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. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. 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."
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. 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
  34. 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
  35. 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.
  36. 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.
  37. 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
  38. 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
  39. 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
  40. 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
  41. Dashery
    Feb 15, 2012
    6
    I'm going to keep this review short and too the point. Kingdoms of Amalur feels as if the 34 Studios took the combat mechanics from Fable, mashed them together with the questing style of an MMO and added a dialogue system that mimiced an early Bioware game, such as Jade Empire or KotOR. However, in doing so, the only real thing that feels preserved is the mmo questing. Many quests areI'm going to keep this review short and too the point. Kingdoms of Amalur feels as if the 34 Studios took the combat mechanics from Fable, mashed them together with the questing style of an MMO and added a dialogue system that mimiced an early Bioware game, such as Jade Empire or KotOR. However, in doing so, the only real thing that feels preserved is the mmo questing. Many quests are simply tedious fetches or slay X quests. This, I personally feel, wouldn't have been so bad if the other aspects were preserved. The things that made Fable great was the personality of the game. Here there is none of that. You won't be farting in peasant faces or flexing to gain their love, you'll simply just stand around mute. And along the lines of mute, early Bioware games at least made it feel like your character was interacting, here I can't stand it. Dialogue is annoying because you don't speak and feels unnatural and in a modern game, I feel this should be addressed. The rest of the voice acting is superb, but the lack of any main character personality is a real put off in such a long RPG. I can't stress enough how much it diminishes an RPG to have a personality-less character, my old WoW characters had more personality than my char with his /silly commands. Graphically, it's nothing special, however, I'm not a huge McFarlane, so it definately wasn't winning any points in my book, but if you are a McFarlane fan I'm sure you'll enjoy the creature designs and what have you. Musically it's nice, but again, it feels like I'm playing an MMO, zones have their own music playing on loops until you zone them out. In conclusion: this game feels like a single player MMO.… Expand
  42. Darkstar01
    Feb 13, 2012
    5
    At First I thought OK maybe the demo was kind of small and didn't represent the game properly, but now that I have the actual game... I am very disappointed in the game designers and ashamed that I actually pain money for this game.
    Pro's While the combat can be fun at times it is very redundant and monotonous
    Con's Too many to list... Can't go over ledges, Guard's take FOREVER to stop    At First I thought OK maybe the demo was kind of small and didn't represent the game properly, but now that I have the actual game... I am very disappointed in the game designers and ashamed that I actually pain money for this game.
    Pro's While the combat can be fun at times it is very redundant and monotonous
    Con's Too many to list... Can't go over ledges, Guard's take FOREVER to stop chasing you and if a town doesn't have a guard they never forgive for a crime, i.e. you can never bribe or serve time to be forgiven for a crime. While the combat is fun at times it can also be annoying, you spend a lot of time on the ground or interrupted when in reality you should be able to keep swinging... The amount of time you spend stunned or on your back is almost as bad as a 5 dollar woman of the night, and i'm not talking vampire. They really need to release free patches to improve this game, call it a mercy update...

    Things that could be done to improve the game without totally redesigning it... I.E. with a single patch..
    Reduce the chance that things can stun, knock you down or disease/curse you. (You spend pretty much all the time diseased or cursed.) Also reduce the chance of getting the damned blood plague and other environment related effects... You are supposed to be Fate-less and immortal, why are we effected like a mortal?    … Expand
  43. MetaMan
    Mar 3, 2012
    6
    The game is beautiful, the monsters are for the most part great. The enemies are varied and has different skills, some of which are quite challenging. Different weapons and talents that could be reset for some coins, no need for grinding for items, and fast-travel to previously visited locations makes the game overall pleasant to play.

    However, the game is too big for it's own good. The    The game is beautiful, the monsters are for the most part great. The enemies are varied and has different skills, some of which are quite challenging. Different weapons and talents that could be reset for some coins, no need for grinding for items, and fast-travel to previously visited locations makes the game overall pleasant to play.

    However, the game is too big for it's own good. The action and quests become repetitive after a while, and there are few memorable quests. I don't care about the nth side quest. All the side quest dialogue makes me also lose the attention for the main story line. There could also be better methods for interrupting, blocking or avoiding attacks, and I feel like I just end up clicking the left mouse button continuously while fighting. In the end I felt like I was just running around from mark to mark and clicking left mouse button over and over.    … Expand
  44. dryerlaw
    Mar 10, 2012
    7
    PROS: (+) Fluid and intense combat. (+) Plethora of skills and combat styles to choose from. (+) Great voice-acting. (+) Myriad of loots and rich trading system. (+) Many not-bad side-quests and crafting skills to keep players busy for hours. (+) Rich lore to marvel at. CONS: (-) Side-quests get rather boring after a while due to not having too many variations. (-) Graphics engine outdatedPROS: (+) Fluid and intense combat. (+) Plethora of skills and combat styles to choose from. (+) Great voice-acting. (+) Myriad of loots and rich trading system. (+) Many not-bad side-quests and crafting skills to keep players busy for hours. (+) Rich lore to marvel at. CONS: (-) Side-quests get rather boring after a while due to not having too many variations. (-) Graphics engine outdated by two years or three. (-) Characters lack personality to provide full immersion. OVERALL: Kingdom of Amalur the Reckoning isn't trying to be an epic groundbreaking RPG, but it certainly is successful in packaging all the positive elements of a good RPG in a simple game.… Expand
  45. FatalExcursion
    Mar 19, 2012
    7
    A charming escape from floaty FPRPGs to a world that is charmingly reminiscent of Morrowind and Fable, but pushed to the peak with a solid story, a great palette of color and design, and smooth, satisfying, and fast-paced combat. Though it doesn't hold the holy grail for any epic RPGs, it held my attention for a while, clocking in at almost 40 hours (more than I can say for Skyrim). AA charming escape from floaty FPRPGs to a world that is charmingly reminiscent of Morrowind and Fable, but pushed to the peak with a solid story, a great palette of color and design, and smooth, satisfying, and fast-paced combat. Though it doesn't hold the holy grail for any epic RPGs, it held my attention for a while, clocking in at almost 40 hours (more than I can say for Skyrim). A problem noted though, is that most of the side quests didn't feel fleshed out enough. Some of the backstory is covered through these side quests, and I wish that more of the lore was introduced as I progressed. The skill trees are smartly executed, though somewhat lacking in customization in the end run. The ability to change your 'Fate' allows for a lot of experimentation in picking your favorite class, or creating one all on your own by interchanging points between multiple ones. But, leaving with a final con, I wish more weapons and creatures were introduced; it's a decent amount of diversity for an RPG, but after seeing the same enemies over and over, while using the same weapons, just upgraded, it gets tiresome. All in all though, everything leaves you satisfied if you're open to this game style; it's not Skyrim, and neither is it the Witcher, rather, it reintroduces a colorful new world with old homages to classic fantasy, while reinventing some cliches as well. I hope to see this world expanded, either with Copernicus, or with a sequel all on its own.… Expand
  46. rrtyu
    Mar 27, 2012
    6
    This game is very much a console port this can be seen from the menus to the combat. The world is extremely generic as in good vs bad and elves and gnomes basically. The main story isn't exactly good but it isn't very bad it is however generic as in raising an army to beat the bad guys. The best part is probably the combat which was very fun to use. It is still a port so auto lock-on forThis game is very much a console port this can be seen from the menus to the combat. The world is extremely generic as in good vs bad and elves and gnomes basically. The main story isn't exactly good but it isn't very bad it is however generic as in raising an army to beat the bad guys. The best part is probably the combat which was very fun to use. It is still a port so auto lock-on for the enemies and there are some overpowered abilities. The game is also not open world like they say it is. The places you go are connected by paths so it's like leaving 1box for another. This game should really be played with a gamepad as it is much easier. KOA had some much potential but horrible graphics, lackluster lore, and a game that only last's roughly about 30 hour's have made it a bad experience. if you want a decent RPG try The Witcher 2, Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, or some older ones like DA2, Neverwinter Nights 2, and World Of Warcraft. They are all much better than this game and something you wouldn't regret to purchase.… Expand
  47. BigTimeOwen
    May 13, 2012
    5
    There is not a single aspect of this game that really makes me feel positively towards it. It's well put together and perhaps well considered but the gameplay is entirely lacking, the story uninteresting and there are numerous problems with the interface and combat systems for PC. I will say that they shipped it relatively bug free and I had no problem with compatibility. However, the PCThere is not a single aspect of this game that really makes me feel positively towards it. It's well put together and perhaps well considered but the gameplay is entirely lacking, the story uninteresting and there are numerous problems with the interface and combat systems for PC. I will say that they shipped it relatively bug free and I had no problem with compatibility. However, the PC version was clearly second fiddle to the consoles and it plays like it.

