest possible and only doing main story quests which lead up to a pretty disappointing and anti-climactic ending. The diversity of the each map area was also disappointing. From having areas with lots of trees, to area that have not as many trees. As well as a small assortment of enemies that only change in color as the game gets harder. Its by no means a horrible game and I believe that this game could only be as good as you make it. I was getting bored of it, because I tried to do everything which in turn let me see just how much this game is a rinse and repeat. For those who need a small fix of mmo without having to pay online to play, this MAY be something of interest to you. If you do, you will enjoy it more if you are a loot gamer, as this game is filled with it. In final, for those that do want to purchase this, it's definately not worth $59.99. Wait for a bargain bin of $19.99 or maybe... MAYBE $24.99 (and that's pushing it)… Expand
  76. wordy_actions
    Aug 4, 2012
    6
    KoA: R is a relatively mundane and generic action-RPG. The biggest problems with the game are the camera (it's just weird) and the repetitive quests. There' some mild entertainment, but this game is really only for killing time while you wait for better games to come out. Not worth buying, unless the price drops a lot.
  77. aznassassin
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a disappointing single-player RPG that attempts to incorporate a range of solid RPG ideas and mechanics into one big title but in the end, not only fails to live up to expectations but ultimately becomes a stale experience where a massive interactive world is wasted. PROS: + Solid RPG Combat: A refreshing change from turn-based or first person RPG combat.Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a disappointing single-player RPG that attempts to incorporate a range of solid RPG ideas and mechanics into one big title but in the end, not only fails to live up to expectations but ultimately becomes a stale experience where a massive interactive world is wasted. PROS: + Solid RPG Combat: A refreshing change from turn-based or first person RPG combat. It's fun most of the time but one couldn't feel that even Fable has better combat mechanics and response even though its much more simplistic. God of War and console action fans would love it but for the rest of us: its good but not something to be addicted to. +Massive World + LOTS to do: IF you can bear with the boring main plot and side quests. There's literally over 150 hours of stuff to do. I am impressed by that. No other game apart from Elder Scrolls and recent Fallout games have provided me with so much RPG goodness. But its all pretty uninteresting and not to mention, its repetitive. +Stealth Combat: Is a silent pleasure (pun not intended). Stealth play is almost as good as Skyrim and makes you feel like an absolute badass when the stealth kill animation plays on an unsuspecting enemy. CONS:
    - Inventory Design and Controls: Why cant you view the Journal and Map at the same time, or at least, flip between them? Why is the UI feel like a game made in the early 2000's instead of an intelligent modern age RPG UI? Why do the controls on PC feel so unresponsive at times in combat and you feel like there's an invisible force
    - Auto-lock on Target **** WHY??? Why cant you do a Fable and have CROSSHAIRS to SHOOT the targets that YOU want to kill? Why is there no INDICATOR for your target at all in melee or range combat? While does the computer choose the target for you depending on where your character stands?
    - Worst RPG dialogue interaction EVER: The characters have LIMITED+ lamest and over exaggerated facial expressions with out of sync dialogue coupled with an overdose of speech done by mediocre voice actors. You'll be skipping 90% of the dialogue and read the subtitles most of the time just because its so damn BORING! They attempt to make it like a Mass Effect dialogue interaction but fails miserably in the process (so bad that I am facepalming and **** at the interactions rather than enjoying them).
    - Repetitive Quests and World: Sure the world is HUGE (our tip of the hat to 38 and Big Huge Games) but why waste it on generic fetch-quests and kill quests (which is pretty much the entire game)? I can play Torchlight or Diablo if I want those but this is a SP RPG IP that aims to compete with Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age! Quantity does NOT equal quality. Having a dozen quests that basically go the same way isn't extending the game's life, its killing it. I lot interest after bearing with the game for 32 hours (and from hardcore fans, you can squeeze 150~200 hours out of this title) and basically preferred studying anatomy than doing the same repetitive **** for the 15th time and wasting my life. -Graphics: Oh God, this is a AAA 2012 game? It looks like a Fable clone from 2005. Hell, even Fable: TLC might have more charming locales. The background design for this game is copy and paste, cheap generic old school RPG stuff and the graphics are basically Fable One with dynamic shadows, better textures and higher use of HDR lighting + post-processing. (And yet, apparently on consoles, it have FPS issues!)