    Like many have said, this looks and plays like an MMO--particularly World of Warcraft, outdated and cartoonish graphics included along with boring and entirely unoriginal quests. Most quests consist of fetch 5 X, kill Y. Add to that the character leveling system and it's definitely necessary to grind your way through all these mundane tasks in order to make progress in the game. The game touts its open world, but even that manages to feel incredibly linear and exploring it is wholly unsatisfying. For guys who worked on the masterpiece of a world, Morrowind, I have a hard time accepting that the rather boring (yet brightly colored) environments were all they could come up with.

    With the actual gameplay, I think it would certainly feel much more natural using a controller than a mouse. It is incredibly irritating, if using a mouse, to have your camera pointed in one direction while your character is pointed slightly in a different direction, and you press W to move or you attack only to have your character move or swing in the completely unintended direction. This can be a very big problem in combat because it is obviously much more fast paced than trying to hit some barrels. Say you swing the camera around to see how many enemies there are attacking you and you have your camera locked on in one direction, press attack and then your character swings in the entirely opposite direction. It's simply obnoxious. To add to that, the combat really is just button mashing the same button over and over with very little sense of timing or rhythm. It is certainly not revolutionary but maybe if you want something with no learning curve you'll find some satisfaction in it. The user interface is nothing short of obnoxious. The menu and the inventory are an absolute pain to use with PC. First, they selected some arbitrary keys to use for simple commands like drop which feel entirely unnatural and take some serious getting used to--why they couldn't just go with some standard techniques like right click to drop or click+shift to drop I do not understand. The inventory system is also an incredible pain to simply navigate. Equipping your weapons means going through 2 screens, first the generic pause screen, then the entire inventory screen, then the weapon screen and THEN you have to select primary weapon or secondary weapon. Why not put all the weapons on one screen, have you click one, then another--or maybe click it and then click primary or secondary? Even on consoles it makes no sense to do it that way. And if you want to change your magic spells? Go back and do it all over again. Then if you want to change your "moves," go back and do it one more time. A lot of people have spent countless on this game but I can only wonder how much of it they actually spent just fiddling through the menu.

    Overall I found no real enjoyment playing this game. When I wasn't irritated with the interface and gameplay mechanics I simply found it boring.    … Expand
  48. Nashira
    Feb 23, 2012
    5
    (PC Review) Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning could have been a great game if more effort had been put into it. I found the art style adequate. I've seen it regrettably compared to the visual style used in World of Warcraft. Aside from the colors in the Fae/Elven forests being similar, as they are in so many games, animated shorts, and videos, beyond that, the similarities end. The main(PC Review) Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning could have been a great game if more effort had been put into it. I found the art style adequate. I've seen it regrettably compared to the visual style used in World of Warcraft. Aside from the colors in the Fae/Elven forests being similar, as they are in so many games, animated shorts, and videos, beyond that, the similarities end. The main problems with the game were that I felt little connection with the main characters. I had minimal interaction with the main NPC's. I found the difficulty to be very underwhelming even at hard-mode. The "skills" that the character is forced to get as they level eventually break the economy one way or another. The player is given a choice of racial origin, yet this has little bearing on role play and nothing to do with the story. There's very little that makes me want to play this game again. The combat system was a good premise, even if it was a little wonky on the PC. All this aside, I found it fairly enjoyable to play thought once, with a half-way decent storyline. I only encountered a few bugs that were hardly game-breaking. If you are not the hard-core nightmare-mode type of gamer, and aren't too nit-picky you'll probably enjoy this for at least a play through.… Expand
  49. Gene
    Feb 15, 2012
    5
    This game is all sorts of average I'm not surprised it's getting such good professional reviews as average is the new 8. If you saw the trailer and had this really uneasy feeling that you're watching an MMO, that's about what the game looks and plays, a single player MMO complete with kill 10 rats and fedex quests. The combat is merely competent, it feels like the designers went for theThis game is all sorts of average I'm not surprised it's getting such good professional reviews as average is the new 8. If you saw the trailer and had this really uneasy feeling that you're watching an MMO, that's about what the game looks and plays, a single player MMO complete with kill 10 rats and fedex quests. The combat is merely competent, it feels like the designers went for the God Of War aesthetic, got it just good enough, and stopped polishing it further. Throw in a crash to desktop every few hours, but not regular enough to really make one hate it, and I just have nothing good or bad to say, just meh.… Expand
  50. ilscuro
    Feb 24, 2012
    5
    I really wanted to like this game, but after 6 hours of gameplay, honestly i'm bored to tears of it, like many others have said the only good thing is the combat, everything else is not good, it's far far to easy, the cartoony graphics although nice are out of place in my opinion, a darker demon/dark souls setting would have been better i think, plus add the difficulty from those games andI really wanted to like this game, but after 6 hours of gameplay, honestly i'm bored to tears of it, like many others have said the only good thing is the combat, everything else is not good, it's far far to easy, the cartoony graphics although nice are out of place in my opinion, a darker demon/dark souls setting would have been better i think, plus add the difficulty from those games and it would have been a winner.

    So not a terrible game, but one i wont be playing again in a hurry.    … Expand
  51. rhyok
    Feb 13, 2012
    6
    I have played twenty hours of this game and after seeing the 'perfect' scores on the Internet for KoA I had to create a Metacritic account and give my two cents. Unlike the 'review' websites out there where all reviews read similar (smells of EA marketing engine at full steam), this is my opinion. First thing first, the 'Open World' claim- BS, it is not Open world. The world is nothingI have played twenty hours of this game and after seeing the 'perfect' scores on the Internet for KoA I had to create a Metacritic account and give my two cents. Unlike the 'review' websites out there where all reviews read similar (smells of EA marketing engine at full steam), this is my opinion. First thing first, the 'Open World' claim- BS, it is not Open world. The world is nothing more than an extensive maze where open exploration is made impossible by invisible walls. Avatar movement is far from free either, you may only jump at point marked by an arrow on your map. Read the reviews out there with a grain of salt, I honestly feel like I wasted 60 bucks for what was supposed to be a prime production. KoA is a decent fun game, but not one that keeps me coming back for more. IMO it is not worth 60 bucks...maybe 30 or 20 after a few months. Hopefully the follow-up will be better, KoA had promise.

    In short after twenty hours of game play, KoA has lost my attention. Honestly, it feels like the typical 'EA' rushed game...kind of like Dragon Age 2 but not as polished. The 'Skyrim Killer' blurbs out there, nah. I say buy the game (wait for price drop) then gripe to EA, tell them to spend their money on development NOT marketing. Bethesda has shown the PC gaming market is not dead, that players will pay for quality feature entertainment, and how versatile the PC platform is for gaming (CK, faster patching, etc.). EA has been disappointing more and more these past few years.    … Expand
  52. ErebusMaligan
    Feb 10, 2012
    5
    After playing 15 hours, i'm struggling to try and get my money's worth. The game isn't terrible... it just isn't very engrossing. And on the whole there is more negative than positive.

    Pros: -Talent trees are decent enough, and the ability to respec everything totally for a cost is a nice addition more games should have. -Combat is smooth and any individual confrontation is    After playing 15 hours, i'm struggling to try and get my money's worth. The game isn't terrible... it just isn't very engrossing. And on the whole there is more negative than positive.

    Pros: -Talent trees are decent enough, and the ability to respec everything totally for a cost is a nice addition more games should have. -Combat is smooth and any individual confrontation is enjoyable enough, if not a bit hack n' slash/console oriented. I had no problems with the camera as others have stated, but i wouldn't mind it back a little bit. -Seems to be plenty to do, and plenty of areas to go to -Plenty of loot, and i'm sure plenty of fun combinations of play when combined with the talent trees.

    Cons: -Repetitive... extremely repetitive quests, that never feel rewarding in any way. Half the time i don't even really know what or why i'm doing it, i just go wherever the dot is, because the dialog is extremely uninteresting. -It's just one long hack and slash game with no particularly engaging story. -Everything is incredibly generic or cliched. You are a hero with some ability nobody else has, with a lost memory who was resurrected.... -Extremely easy. While the combat looks cool and engaging, it's basically a series of hitting one button and pausing. Even with the difficulty on hard, it is 0 challenge to take on groups of 6-7 guys. I've only run into a few minibosses so far, but they were both easily beaten too. -Interface is cumbersome. The interface to view anything or change your inventory, is just way too much click around. It's not gamebreaking or anything, but every time i have to check on a new item it just takes way too long and gets in the way. It's like navigating a business application menu structure, not a game. -Graphics. Uninspired, very WoWish. As an avid wow player for the last 6 years, it's not a gamebreaker for me, but i never really cared for wow's graphics style either. The distance where objects pop up is beyond awful... you will regularly see things pop into view or higher texture only a few feet in front of you. There is also no way to adjust this or other common graphics settings that most games have had for the last 7 years...


    Any of the cons individually are not a deal breaker, and could be ignored, but taken as a whole, it's just not that entertaining. The demo is pretty much what you get in the full game, it never really becomes MORE than that.

    Just as a strict measure of entertainment per hour, WoW on average costs me about $0.1 per hour of entertainment monthly. Skyrim (which also had numerous flaws) I got about 287 hours out of before i called it quits, which equates to about $0.22 per hour. This game... i'm going to struggle to get 20-25 hours out of. That equates to about $3 per hour. So it's about a 14x worse investment than skyrim. Do the math, do yourself a favor, and at least wait until this is on a major sale if you are thinking about getting it.    … Expand
  53. gun661
    Feb 10, 2012
    5
    Having played around 12 hours, although the first couple were promising much, I've put the game down:

    The story, the main quests, while in small parts entertaining (e.g. House of Ballads quest line), just feels like dry dialogues prompted by keywords, no real heartfelt interaction. Almost all of the mysteriously named threats and villains (e.g. "Maybe it was The Willow, stories of which    Having played around 12 hours, although the first couple were promising much, I've put the game down:

    The story, the main quests, while in small parts entertaining (e.g. House of Ballads quest line), just feels like dry dialogues prompted by keywords, no real heartfelt interaction. Almost all of the mysteriously named threats and villains (e.g. "Maybe it was The Willow, stories of which were read to scare children since decades...") turn out to be your standard character models with nothing interesting to say.

    The side quests, making the greatest part of the game, are just "terrible trivia", urging you to run / fast travel all over the world map again and again, with no really convincing motive: Just collecting letters and books and punching small mobs in really many similar caves: for HOURS and HOURS without any end. Which leads us to the gameplay:

    While running around you actually don't face so many enemies, often just small mobs. That means it doesn't really feel like an action game, more like a "running-around" game.
    The combat seems to regrettably follow the motto "make the first 5 minutes fun and then repeat the gameplay". Because repeat it does. Over and over again. Even with switching your "destinies", i.e. playstyles between rogue, wizard and fighter (you can watch all of their moves from the beginning), it somehow stays the same without much evolution: It's almost always the same SMALL MOBS you encounter and easily cut down with the same combos. Better designed encounters, scenarios, and grouping of enemies REALLY could have helped the game to be WAY MORE fun in combat, delivering something unexpected at least. Especially because something like this missing, just "planting 5 mobs here and there", the game feels like it was done without any love for detail or any real affection from the developers.

    And yes, also the loot can almost always be *expected*: Mostly random junk. Even the few nice looking unique items I got (3 to 4 pieces) while playing just drowned in the mountains of frustrating garbage loot. "Oh, there's a hidden entrance with a chest that's locked very hard...." And what's inside? Nothing! A gem and a health potion. Time and time again. Frustrating. And even the unique items follow the same stats-design you get to know in the first hour (+x%damage to lightning/fire/ice), nothing unexpected except the looks, making the gameplay even more repetitive.

    In summary I'd say KoA:R, although almost aiming for the right spots, felt like a production-pipeline game in the end. I left the (in my humbled opinion) very repetitive game with the feeling that it just stole some precious hours without giving anything back. The professional reviews seem to hype more than being reasonable.    … Expand
  54. Redfordsto
    Feb 12, 2012
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a fascinating paradox. On one hand, there doesn't seem to be anything truly special about it. On the other hand; the simplified combat, unending loot, and vibrant color scheme make this world strangely addictive. The first thing you'll notice is the presentation, it's bright and varied and without the need for comparison, very familiar. It's also fairlyKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a fascinating paradox. On one hand, there doesn't seem to be anything truly special about it. On the other hand; the simplified combat, unending loot, and vibrant color scheme make this world strangely addictive. The first thing you'll notice is the presentation, it's bright and varied and without the need for comparison, very familiar. It's also fairly large. Sadly, the character models are nothing truly special. You're own avatar can be custom created, but the options are comparatively limited. Further, your character lacks... well, character. He (or she) is silent. His choices are strangely inconsequential in a world where he can affect every inhabitant's fate. There are usually only two options for every quest and both end with a similar reward. Interaction is made further vapid by a varied quality of voice acting with inadequate modeling and emotation. Still, there is fun here. Fun in the way wandering around in the worlds of Grand Theft Auto or Torchlight without any goal or purpose is enjoyable. Constant and varied loot drives the insatiable need for a stronger and better character. Combat may be simple, but it's also rewarding. And the ability to mix and change your powers keeps gameplay interesting. It's not a great game, but it's an excellent option for dropping in to spend a few hours hacking, slashing, and looting in a colorful and perhaps comfortingly predictable world.… Expand
  55. defive
    Feb 24, 2012
    5
    Decent, but not great. Combat is fun and the engine is pretty but overall I found the game to be bland and boring. Very little innovation and in general not very interesting.
  56. roboticsun
    Dec 23, 2012
    7
    KoA is a fun game but nothing spectacular. Overall the game's structure is very similar to the elder scroll series. it has a fairly okay main story line as well as multiple faction quest lines. the gameplay, however, is very versatile. You can build your character by mixing skills from might, finesse and magic three skill trees. It also had diablo-like loot drop mechanics and a decentKoA is a fun game but nothing spectacular. Overall the game's structure is very similar to the elder scroll series. it has a fairly okay main story line as well as multiple faction quest lines. the gameplay, however, is very versatile. You can build your character by mixing skills from might, finesse and magic three skill trees. It also had diablo-like loot drop mechanics and a decent crafting system. So basically your character is very customizable. One major strength of this game is actually the combat since it's very flexible on how you want to fight. You can play as a mighty warrior smashing foes with huge hammers, as a powerful mage shooting fireballs and lightening bolts as a stealth rogue backstabbing enemies unnoticed or combine all fighting styles together. the combat action is fast-paced and satisfying no matter what fighting style you choose to play. KoA's fantasy setting is well thought-out but not interesting compare to, say, Skyrim. the quests became quite boring quickly and I end up just not caring about the story anymore after a while. in a word, if you want a rpg to immerse yourself in a fantasy world then KoA is not really a good choice, however if you just want to have some fun, this is the game to play.… Expand
  57. Orctownorc
    Apr 27, 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.… Expand
  58. theNILE
    Dec 8, 2012
    7
    The first area is spectacular, the early parts of the game are incredibly enjoyable. Sadly, it slips into complete boredom. The later parts of the game are incredibly dull and you probably won't find any better equips which are better than what you already have. The last quarter of this game is pretty much pointless I tell you. The final boss battle is easy and boring as well. It is sadThe first area is spectacular, the early parts of the game are incredibly enjoyable. Sadly, it slips into complete boredom. The later parts of the game are incredibly dull and you probably won't find any better equips which are better than what you already have. The last quarter of this game is pretty much pointless I tell you. The final boss battle is easy and boring as well. It is sad because I loved this game until I got fairly near the end. That's only half of it though...the skill system is just abysmal. Half the skills are useless because the others are amillion times better. You want to use the other skills but they suck. And...you can cheat in this game. The only game which lets you easily beat bosses - which already require little skill. That being said, the graphics were good. It's a traditional sort of RPG which is original but comes far from being a remarkable RPG.… Expand
  59. Nichtswisser
    Apr 24, 2012
    6
    Without the far to far to low difficult level it would have been a decent enough game, yet the lack of any challenge whatsoever makes the game boring and renders two of the main elements of those kind of games, the search for better equipment and the drive to improve your character, redundant. When you visit the forum of a hack and slay game and people widely recommend to use inferiorWithout the far to far to low difficult level it would have been a decent enough game, yet the lack of any challenge whatsoever makes the game boring and renders two of the main elements of those kind of games, the search for better equipment and the drive to improve your character, redundant. When you visit the forum of a hack and slay game and people widely recommend to use inferior equipment in order to not make the game too easy, you know something with the balancing went terribly wrong.… Expand
  60. Corwin
    Mar 1, 2012
    7
    Pros: plenty of side quests to keep you busy for hours. A large and pretty, if rather cartoonish, game world. The combat system is well done and makes you feel like a total badass, whether you're playing a mage or a warrior (although the novelty wears off somewhat after a time). Smooth gameplay and no problems playing it on even an outdated PC. Really impressive large area spell effects.Pros: plenty of side quests to keep you busy for hours. A large and pretty, if rather cartoonish, game world. The combat system is well done and makes you feel like a total badass, whether you're playing a mage or a warrior (although the novelty wears off somewhat after a time). Smooth gameplay and no problems playing it on even an outdated PC. Really impressive large area spell effects.