    Bugs/Glitches Level: MODERATE (Update: Current patches have NOT address the major issues)

    VERDICT: Kingdoms of Amalur - Reckoning is a heavily flawed RPG which has giant potential let down by some very poor design choices. It feels like a high end indie title designed as an attempt at an AAA IP to rival the major RPG juggernaut franchises out there but ultimately ends up a poor man's version of Fable. Had the game been produced with a better graphics engine, UI and improved interaction as well as quest design, Reckoning would've been a strong contender for GOTY. Sadly, this is the most disappointing AAA RPG I have played in a long time since Borderlands. Worth a look but dont expect anything fancy. BETTER THAN: Borderlands

    WORSE THAN: All the of Fable games. Yes, even Fable III.    … Expand
  78. DoctorPazuzu
    May 7, 2012
    6
    It's an OKAY game, the gameplay is a simple hack 'n slash but still enjoyable for some, the graphics are highly dated though, so much so that it made me feel like I was playing a 2004 fantasy title. The story is there and it's alright, nothing great though.
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is great...for a bargain bin game.
  79. Calciferus
    May 18, 2012
    6
    Something doesn't feel quite right. Maybe the game mechanics? Or maybe the weapons? Or the char class? Maybe the game wasn't for everybody. It's not that bad for me, it's just.......... mediocre.
  80. Kuroneko87
    May 20, 2012
    5
    Kingdoms of Amalur turned out to be a huge disappointment for me, I really did my best trying to love this game..yet i constantly feld bored after playing for 30minutes.eventually i spend over 40 hours playing the game hoping it would get any better...its a pretty big game but it just feel more like a free MMORPG..yeah but then on your own.....
    it pretty much doesnt add anything new to    Kingdoms of Amalur turned out to be a huge disappointment for me, I really did my best trying to love this game..yet i constantly feld bored after playing for 30minutes.eventually i spend over 40 hours playing the game hoping it would get any better...its a pretty big game but it just feel more like a free MMORPG..yeah but then on your own.....
    it pretty much doesnt add anything new to its genre..constantly i was send out doing quests like ...kill 10 spiders.....collect 5 donkey dicks....etc...the combat feels weird i was expecting something like Dark Souls..but its nothing like it.
    the story isnt event worth talking about..
    quite a shame considering some people from Oblivion are behind this.
    Im still confused about all the pretty high rates this game received    … Expand
  81. DirtyMexicans
    Feb 17, 2012
    5
    First thing that stood out about this game is its Combat System, the Combat is simply bloody fun. At the start, the combat feels familiar to the Fable series, but as you progress and level up, the Combat becomes alot more interesting and complex. By the end the combat feels like a bit of Tekken because of the epic combos that can be performed and a bit like Fable in terms of the Hack andFirst thing that stood out about this game is its Combat System, the Combat is simply bloody fun. At the start, the combat feels familiar to the Fable series, but as you progress and level up, the Combat becomes alot more interesting and complex. By the end the combat feels like a bit of Tekken because of the epic combos that can be performed and a bit like Fable in terms of the Hack and Slash side of the Combat.
    The magic system is great with very interesting Powers to be used.
    The combat can get very annoying when fighting large groups of enemies, you will start fighting a large group, then next minute your stuck in between them all getting bashed with no chance of getting a hit in.

    The open-world side of the game is just full of crap, you will find yourself just running through narrow hallways and canyons the whole time, the enviroments are ok, but will come across as generic the more you explore the game. Graphics are also pretty bad compared to what can be done these days.

    The story is good, but your silent character will start to feel like a waste of space in the game world, and the dialog gets kinda crap, but doesn't completely turn to crap.

    Now the quests get crap very fast, you will quickly come to your sences and notice the game is just running from 1 quest to the other, and thats it, quest to another quest to another quest.

    Now The Armour Making and Potion Making is crap, it is hard to find the ingredients, and you won't know what potion your making when making potions.