    Cons: the game is highly "consolified": you can't jump anywhere except predetermined jump points, you can't freely aim with your bow or spells (only at locked on targets), and the menu is annoying and clearly optimized more for consoles rather than PCs. It seems you can't even change the things in your quickbar. The character creation capabilities are pretty disappointing for a game released in 2012.    … Expand
  61. Slybacongaming
    Mar 13, 2012
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning delivers what it promises, engaging story, fluid combat system, in depth crafting system. Downsides to KoA are to many side quests not enough main story, the game itself is on the easy side and the camera restrictions are beyond annoying but overall well worth the price if you are a RPG fan
  62. jeyon
    May 15, 2012
    7
    Amalur is a good RPG, not great, due to a few flaws. Mainly the lack of visual expression on the character's faces, not to mention the fact that yours is also mute, though the voice acting is pretty good.
    The World is quite vast, the History and the Lore is certainly there, although for some it might be too much too soon, after Skyrim and The Witcher 2.
    In terms of gameplay, this game is    Amalur is a good RPG, not great, due to a few flaws. Mainly the lack of visual expression on the character's faces, not to mention the fact that yours is also mute, though the voice acting is pretty good.
    The World is quite vast, the History and the Lore is certainly there, although for some it might be too much too soon, after Skyrim and The Witcher 2.
    In terms of gameplay, this game is intuitive, close to what the Fable has done lately, the lack of challenge included, for those who seek it.
    For a game that is supposed to establish a new rpg franchise, it's a job done. Though if it is destined to be an MMO, well meh... too bad!    … Expand
  63. Greywolf2001ca
    Dec 24, 2015
    6
    This game is a decent hack'n'slasher with a decent story.

    There character building is good enough to continue playing without getting bored.

    They call this a role-playing game, but it's actually a hack'n'slasher power-gaming one with a linear story.

    I don't think you should pay any more than 10$ for the complete game.
  64. Sevorast
    Feb 12, 2012
    7
    Excellent game all around, a rich and vibrant world with a deep lore backbone. The combat is very satisfying with great animations and hit detection, and the sound effects are absolutely perfect.

    It is on the easy side, no dark souls here difficulty wise, even on hard it is pretty easy for me, ymmv of course based on how good you are at these types of games or just generally at games in general.
  65. LonelySheep
    Feb 18, 2012
    7
    KOAR is a good RPG with a lot of fun to be had but it does have its flaws. The combat is superb, but the game is let down by the sheer overdose of quests that are thrown at you. More than often you feel compelled into completing every last quest in your log before continuing, but doing so will only lead to more and more side quests which will ultimately lead you to finding the gameKOAR is a good RPG with a lot of fun to be had but it does have its flaws. The combat is superb, but the game is let down by the sheer overdose of quests that are thrown at you. More than often you feel compelled into completing every last quest in your log before continuing, but doing so will only lead to more and more side quests which will ultimately lead you to finding the game extremely repetitive as all quests are either kill X amount of monsters or loot these items then return to quest giver. There's a very big world to explore but it does lack the depth of quest variation like titles such as Skyrim or WoW. On that note, be prepared for A LOT of looting as this game is looting galore. However, if you enjoy paying attention to the silly plots of the hundreds of side quests then rejoice as you will have hundreds of hours of content for you to play with.

    The profession trees are levelled by talents points gained each level and they not very innovative. You will find most of them not very useful save for the crafting ones in which luck will decide whether you will have the mats to make a better item than what you are currently wearing.

    The voice acting is moderate at best, and the camera can sometimes be extremely frustrating and bug out, and there's also no option to adjust the field of view.

    Wrapping up, if the developers had put more time into enhancing main quests and making them a little more innovating rather than throwing in hundreds of side quests this could've been a great game. However, if you truly wish to enjoy this title, follow the story of the faction quest lines and the main quest line and only do a handful of side quests in each area before moving on to keep the experience exciting and fresh. Don't bore yourself before you get to the end.