    All up, the Combat and Gameplay are very fun, but it gets let down by its World of Warcraft feel with no content to keep the game going. Big Fail for a game thats been getting so much hype for a year and a bit.    … Expand
  82. Gnomercy4U
    Feb 13, 2012
    6
    This game had an ensemble cast of professionals involved in this game, yet it turned out to be such a bore. Wow, 3 skill trees, warrior, rogue, mage? How innovative! I'm pretty sure I played games back in the 80s that had more diversity than this. This games graphics are pretty outdated and looks like they just copy/pasted WoW. Combat is the only thing in this game that can be consideredThis game had an ensemble cast of professionals involved in this game, yet it turned out to be such a bore. Wow, 3 skill trees, warrior, rogue, mage? How innovative! I'm pretty sure I played games back in the 80s that had more diversity than this. This games graphics are pretty outdated and looks like they just copy/pasted WoW. Combat is the only thing in this game that can be considered fun. I am pretty furious that I paid $60 for this errand-simulator. I've had more fun playing $5 and $10 indie games that offer more than this game does. I do have to say that it is relatively bug free and very responsive. I give it a 6/10 because it is not all that terrible, it's just I expected a lot more than the people involved and instead I get a remake of Fable. Also, I don't know what these professional critics are smoking but it is obvious from this site that they have no idea what they are talking about. For there to be such a drastic difference from the user reviews and the critics is proof of this.… Expand
  83. pyradius
    Mar 10, 2012
    8
    An excellent action RPG that subtly provides superior crafting, inventory management, character customization. While they may not have reinvented the wheel, there is plenty of story depth and tons to do while exploring. Games like the Witcher 2 could learn a lot here in how to manage a crafting/inventory system. It is clear these guys took the best elements from AD&D and managed toAn excellent action RPG that subtly provides superior crafting, inventory management, character customization. While they may not have reinvented the wheel, there is plenty of story depth and tons to do while exploring. Games like the Witcher 2 could learn a lot here in how to manage a crafting/inventory system. It is clear these guys took the best elements from AD&D and managed to streamline it into a very enjoyable game.… Expand
  84. Kazee
    Feb 12, 2012
    9
    I want to give this game a '10' but TBH I never rate anything with top score because I am a firm believer that there is always room for improvement to anything. Maybe it's nostalgia for the console RPG's of the 90's, maybe it's the comfort of a bright color palette, but this game really draws me in. I have probably 24-36 hours /played (not sure how to check on Origin) and I am currentlyI want to give this game a '10' but TBH I never rate anything with top score because I am a firm believer that there is always room for improvement to anything. Maybe it's nostalgia for the console RPG's of the 90's, maybe it's the comfort of a bright color palette, but this game really draws me in. I have probably 24-36 hours /played (not sure how to check on Origin) and I am currently lvl 22. The exploration is top notch, animation is wonderful and the combat makes it feel like an open world arcade fighter against multiple opponents. The game certainly gets better as it goes. The first few areas were solid, but not spectacular. By the time I got to level 10-ish and into the Webwood 'zone,' the game had improved drastically. I had a firm destiny (might / sorcery,) plenty of combo options, a player house with crafting stations, my blacksmithing was making great equipment and Webwood itself is the best 'dark forest' themed zone I've played in any game. Currently I have just arrived in The Forsaken Plane and I am enjoying this experience too much. I personally highly recommend this game to any RPG'er, especially explorer types and those who loved the classics like Finial Fantasy VII.… Expand
  85. MaDaStar
    Mar 1, 2012
    8
    Kingdoms of Amalur is a good game. It's not exceptional, but it is indeed a good game that unfortunately suffers from being released so soon after Skyrim. While it isn't really fair to compare the two games, it is hard not to do just that. I'll try not to make comparisons here, both have their strengths and flaws. KoA has an interesting story, factions and side quests. There is much to doKingdoms of Amalur is a good game. It's not exceptional, but it is indeed a good game that unfortunately suffers from being released so soon after Skyrim. While it isn't really fair to compare the two games, it is hard not to do just that. I'll try not to make comparisons here, both have their strengths and flaws. KoA has an interesting story, factions and side quests. There is much to do here and most of it is fun. The combat is fun, and even after 30 hours plus game time, hasn't become boring. Some have complained about the 'cartoonish / outdated' graphics, but after playing for a while, I found that the art style seems to fit in the grand scheme of the game. Voice acting is quite well done, but nothing really special. What seems to be missing in the game world is the thrill of exploration. As you travel to an undiscovered location marked on your map