    To wrap things up, KOAR has good character customization, great combat, too many quests to keep serious track of, an overload of looting, and can get very repetitive. If you pace yourself the right way and not hang around in the one area for too long you should make it to the end.    … Expand
  66. Diego1975
    Feb 11, 2012
    6
    Played the demo after reading all the hype and watching the video trailers. I've been playing RPG's since Super NES and Final Fantasy II. As an artist, I expected much more than the cartoon characters and the watery, expressionistic backgrounds. The Combat System Rocks! That same system should be used in a better world, with better art, better story line, not so many side questsPlayed the demo after reading all the hype and watching the video trailers. I've been playing RPG's since Super NES and Final Fantasy II. As an artist, I expected much more than the cartoon characters and the watery, expressionistic backgrounds. The Combat System Rocks! That same system should be used in a better world, with better art, better story line, not so many side quests (GEEZ!), yes, yes a better game would do the combat system justice. Just so you know, I'm using a one year old top of the line Alienware computer to play this demo. I'm sorry, I just expect more from the artists in 2012.… Expand
  67. LD9000
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    An Ok game. I guess this is what all modern RPGs devolve towards. People who havent played late 1990s RPGs would not know the difference, so companies can spoon feed them the same stuff over and over again.
  68. BuuGz
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    Well the UI is a pain in the a** to navigate, I'm not sure why they didn't use the usual item equipping and went for that crap.. The combat is ok for the most part gets boring real fast tho because there is not much to choose from and there could have been far more abilities and i kinda wish the combat could have been done GoW style :D. I don't wanna talk about character models so muchWell the UI is a pain in the a** to navigate, I'm not sure why they didn't use the usual item equipping and went for that crap.. The combat is ok for the most part gets boring real fast tho because there is not much to choose from and there could have been far more abilities and i kinda wish the combat could have been done GoW style :D. I don't wanna talk about character models so much cuz they suck, the environment is OK nothing breathtaking and seems kinda outdated because it seems it should have been made for the year 2006 or something like that. Also the thing that annoys me is that i like the fact that the wold is HUGE but there is so little to do other than just plain grinding mobs like in an mmo that i actually haven't even been able to continue playing on daly basis because i know what awaits me for the next 2 hours ingame and really i don't wanna waste so much time for grinding, if i wanna play an mmo I'll do that and chat ingame with my buddy's while we grind. Also this being an RPG i think it lacks companions that follow you around. Also the races in this game are so dam boring that it hurt my brain and they look terrible that it hurt my eyes and the voice actin is so bad that it hurt my ears so all in all this should have been another stupid ass brainless grind fest mmo and not some single player RPG
    So ye its OK at best id suggest you don't waste time on it because you won't get back that time you spend on it, its sad really i really hoped it would be enjoyable i didn't even care about the graphics when i first saw some gameplay footage, oh well only combat will not make a good RPG the story is kinda more important here :D    … Expand
  69. Makina_Samwich
    Jun 29, 2012
    6
    I played the Demo for as long as it let me, and I couldn't justify 59.99 for what I saw in the game. 'Offline World of Warcraft' is how I would most likely describe KoAR. Worth 29.99 as a maximum. Although, I would have liked to see what they could do with the MMO KoAR was allegedly a introduction for. /shrug
  70. libellus
    Feb 17, 2012
    7
    Engaging and fun if you like hack and slash like me, but it bugged out for me twice in the same exact place, so I'm displeased. I'm usually very patient with bugs and even full crashes, but not when they happen ten minutes in. The story seems pretty interesting and not quite like other undead-centric RPGs that I've played before.
  71. karmasleeper
    Mar 17, 2012
    5
    Apparently this game started out as an MMO project and it shows. In many ways, it plays like an offline MMO. Character classes are the three standard archetypes - fighter, rogue, mage, and any combination of the three you desire. Every time you level up, you place a skill point in one of these three trees. You can mix and match, but doing so often necessitates putting skill points intoApparently this game started out as an MMO project and it shows. In many ways, it plays like an offline MMO. Character classes are the three standard archetypes - fighter, rogue, mage, and any combination of the three you desire. Every time you level up, you place a skill point in one of these three trees. You can mix and match, but doing so often necessitates putting skill points into passive bonuses or active skills you will never benefit from. The story is good and the combat plays out like God of War in many ways. There's an assortment of weapons to choose from, each with ups and downs. One of the best features of Kingdoms of Amalur is the ability to respec almost at will and reallocate your skill points as you desire. Have you been playing as a mage and just took a bunch of sidequests that would be a lot easier as a rogue? No problem. Just respec. In fact, the game encourages you to respec early and often. One reason for this is because there is so much content in the game that it would quickly become boring playing through as one character class. Another reason is because the three class trees are VERY limited. There are too few active skills. I never thought I'd say this about a game, but there is too much content considering how quickly it takes to max one of the class trees. The up side to this is again, your ability to retool your character at any time throughout the game. This helps what would easily be a stale experience remain fresh, but even this system has its limits. I highly recommend this game to RPG fans. There's simply a staggering amount of content here even if the quest types start to repeat. Just wait for a price drop first.… Expand
  72. Supervegeta
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    I give this game a 7.5 out of 10. If you enjoy RPG's I would suggest trying this game out. I am enjoying the game but I will give my opinion why I don't give it a 10. I hope they take the feedback from everyone when they work on the next instalment.
    Graphics- While I like the art direction used in this game (slightly cartoony similar to WoW) they have used plenty on bright colours but the    I give this game a 7.5 out of 10. If you enjoy RPG's I would suggest trying this game out. I am enjoying the game but I will give my opinion why I don't give it a 10. I hope they take the feedback from everyone when they work on the next instalment.
    Graphics- While I like the art direction used in this game (slightly cartoony similar to WoW) they have used plenty on bright colours but the attention to detail is not there as you might find in games such as The Witcher 2 and Skyrim etc.
    Camera features - lacks ability to zoom in and out of character.
    Controls- good basic controls but lacks ability to have key modifiers to use alt 1, alt 1 etc Combat- the best combat I have experienced so far but encounters are fairly easy. I would like to see more encounters where you are required to use several different tactics to defeat mob/boss.
    Navigation- They claim to be open world but its pretty much like the Final Fantasy 10 maps. With long winding tunnels/paths. They need to implement a jump button and allow jumping up and down paths to give a feel of a true open world. They have jumped points but its not enough for me.
    Monsters- When they die they die. No respawn. Which leads to an empty lifeless world. The game would benefit from respawns. While I think no game should impose grinding as an option its always nice (such as FF7).    … Expand
  73. Shoebox
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    I treated this as a teaser for the upcoming MMO from 38 Studios, which is reportedly under the same IP. As such, in treating this game as the single-player MMORPG that it is, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a nice pace, the character advancement is interesting and all of it can really only be enhanced by a multi-player aspect. Some of the gameplay suffers as a result of this and we areI treated this as a teaser for the upcoming MMO from 38 Studios, which is reportedly under the same IP. As such, in treating this game as the single-player MMORPG that it is, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a nice pace, the character advancement is interesting and all of it can really only be enhanced by a multi-player aspect. Some of the gameplay suffers as a result of this and we are left with only fragments of the story, but they can't lay all of their cards on the table just yet. If you're on the fence about buying this game, there is conveniently a demo you can get on all platforms, which gives you a nice taste of what to expect in the full game. But I don't think it would be worth acquiring now unless you want to support the development of 'Project Copernicus', which I think is a worthy cause, to say the least.… Expand
  74. G-man
    Feb 17, 2012
    7
    I played only the demo version, but this game does not swill worthy of the true fans of the RPG-genre, but for the efforts and for the development of the world put the game 7.
  75. SquishyEye
    Feb 9, 2014
    5
    This is a horribly overrated game, and it has no value aside from a vast world and semi-legit voice acting. If you're looking for a single player game of the same quality as a free-to-play MMORPG, then you may enjoy this, other than that - don't waste your time and money.
    Combat and movement mechanics are horrid: if you're standing on a hill - your attacks go perpendicular to your    This is a horribly overrated game, and it has no value aside from a vast world and semi-legit voice acting. If you're looking for a single player game of the same quality as a free-to-play MMORPG, then you may enjoy this, other than that - don't waste your time and money.
    Combat and movement mechanics are horrid: if you're standing on a hill - your attacks go perpendicular to your character, so if an enemy is right in front of you and you're theoretically targeting them - your projectiles go right above their heads (or into the hill at their feet, if you're below them). There doesn't appear to be a way to cancel your long-charge combo attacks, so if you see a new enemy jump out from the side of the screen while in the middle of a combo - you're screwed, forced to just sit there and helplessly watch yourself getting hit. The game is completely 2D as far as the movement plane goes, there is no jumping aside from a few designated spots (with a special animation). Smallest rocks on the ground have huge collision boxes, making you walk all the way around them instead of over them, (and i'm not exaggerating - some of those rocks are maybe 3 inches tall, it is incredibly dumb that your character constantly gets stuck on them trying to walk past.).
    Leveling-up mechanics (skill and ability trees) and inventory management are pretty much straight from Dragon Age (and i'm sure a bunch of other much older games, but Dragon Age is the first one that comes to mind), so nothing original or unique there. I'm not exactly criticizing re-using old techniques, but just emphasizing the fact that there isn't anything ground-breaking which would make up for all the bad things.
    Graphics are at a World of Warcraft level. Considering how old WoW is, i'm sure that says a lot.
    And to top it all there are game-breaking bugs that there is no way to get around, aside from reloading a much earlier save game at the beginning of a quest line and trying again (hoping the bug won't happen again). I would have even forgiven not being able to complete that particular quest and just moving on to others, but this game didn't even let me do that - i was just stuck in one place with no ability to go anywhere.
    Overall - really badly made game. A 6 out of 10 *at most*. And if it wasn't for the slightly-above-mediocre art/music/writing, i wouldn't have given it more than 4 out of 10.
    And i can't believe the critic score is 8, this is the first game I've played with a metascore score so far away from the score it actually deserves.    … Expand
  76. deadspacer47
    Dec 22, 2013
    6
    kingdoms of amalur is only a game about combat and good quests,but it ultimately fails in everything else.
    stupid story with no interesting charchters, stupid repetitive soundtracks and the world sucks in many locations,there are locations that will make you stop and look at them wondering if these developers took a piss on them.
    i mean the mountains and grounds looked bad,sky looked    kingdoms of amalur is only a game about combat and good quests,but it ultimately fails in everything else.
    stupid story with no interesting charchters, stupid repetitive soundtracks and the world sucks in many locations,there are locations that will make you stop and look at them wondering if these developers took a piss on them.
    i mean the mountains and grounds looked bad,sky looked awfull and there's no rain or anything that will make you feel you are living this for real.
    the game is so generic,also you'll never get the chance to do anything else than killing enemies here and there,i mean there's no gambling,fist fighting or anything that you could do in other RPGs.
    repetitive houses and taverns,repetitive NP Cs,i mean alot of people in this game looked the same.
    the game took alot of ideas from The elder scrolls even the picklock was taken from TES and it was done the same way.
    after playing 53 hours in this game i do not want to continue it,coz the story sucks,charchters sucked BALLS!!,soundtrack sucks,inventory sucks and the world felt like even if it was good in some locations
    after fifty three hours i will not go further in this ****ty game or its world that is full of piss.
    the only thing that made me play all this was the quests and faction missions,but eventually you'll feel like in this generic piece of and its cartoonish graphics.
    Daaaamn i was expecting a game like the Witcher,but i found myself drowning in a sea of piss and feces.
    i can only give this generic game a generic 6 out of a supergeneric 10 for the good combat and those generic quests. lol    … Expand
  77. blade01
    Jul 31, 2014
    5
    I will not write a long review, ill keep it short.This game can easily be described as generic and lazy!Visuals are ok, sometimes great!The problem is:Everything looks the same.There are some presets(desert for example) but thats it.The world is big, too big.Its not filled with good content.Not one quest is memorable.Not one character is memorable.If you search a great story or epicness,I will not write a long review, ill keep it short.This game can easily be described as generic and lazy!Visuals are ok, sometimes great!The problem is:Everything looks the same.There are some presets(desert for example) but thats it.The world is big, too big.Its not filled with good content.Not one quest is memorable.Not one character is memorable.If you search a great story or epicness, you wont find it here.The world is static, nothing changes, ever!The crafting system is interesting at first, and far too strong.Everything youll find will be crap compared to what you can craft.Boring.All in all not worth a buy, sorry.Entertains the first hours, suckz pretty quickly after that.… Expand
  78. Gary14
    Jan 25, 2014
    7
    This game is nothing like you think , cuz this game is the best , it started when "us" were reborn in a well of soul and we started all the way from there to the darkness's camp and base so we stared as anything we want from being a human , a "Dokklafar" ( like an elf ) , etc. And we travelled to know/learn fate , and you can be as a army , magic leader , all sort of that and please use aThis game is nothing like you think , cuz this game is the best , it started when "us" were reborn in a well of soul and we started all the way from there to the darkness's camp and base so we stared as anything we want from being a human , a "Dokklafar" ( like an elf ) , etc. And we travelled to know/learn fate , and you can be as a army , magic leader , all sort of that and please use a good gaming pc to play it
    :-)    … Expand
  79. omegacat
    Feb 5, 2014
    6
    The leveling system and combat is pretty fun. Reminiscent of Darksiders. However, I never felt like your class goes very far to stand on its own. As a rogue, opportunities for stealth kills are few and far between, and the leveled indoor areas with their narrow hallways rarely present an opponent with a turned back, making stealth seem useless at times. Mages are difficult to keep atThe leveling system and combat is pretty fun. Reminiscent of Darksiders. However, I never felt like your class goes very far to stand on its own. As a rogue, opportunities for stealth kills are few and far between, and the leveled indoor areas with their narrow hallways rarely present an opponent with a turned back, making stealth seem useless at times. Mages are difficult to keep at optimal spellcasting range, as many enemies can close the distance very quickly, or even instantly. Hilly terrain makes line of sight a constant problem. In the end, most fights turn into a melee fest, regardless of your chosen class.