by a quest giver, there is no feeling of adventure, and you just want to get to your destination as quickly as possible to 'get on with it'. It's more of a mechanical process as you run towards your quest, pause to fight the enemies that pop in, and then move along. The game, in my opinion is best enjoyed, by doing a bit of the main story quests, some side quests to help you level up, and some faction quest lines, rinse repeat. The tasks are for those that just really need to complete everything, but are nothing more than fetch quests and they really feel boring. The things that I feel 38 Studios / Big Huge Games got right are the loot system and the fact that you won't have to travel to 20 different vendors to sell it all. Weapons also degrade to the point of breaking if you don't keep them maintained. The final game is far better than the demo, and it deserves a look if you are a fan of the genre. The game is good enough to make me want to continue until I complete the main quest line as well as the factions. I'll take some side quests along the way as well. As for the task type of quests that I've taken from various NPCs; those will most likely go unfinished.… Expand
  86. metalmat
    Feb 23, 2012
    6
    A single player MMO focused on battle mechanics with a unique open world experience and a tad too easy sums of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The graphics and sound is summed up as an "HD World of Warcraft" kind of experience. While the game offers many hours of playtime, you will find yourself caring very little about the story lines of character interactions of the side quests. The mainA single player MMO focused on battle mechanics with a unique open world experience and a tad too easy sums of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The graphics and sound is summed up as an "HD World of Warcraft" kind of experience. While the game offers many hours of playtime, you will find yourself caring very little about the story lines of character interactions of the side quests. The main storyline is decent, but nothing to write home about. The real Achilles heel of a game like this is the lack of multiplayer Ala "Diablo" style. With the focus of the game concentrated on loot, whats the point of collecting all this loot if you have nobody to trade with or show to? Another problem is that it becomes much too easy and you will find yourself out leveling the game after completing a decent portion of the sidequests.… Expand
  87. Berzerker556
    Mar 16, 2012
    5
    Love it or meh it. I came into KOA:R from Skyrim, awaiting ME3. I am also a huge R.A. Salvatore fan, so I was anticipating this game. It is easy to pick up and cheaply fun, the combat is a nice change of pace but quickly became repetitive. The art direction and aesthetic are nice and colorful, but some of the creatures and plants just didn't feel like the fit. Overall, the graphics andLove it or meh it. I came into KOA:R from Skyrim, awaiting ME3. I am also a huge R.A. Salvatore fan, so I was anticipating this game. It is easy to pick up and cheaply fun, the combat is a nice change of pace but quickly became repetitive. The art direction and aesthetic are nice and colorful, but some of the creatures and plants just didn't feel like the fit. Overall, the graphics and user experience are extremely polished in comparison to other games (Skyrim, ME3) and the game is largely stable and performs well on a respectable system.
    The story was very fantasy generic. Like the MacDonald of fantasy I actually got bored and didn't finish it so take that with a grain of salt. My wife on the other hand loves it, so as I stated above, you will either love or meh it, I don't see much middle ground.    … Expand
  88. Necrotaur
    Mar 25, 2013
    6
    Kingdoms of Amalur is a fun enough game, similar in style and gameplay to other action RPGs like Fable. On the plus side, it's got a pretty big world, with a load of quests to do and decent character design. On the other hand, the setting, storyline and many environments (caves, I'm looking at you) are rather generic, which is both surprising and disappointing considering who was involved.
  89. Sellke
    Mar 2, 2012
    8
    When I first played this game I extremely enjoyed the combat system but felt the world lacked immersiveness. I thought, wow this game would be great if it was a little darker and a little less fantasy (5 types of elves?). I thought I would put it down soon after starting (4-5 hours). I am usually extremely fickle with games playing some of the best that I buy for 5-10 hours before I loseWhen I first played this game I extremely enjoyed the combat system but felt the world lacked immersiveness. I thought, wow this game would be great if it was a little darker and a little less fantasy (5 types of elves?). I thought I would put it down soon after starting (4-5 hours). I am usually extremely fickle with games playing some of the best that I buy for 5-10 hours before I lose interest, however; for some reason I kept playing this game. The more I played it, the more I wanted to play. It is not Skyrim; but, it doesn't have to be. If I rated games for time I put in and interest in continuing to play Skyrim would win at 100+; however, until DLC comes out I need somthing else and Amalur is it.… Expand
  90. not2nerdydotcom
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    Kingdoms of Amalur is hands down the first roleplaying game to nail how combat should feel going forward in the genre. The only drawback to the game is that the story and lore are not as memorable as its fantasy role playing counterparts like Skyrim, Dragon Age, and Fable. Otherwise if your are looking for an action role playing game with excellent loot,role playing systems, plenty ofKingdoms of Amalur is hands down the first roleplaying game to nail how combat should feel going forward in the genre. The only drawback to the game is that the story and lore are not as memorable as its fantasy role playing counterparts like Skyrim, Dragon Age, and Fable. Otherwise if your are looking for an action role playing game with excellent loot,role playing systems, plenty of content, and a beautiful, luscious, and colorful fantasy world, Kingdoms of Amalur is the game for you!!… Expand
  91. Gothic90
    May 17, 2012
    6
    A solid 6 in my eyes, *slightly* above average.
    Combat is fun and worth studying for many other game developers. It became too easy down the road, but fortunately, moddability somewhat saved it.
  92. amonteirojr
    May 19, 2012
    5
    Amalur feels very satisfying for the first couple of hours, then it gets stale for the rest of it's lenght. I don't mind the colorful art style but it lacks a strong identity or atmosphere. Story-wise it's even more disappointing, with little effort put to create engagement to the plot, I already forgot most of the game right after playing it! What a waste of detailed Salvatore's lore, IAmalur feels very satisfying for the first couple of hours, then it gets stale for the rest of it's lenght. I don't mind the colorful art style but it lacks a strong identity or atmosphere. Story-wise it's even more disappointing, with little effort put to create engagement to the plot, I already forgot most of the game right after playing it! What a waste of detailed Salvatore's lore, I find hack and slash combat fun but since you can stock so many healing itens there's almost no challenge to it. Well, i'd say rent it first, there are better alternatives.… Expand
  93. MrWESS
    Jun 15, 2012
    9
    The only major problem with this game i had is somewhat cartoonish graphics, and a little bit too colorful seting. But otherwise very good game...Beats Diablo 3 anyway...
  94. Dracalyus
    Jan 29, 2013
    9
    A lot of people are judging this game harshly because of certain mechanics or that it was too easy. In my opinion this game is a solid blend of fighting mechanics of Dark Souls and the special abilities of WoW. It keeps things interesting by allowing you to play as you please. It doesn't require you to use special abilities to win fights but also doesn't make it seem like hack and slash isA lot of people are judging this game harshly because of certain mechanics or that it was too easy. In my opinion this game is a solid blend of fighting mechanics of Dark Souls and the special abilities of WoW. It keeps things interesting by allowing you to play as you please. It doesn't require you to use special abilities to win fights but also doesn't make it seem like hack and slash is the easiest way to conquer this title. So far I have logged 26 hours into this game and I am still attached to the storyline and am still developing my play style. I play on Hard and I can honestly say that it is a challenge and the rewards are oh so glorious. The side quests are boring? They alter entire villages and quest lines? For example you can wipe out an entire village or just kill the boss. You can kill villagers as you please. And they stay dead. Simple minded MMO for solo? Maybe so, but at least the quests are better and more interesting then most MMO's and RPG's. Outdated graphics? Maybe so, but considering how it is generally open world with no load screens? Exception of course being when you enter a dungeon or house. The largest flaw I found was the camera but that's easy to fix, it's called a right joy stick. This game was advertised as your standard RPG level-up with side quests and with publisher 38 studios and their normal take on graphics I got exactly what I expected and more. Sorry to those who don't see it the same way, but before judging this RPG try playing others that this one is in competition with, WoW is a good one to start. At least the combat in this game makes you think and move.… Expand
  95. hotfix666
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    Much better than Skyrim. Its a wonderfull game but to easy finish it on hard. Only make good armor with big health and you not need health potions. I hope I can see a KoA 2 soon.
  96. Rem
    Mar 20, 2017
    6
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had the tools to create a truly unique rpg. With highly revered members involved in its development, Reckoning manages to be far from bad, but it commits a sin of a similar magnitude, it's boring. It's boring in its world design, characters, lore, and eventually its combat. It makes solid first impressions but ultimately overstays its welcome by a long shot.Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had the tools to create a truly unique rpg. With highly revered members involved in its development, Reckoning manages to be far from bad, but it commits a sin of a similar magnitude, it's boring. It's boring in its world design, characters, lore, and eventually its combat. It makes solid first impressions but ultimately overstays its welcome by a long shot.