    I enjoyed the crafting system, and it was nice to be able to craft actual superior items, and not just junk. The skills are intuitive and while there are some skills that seem pretty unused, there are none that absolute necessities, and you are free to choose the ones best fit your character or playstyle.

    My biggest gripe with the game is the inventory. It is terribly organized, with no options to even organize it yourself. You'll find your inventory space slowly getting smaller until you scroll through hundreds of crafting items looking for junk that crept into your bags over time. Add a clunky interface where buttons may have different functions depending on which way you are using your inventory (crafting, buying/selling, containers)

    All in all, this is a good game, and I've enjoyed it.    … Expand
  80. NOSEARCHIMI3
    Aug 15, 2014
    6
    The first thing I noticed was the camera was controlled like in WOW. The game itself was very much like Oblivion with a better combat system for swordplay, and a worse combat system for bows because I couldnt switch to first person mode. It seemed like a console game because of the autoaim for bows and magic. There was less immersion because I couldnt snipe my enemies in first personThe first thing I noticed was the camera was controlled like in WOW. The game itself was very much like Oblivion with a better combat system for swordplay, and a worse combat system for bows because I couldnt switch to first person mode. It seemed like a console game because of the autoaim for bows and magic. There was less immersion because I couldnt snipe my enemies in first person mode. The dialogue was good, because there was a mix of voices. The lockpicking was equal to oblivion but less immersive than skyrims lockpicking system. There was also a system for alchemy, forging, and lifting curses. I found myself soon overpowered when I wasnt using a sword. The game limited me to one style of play. While this gave the game an element of strategy, I wanted to use a bow, but couldnt because I put all my stats into improving swordplay (on leveling). Because I was stuck doing one style of play I got bored and quit.… Expand
  81. lazergabo
    Sep 13, 2014
    6
    soooo boring... i played like 20 hours... and still bored... weak char customization.. small skill tree,, isn't a Rpg game.. is a casual game.. is not the worst game... but still have a lot of aspects to improve... the story is fine... you are the Nobody who is the best of the best, born to be god... .. but the game is weak... the strong point is the fighting system and visual fx... butsoooo boring... i played like 20 hours... and still bored... weak char customization.. small skill tree,, isn't a Rpg game.. is a casual game.. is not the worst game... but still have a lot of aspects to improve... the story is fine... you are the Nobody who is the best of the best, born to be god... .. but the game is weak... the strong point is the fighting system and visual fx... but even that is repetitive… Expand
  82. dnnblue
    Jan 11, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. we need surpport korea language. today 2017 year.
    I hope we can build up mutual trust through communications like this.
    we cordially ask you to think again before filing an official complaint report.    … Expand
  83. Mobile
    Sep 26, 2018
    6
    ENG RU
    Probably one of the longest single rpg with elements of mmo, that's just not enough peta.
    At first it is interesting to explore, listen to dialogues, to pump the character, to beat out new equipment and to carry out the next quest about the help to peasants and not only. But when you spend on the implementation of all of the above in the first location and you still do not know,    ENG RU
    Probably one of the longest single rpg with elements of mmo, that's just not enough peta.
    At first it is interesting to explore, listen to dialogues, to pump the character, to beat out new equipment and to carry out the next quest about the help to peasants and not only. But when you spend on the implementation of all of the above in the first location and you still do not know, but guess how it can be delayed and whether you need it. And it becomes not so interesting to run back and forth, perform the same type of job, run through the same dungeons and listen to all the chatter that you pour into your ears and this applies to the main plot, which is also safely skipaesh. For a single game too "big world", a lot, a lot of jobs, the same type of village, the same applies to enemies. Comes the realization that the game is certainly good, exactly until you realize how big and empty at the same time. Personally, I do not want to sit for half a hundred hours, or even more just running around doing tasks, knock out clothes and other delights of mmo, to which I am absolutely indifferent. Definitely the game is interesting and unusual in its own way, but it is not worth the time and heaps of everything, and the graphics could make it prettier, and not in the "style" WOW.
    Наверное, одна из самых долгих single rpg с элементами mmo, вот только очень не хватает peta.
    По началу интересно исследовать, слушать диалоги, прокачивать персонажа, выбивать новое снаряжение и выполнять очередной квест про помощь селянам и не только. Но когда ты потратишь на выполнение всего выше перечисленного в первой локации и ты еще точно не знаешь, но догадываешься, насколько это может затянутся и нужно ли тебе это. И становится уже не так интересно бегать туда-сюда, выполнять однотипные задания, бегать по одинаковым подземельям и слушать весь треп который тебе льют в уши и это касается основного сюжета, который так же смело скипаешь. Для single игры слишком "большой мир", много, очень много заданий, однотипные деревушки, тоже самое касается и врагов. Приходит осознание того, что игра конечно хороша, ровно до того момента пока не понимаешь, насколько велика и пуста одновременно. Лично мне не хочется сидеть пол сотни часов, а то и больше просто бегая выполняя задания, выбивать шмотье и прочие прелести mmo, к которому я абсолютно равнодушен. Однозначно игра интересна и по своему необыкновенна, но она не стоит того времени и нагромождения всего, да и графику могли сделать посимпатичней, а не в "стиле" WOW.    … Expand
  84. HenryBukowski
    Jul 30, 2014
    7
    I like this game ( I think)
    An immersive and enveloping CRPG (albeit one with the larger than life swords which swing rather too quickly) but this sums up rather well the niche the game makes for itself in terms of stylization and aesthetics. It's colourful, unique, even beautiful to look at. It looks very much like Fable, and there's no doubt that this look has divided people.    I like this game ( I think)
    An immersive and enveloping CRPG (albeit one with the larger than life swords which swing rather too quickly) but this sums up rather well the niche the game makes for itself in terms of stylization and aesthetics. It's colourful, unique, even beautiful to look at. It looks very much like Fable, and there's no doubt that this look has divided people. Personally I think that, in a market where making your game look as cartoon-like as Borderlands is a perfectly valid aesthetic to go for, it doesn't make any sense to describe the KoA graphics as 'rubbish'. It's somethinjg different for the market and that's a good thing.

    Combat is pleasing, tactile and involving. There are particular 'moves' you can pull off but you do this by way of button combinations rather than pressing a particular button, and in this regard the game differs from many RPGs. At times against lesser enemies you could argue that the combat descends into button bashing, whereby you don't need to do anything other than clicking continuously until your enemy is dead. However, when you face multiple enemies and strongly enemies who can take your hits without flinching, this criticism isn't applicable.

    The world? I know what people mean when they describe it as 'generic'. It's not different in any meaningful way, for the genre. It's very big, confusing, and I don't think the lore is communicated very coherently at all. There's too much splurged at you, and I felt that this was compounded by the size of the world, and the huge number of quests.
    As this world was a new entry for video games I strongly believed it would have benefited by being smaller, with fewer (but longer and more immersive) quests. I found myself overwhelmed after 8 hours because the world opened up like crazy, where before I'd been happy enough getting to know the characters and settlements in a smaller area.

    I could go on with more pro's and con's but in short I think it's a strong enough game which had bags of potential but in some senses feels too chaotic and confused to give you a coherent narrative. Open world is all well and good but at the end of the day its usually the main story which compels you and drives you forward, and it never quite hooked me in KoA.
    Having said this, there's lots of fun to be had here and you will experience excellent combat and discover some lovely settings. Well worth the money I bought it for.

    P.S I don't believe having the Fae all voiced by Irish actors added anything to the lore. In fact it somewhat detracted from the image of the Fae as an Arcane Race and made it all feel a bit too real for my liking.    … Expand
  85. AlienSpaceBats
    Apr 28, 2013
    5
    Plays as though it was designed to be an MMO, and looks like one too (WOW); predominantly hack & slash nonsense and tiresome fetch-quests (or wander-to-the-other-side-of-the-map-and-kill-this-thing-quests). After a few hours, I was bored, and had no desire to pick the game up again.
  86. GolovA
    Sep 11, 2017
    7
    BARELY Made it into the green.