    The plot isn't terrible, and instead has a good setup. You're resurrected from the dead and discover you're fateless in a world bounded by fate trapped in the middle of a war between mortals and evil immortals named the Tuatha. Beyond that, the story tries desperately hard to fall back on the lore these developers have created and it becomes a pitfall. The crazy amount of jargon the game requires you to remember makes it cumbersome to connect the story threads together. You'll be scratching your head as you hear "House of Ballads, Winter Fae, Mel Senshir, and The Great Cycle for the nth time. The biggest problem with the storytelling is that its always exposition heavy. Rather than seizing the opportunity and exploring the amount of lore they crafted for this universe, the characters that inhabit it tell rather than show. They lack interesting depth, most of them feeling outright boring. It doesn't help that most of them are assigned one character trait and even that's a stretch. The people that inhabit this universe exist solely for the purpose of either spewing something you already knew/could infer or giving you quests. By God, the amount of quests in this game is absolutely massive, so much so that it's a negative. It's not so much the amount, but rather how much of it is mundane and is a variant of either a "go here fetch/kill this" sort of quest. Even the people handing you the quests all feel the same. You accept quests not to learn more, but only to rid the exclamation point from your map and to gain some exp.

    The saving grace of this game is strangely the combat, which is great for an RPG. It's a satisfying blend of number crunching and skill for the first dozen or so hours. Building your character is also enjoyable, with the mix of skill trees, abilities divided among three classes, and destinies that you choose and develop that provide passive bonuses. It's significantly better and instantly more enjoyable than most open world RPGs because of how responsive and fluid it is and how you always feel the impact of your strikes. Despite this, the combat and skill system eventually fizzle out towards the end because enemies don't quite scale to your level as you progress, ultimately making the game laughably easy towards the end. Creating your own weapons and gear is remarkable, giving use to most items in the world and the ability to name your own gear is a nice bonus. Loot is constant and while a good amount of them you just sort to the junk pile, the variety of weapons ensures that you can tinker with any playstyle you desire, so far as to providing stealth as a valid option at times, which works well enough. Wanna be a stealth mage? A pure warrior? All three? It's up to you, and it's refreshing and why I kept pushing through the end despite any setbacks. Other than that, gameplay is relegated to exploration and talking to people the former of which is spent in fairly open MMO like zones peppered with enemies and loot and the latter being drowned in exposition and a dialogue wheel that has little effect on the outcome. The former is much enjoyable, but outside of combat, the game offers nothing else to keep your interest for very long.

    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning on the visual end, is a decent looking game. While the textures and geometric detail are nothing to marvel at, the color palette and art style is striking, for the first several areas. Eventually the overly WOW inspired look becomes monotonous, and its not until near the end does the setting shift enough to ease your eyes of the overstaying colorful palette. The music is even more forgettable, consisting of terribly vanilla RPG tracks that is serviceable at best. One good note I can point out is that Kingdoms of Amalur is generally bug free, keeping the experience as polished as possible and it runs like butter, a nice bonus.

    If I told you that you can easily spend over 60 hours in this game, you might imagine a thoroughly engaging game throughout, but truth be told, a good chunk of that time was spent in autopilot, breezing through battles and skipping every piece of dialogue after the 20 hour mark. There is obvious love and hard work put into this project, but Kingdom of Amalur's main weaknesses of poor writing and the general averageness of everything else besides the combat ultimately keeps the experience from becoming anything more than vanilla. It might not be bad, but it sure can be boring.    … Expand
  97. tekki
    Oct 19, 2014
    6
    Pros:
    1. This is a long game, probably the longest RPG ive ever played at 100+ hours with the DLC (i bought as a package on steam)
    2. Good world for such a large game, nice voice acting, face animations and the towns do feel lived in. 3. heaps of enemies, loot and quests. wonderful range of ways to craft items, one fo the best crafting mechanics out there. Cons:- 1. the game    Pros:
    1. This is a long game, probably the longest RPG ive ever played at 100+ hours with the DLC (i bought as a package on steam)

    2. Good world for such a large game, nice voice acting, face animations and the towns do feel lived in.

    3. heaps of enemies, loot and quests. wonderful range of ways to craft items, one fo the best crafting mechanics out there.

    Cons:-

    1. the game is not well balanced, on hard, the second half of the game is a stroll. loot became redundant once you max blacksmithing, the items you create are few levels more powerful than legendary items.

    2. quests are tedious, most if not all the quests are about fetching smoething or killing someone. pair this with the game being too easy, a lot of quests becomes very tedious.

    3. story is almost non-existant, nothing really happens, even if it does you dont care about the character.

    i would say that this game offers great value, you can kill a lot of things, loot a lot of stuff and have plenty of quests. Sadly this great value diminishes or dilutes the gameplay, its like drinking very cheap coffee during an event. you dont really like it, but it offers something to help you stay awake    … Expand
  98. orctown-troll
    Oct 20, 2013
    6
    After a single completionist playthrough sadly have to confirm that the game is NOT very good. It feels like a huge amount of work went into Amalur but it has no heart, no soul and nothing in the world to draw players back into a second playthrough. Everything about the game is almost good. The world is almost good. Had potential. The combat system is almost good. Its fun in moments butAfter a single completionist playthrough sadly have to confirm that the game is NOT very good. It feels like a huge amount of work went into Amalur but it has no heart, no soul and nothing in the world to draw players back into a second playthrough. Everything about the game is almost good. The world is almost good. Had potential. The combat system is almost good. Its fun in moments but grows boring over time. The writing is almost good. The loot and crafting could have been almost good (they aren't really) but just become tedious over time as you collect and discard THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of mediocre items. The main plot is almost good but seems to have been ignored in favour of about 500 side quests that spread your interest, your attention and your immersion in the world on 100 hours of diversions each as boring and meaningless as the next. Clearly what happened with this game was that a vast amount of money was spent doing a vast amount of work setting the stage for later developments in the world. The problem with this is that the game has no real narrative focus and no real atmosphere. Can anyone who played it remember even one character's name? After spendng numerous long hours criss-crossing the map doing every imaginable fetch quest for the whole population of the lands one will be totally BORED with Amalur. While I'm scoring it the same as Skyrim, it is actually less of a game. There is a palpable absence of passion in the core of this design. A lot of competent craftwork is wasted without a sense of leadership vision.

    Orctowngrot    … Expand
  99. Narria
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    I have attempted to play many single player RPGs (I am an avid MMO player) and none has ever captured my interest or held my attention like Reckoning has. I am continually excited to see what's around the next corner. The beauty of the game is just breathtaking and I find myself easy distracted by just looking at everything. I love love love the story and am always looking forward toI have attempted to play many single player RPGs (I am an avid MMO player) and none has ever captured my interest or held my attention like Reckoning has. I am continually excited to see what's around the next corner. The beauty of the game is just breathtaking and I find myself easy distracted by just looking at everything. I love love love the story and am always looking forward to the next step in the journey.… Expand
  100. Gamer950
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    one of the best games I've ever played, my english its no good enought but i will say that this games is amazing, 9.6 for me.


    from Spain
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Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best PC Game of 2012
24
#24 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
18
#18 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    60
    Fast and flashy combat in a shallow fantasy world. For the solo MMO player only. [Apr 2012, p.62]
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  2. CPUGamer
    Mar 27, 2012
    80
    For all the things that don't work well, the exciting combat and deep world make KAR a very worthy game to play. It's a shame Electronic Arts is doing such a poor job of promoting it, as there is enough here to make the foundation of a very solid franchise.
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  3. PC Gamer
    Mar 21, 2012
    74
    Great combat and mountains of loot can't compensate for Amalur's generic world design and familiar story. [May 2012, p.72]
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