    Story-wise - a meh. Weak. And it's a huge factor for an RPG. Here's a sample of the writing: "She's not a God. She's much, much worse!" While silly things take away from submersion (such as bodybuilding models, who are supposed to portrait 70 year-old wise and weary men), the gameplay and mechanics (character development, skills, combat system) are    BARELY Made it into the green.

    Story-wise - a meh. Weak. And it's a huge factor for an RPG. Here's a sample of the writing: "She's not a God. She's much, much worse!"

    While silly things take away from submersion (such as bodybuilding models, who are supposed to portrait 70 year-old wise and weary men), the gameplay and mechanics (character development, skills, combat system) are pretty solid.
    A bit Buggy, has quite some backtracking, and finally - no matter how good the Voice Actors - voicing the game with just three of them simply does not work. Hire more actors! Hell - hire me - i'll voice a monster or something!

    Suggestions for further playing:
    Divinity II, Dragon Age: Origins, Shadowrun.

    En Resumen:
    Weak on Story, Good in Mechanics.    … Expand
  87. Shinuz
    Apr 22, 2012
    7
    I'll start this review by saying that i played the game on hard and finished both the main game & the legend of dead kel dlc and it took me approximately 110hrs.

    At first when i tried the demo i really wasn't impressed at all by the graphics, they looked somewhat low res and reminded me a lot of wow and to make matters worse there was a lot of textures and object pop ins in the distance,    I'll start this review by saying that i played the game on hard and finished both the main game & the legend of dead kel dlc and it took me approximately 110hrs.

    At first when i tried the demo i really wasn't impressed at all by the graphics, they looked somewhat low res and reminded me a lot of wow and to make matters worse there was a lot of textures and object pop ins in the distance, all of which is still intact in the full game, but the second i tried the combat i was hooked and purchased the game. The combat in this game really reminds me of Darksiders, which i thoroughly enjoyed btw, its fast, fluid and really intuitive, with a set of great skills for each destinies.
    I played the game from start to finish as a finesse character and everything from sneaking behind enemies with a set of daggers to assassinate them or turning myself invisible while lock-picking a treasure chest in a room full of guards was well implemented and enjoyable.

    The more i played with the game the more i began to get engrossed in it and then something strange happened, i started to love the graphics.
    The art department really did a great job of creating all the different environments and although the pop ins were still present i just found everything so beautiful and i felt like i was part of the world.
    Almost forgot to mention that the monster design is really great as well, but i guess you can't go wrong with McFarlane.

    Now although there is a great deal of good thing with this game, including the visuals, the music which btw is awesome, the different crafting system, the combat, the phat loot and the destiny system, which lets you put points in any of the three class templates, there are also some bad points and this is why i can't give the game more than a 7 out of 10.

    I don't know maybe its because there's so many quests in the game or the fact that the faction ones were really great but it makes the main story line kinda boring and really forgettable, in fact pretty much all characters are forgettable and you never really find yourself attached to one in particular.

    The combat may be great but after a while the enemies you fight really get boring and predictable and never really put up much of a challenge at all since at higher lvl they just are tougher but still have the same pattern.
    I played the game on hard and except for one boss fight in particular, which was part of the first faction quest line, i never really feared for my life.

    Now with so many quest and lots of areas to explore you'd think the dev would have thought about giving us an high enough lvl cap but unfortunately at lvl 40 this is where it stops and if you're like me and do all the quest you'll reach it way before the end of the game which for me was kinda a big letdown.
    In my opinion they should really have slowed the exp gain in the 30th lvls.

    Now where this started getting boring for me is because i'm not the type of person that will create multiple characters, when i play a game ill stick to one and it'll be my experience with that game, anyway Reckoning lets you respect every points so you never really need to create another character unless you wish to try another race, so when i bought the legend of dead kel dlc i was already lvl 40 and had all this uber gear which i crafted and now i started slaying my way across the dlc again without fear for my life, so as you can guess it was kinda boring so i just removed all my awesome stuff and just equipped anything i'd find on the island thinking there would be more of a challenge, boy was i wrong i could still kill everything with ease and the boss took me less than 1 minute to kill, i had to stop attacking because the music playing was pretty epic and i wanted to hear it all.

    So although i had a great time with Reckoning, there was a couple of things that really bothered me, like the fact there's still no patch in sight even though they already released 3 dlc.

    Anyway i'd still recommend it for anyone looking for a good action rpg, although don't be ready for a challenge or you'll disappointed.    … Expand
  88. Vaerik
    Jul 13, 2014
    6
    Entirely mediocre
    I enjoyed this game for the first 10-15 levels. At level 15 I started to get bored. Everything had an element of "sameness." The combat was the same pattern. Maybe I'd mix things up by throwing in a lightning bolt or an arrow instead of killing that monster with my sword. Maybe I'd do the QTE finishing move for extra experience. Overall, it quickly became boring, though.    Entirely mediocre
    I enjoyed this game for the first 10-15 levels. At level 15 I started to get bored. Everything had an element of "sameness." The combat was the same pattern. Maybe I'd mix things up by throwing in a lightning bolt or an arrow instead of killing that monster with my sword. Maybe I'd do the QTE finishing move for extra experience. Overall, it quickly became boring, though.

    The problem is that the world is too generic. The characters are too generic. The quests are too generic. It's all been done before and it's all been done better.

    Pros:
    Character customization: you can play how you want to play: big bruising warrior with greatsword or massive hammer. bored with that, pay some gold and become a mage who blasts through everything in its path
    Item crafting: the gear you can make yourself quickly becomes more powerful than anything you can find. not only is the crafting system kind of interesting, it is valuable
    Challenging (at first): while your gear is mediocre and your level is low, the game poses a threat to the average gamer. The problem is that this quickly fades.

    Cons:
    Repetitive: every area of the forest is like every other area of the forest. Every area of the plains is like every other area of the plains. The quests are similar, the "ambushes" are predictable, the whole thing just gets... dull.
    Long: Normally this is a pro. I love a game that is a good investment for the money, but due to the repetition, it's just... tedious.
    Awkward: The inventory system is very annoying. The "dispel" system to open magical locks is horrible. The lockpicking system quickly gets old. The quests are all the same.
    Travel: Running from place to place is horribly boring, and though fast travel is implemented, it's done in such a way as to force you to run everywhere FIRST. Great, so you go see the world. The world (after the first 20 hours or so) is BORING. Sorry.

    I really wanted to like this game. I did at first. It just became an exercise in WANTING to like it long after I'd stopped actually liking it.    … Expand
  89. MultiMayhem
    Apr 30, 2014
    7
    This is not a bad game, by any means, however it does not add anything new to the genre and simply seems to strive on what other games have done (and, in some cases, better). The world is your typical fluffy elves world, filled with green forests, sandy deserts,... which is inhabited by humans, elves and everything you've already read about in Lord of the Rings.

    Combat is fun, fluid,    This is not a bad game, by any means, however it does not add anything new to the genre and simply seems to strive on what other games have done (and, in some cases, better). The world is your typical fluffy elves world, filled with green forests, sandy deserts,... which is inhabited by humans, elves and everything you've already read about in Lord of the Rings.

    Combat is fun, fluid, and more hack'n slash oriented. Nevertheless I had fun playing the game. While it does not add anything new, it does deliver on its premise: a decent RPG. And that's what it is: decent, but nothing more.    … Expand
  90. lliam
    May 6, 2012
    7
    Its an ok game with World of Warcraft graphics al cartoony and bright not to my taste. Game play is fine but very repetitive quests get boring fast. There is no humor in the game so thats not a good thing. Game is large but not as large as a lot of reviews imply. I dont regret my purchase but its not a game that I would buy now I have had a chance to play it and not one I would recommendIts an ok game with World of Warcraft graphics al cartoony and bright not to my taste. Game play is fine but very repetitive quests get boring fast. There is no humor in the game so thats not a good thing. Game is large but not as large as a lot of reviews imply. I dont regret my purchase but its not a game that I would buy now I have had a chance to play it and not one I would recommend to others.… Expand
  91. MrMuse
    Sep 7, 2012
    5
    Good points: This game is huge, the storyline is passable, the dlc's are big and worth getting if you like the game. Nice character animation during combat.

    Bad ponts: The story is PASSABLE, differing character development results in fairly similar gameplay which is largely about spam-clicking the mouse. Game saves can break easilly for no apparent reason perhaps destroying many hours    Good points: This game is huge, the storyline is passable, the dlc's are big and worth getting if you like the game. Nice character animation during combat.

    Bad ponts: The story is PASSABLE, differing character development results in fairly similar gameplay which is largely about spam-clicking the mouse. Game saves can break easilly for no apparent reason perhaps destroying many hours of play/work.

    Overall - HUGE and mildly entertaining time sink with unforgivable technical issues (save losses) and a bland storyline    … Expand
  92. azarielrdm
    Feb 21, 2014
    7
    I purchased Kingdoms of Amalur on Steam as a complete package for $11.99 which included all of the DLC and finished the main story in 53 hours. As with most games I play, I finished all the side quests I came across.

    Graphics – Great I loved the graphics in KOA. There is a strong a vivid use of color and the world is filled with detail. Animations are fluid and my PC never once    I purchased Kingdoms of Amalur on Steam as a complete package for $11.99 which included all of the DLC and finished the main story in 53 hours. As with most games I play, I finished all the side quests I came across.

    Graphics – Great
    I loved the graphics in KOA. There is a strong a vivid use of color and the world is filled with detail. Animations are fluid and my PC never once stuttered the frame rate from a constant 60 fps. The environments could have used a little more variety as by endgame you will grow tired of the same recycled assets.

    Music – Fair
    The music in KOA is well orchestrated but the songs lack depth and variety. More songs would have been a plus as a large amount of time is spent in each area before going to the next and this can have you listening to the same loop for many hours at a time.

    Cinematics – Good
    Picture the same dialogue cutscenes as KOTOR or Mass Effect. The dialogue itself is very well written but unlike the Mass Effect series, you may not find yourself delving into the various conversation options. The characters and their backgrounds just weren’t interesting enough for me. The choices during conversations also lacked the Mass Effect style feeling of autonomy. You could make good or evil choices but it never mattered much. “Quick Time” events in combat are a cool sight to see.

    Story – Good
    As RPGs go, this story is original and kept me interested enough to finish the game to see what happens. I did not grow attached to any of the side characters or find them interesting. This game is really all about you. The main villain(s) were menacing but far from the kind of evil we love to hate.

    Control – Great
    I had no issues with the controls. They are very simple and easy to learn. The UI was easy enough to use. The awkward camera may startle you at first but you quickly get used to it.

    Gameplay – Fair
    I played as a melee class so your experience may vary. Combat in the beginning is fun but quickly grows stale. All I really had to do was click mouse 1 until everything died. Even on the hard setting, combat becomes too easy as you gain better weapons and armor. You completely overpower everything and I did not die once the entire game. I also never needed any of the consumable items with the exception of a very rare healing potion.

    Content – Good
    There is plenty to do here and the game’s zones adjust to your level so you are free to do as little or as much as you want to for side quests. The loot you find is very rewarding in the beginning of the game but by the middle, I was scrapping everything I found for parts. I had over five million gold with nothing to spend it on.

    Value – Great
    For $12 I had 53 hours of fun. The game is huge and kept me playing until I finished. I did not feel inclined to play through the DLC quest lines. In my opinion, they weren’t worth it.

    Recommended – Yes
    I recommend this game for the price I paid. In my opinion, this game is worth $20 or less. It is currently $19.99 on Steam without the DLC.    … Expand
  93. PStakhiv
    May 16, 2013
    7
    This game suffers from very bad publisher's choice of placing it's release date month after Skyrim! And of course it's inferior to Elder Sc]rolls 5, so people ignored it. But a good game overall
  94. super1
    May 31, 2013
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur has allot of content, over 200 hours of game, but most of that 200 hours is boring fetch
    quests that just tell you to run there kill that come back, but its not all bad the combat in this game is the best I have seen in a rpg. The story will take about 30 hours on the normal mode.
    Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning is a solid rpg and any true fan of an rpg's should invest in    Kingdoms of Amalur has allot of content, over 200 hours of game, but most of that 200 hours is boring fetch
    quests that just tell you to run there kill that come back, but its not all bad the combat in this game is the best I have seen in a rpg. The story will take about 30 hours on the normal mode.
    Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning is a solid rpg and any true fan of an rpg's should invest in this game you wont regret it.    … Expand
  95. Infearno666
    Sep 12, 2020
    7
    Buy this over the remaster. Use ENB if you really want the improved shadows.
  96. Halilady
    Jun 3, 2014
    6
    The game is okay in my opinion, it's not horrible but it's also not the best game I've played. It's nowhere near Skyrim but it tries to be. There might as well not be a choice system because your choices don't really have that big on an affect on the world. The graphics are cartoonish, like Wizard101 but with a lot better graphics (same style) most of the quests involve fetching and/orThe game is okay in my opinion, it's not horrible but it's also not the best game I've played. It's nowhere near Skyrim but it tries to be. There might as well not be a choice system because your choices don't really have that big on an affect on the world. The graphics are cartoonish, like Wizard101 but with a lot better graphics (same style) most of the quests involve fetching and/or killing stuff. It's so so in my opinion, and isn't like Dragon age 1 or 2. The camera is weird, it's either zoomed in too close (you can't zoom out) or randomly switches to extra far away when enemies are approaching. There's also no method of targeting an enemy and spells hit a random enemy you are facing, which is annoying.… Expand
  97. CrimsonEwok
    Jul 6, 2014
    5
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a game that tries hard to imitate other games like Fable or Dragon Age, but it never really seems to find it's own identity. Like many other reviews stated it feels like an offline mmorpg but without the friends. The main quest and the side quests are often boring and are often void of any decent dialog or variety in activities(boring fetch/kill quests thatKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a game that tries hard to imitate other games like Fable or Dragon Age, but it never really seems to find it's own identity. Like many other reviews stated it feels like an offline mmorpg but without the friends. The main quest and the side quests are often boring and are often void of any decent dialog or variety in activities(boring fetch/kill quests that are all to similar) . The dialog wheel which is present in this game is largely at waste and I found myself skipping as much of the dialog as possible. So if you are expecting something deep to hold your attention this is not it. The combat is the only thing that is pretty good/decent in the game, but eventually it gets kind of repetitive without anything of interest in the world to explore(nothing feels worth raising a weapon for). This game receiving praise from reviewers is surprising it is mostly mediocre IMO. If your looking for something different maybe try Dragons Dogma instead they both came out around the same time and DD has some admirable features.… Expand
  98. MethosTR
    Aug 18, 2014
    7
    Perhaps the only game that has become the problem of a state's taxpayers (State of Rhode Island) due to its developers going belly up...

    Is this a sign of what lies within this game with a troubled history? Let's find out. First of all, I want to stress that this isn't a BAD game by any means. It's just not a GREAT game. The premise of the game is essentially generic fantasy trite    Perhaps the only game that has become the problem of a state's taxpayers (State of Rhode Island) due to its developers going belly up...

    Is this a sign of what lies within this game with a troubled history? Let's find out.

    First of all, I want to stress that this isn't a BAD game by any means. It's just not a GREAT game.

    The premise of the game is essentially generic fantasy trite with an interesting element added in. Due to a "quirk" in a scientific experiment, your character is no longer bound by any kind of fate. In a very fate-driven world such as Amalur, this essentially makes you a "god" among men. Very cliche, but the premise and story are functional... they serve their purpose of providing a framework for all the time you'll spend going around killing ugly things and collecting phat lewtz.

    The graphics are stylized but also dated from a technical standpoint. Heavily reminiscent of that MMO That Shall Not Be Named. Essentially nothing special here.

    The gameplay is the strong point of the game, in a weird way. The combat system is fluid and fast-paced, offering a visceral experience as you decimate hordes of foes, and the stealth system is solid in its execution. However, as far as gear goes, this game will give you a distinct feeling that you are playing an MMORPG by yourself. This is especially reflected in the game's gear progression.

    However, the class system is very solid, offering a lot of flexibility in the way you want to trick out your character.

    All in all, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an average run-of-the-mill RPG with a fun, fast paced combat system and wide assortment of MMO-cliched loot.    … Expand
  99. Keth
    Sep 20, 2014
    5
    This isn't a terrible game. I really liked the character creation/development; it feels open and let's you mix and make the character you want to play. -- However, there are some downsides. Yes, the graphics and acting are kinda low for a game this recent. The story is interesting but not gripping. The side-quests are, well, side-quests. -- It's the combat that get's me. Slow reaction toThis isn't a terrible game. I really liked the character creation/development; it feels open and let's you mix and make the character you want to play. -- However, there are some downsides. Yes, the graphics and acting are kinda low for a game this recent. The story is interesting but not gripping. The side-quests are, well, side-quests. -- It's the combat that get's me. Slow reaction to commands, unresponsive, too many uninteruptible, undodgeble things. You will burn through potions like water. There are fights that will unload on you no matter how much you try to evade. The combat is pretty, fun animations, cool executions, but that's about it. I really don't think I can finish this one. I'm tired of being mad at the control.… Expand
  100. yo_mama_so_fat
    Oct 22, 2014
    7
    Reckoning is a game that took me by surprise. Went into this game expecting very little and I was pleasantly surprised. This might be one of the most beautiful games I've played in a while.
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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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