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
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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.
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  3. PC Gamer
    Mar 21, 2012
    74
    Great combat and mountains of loot can't compensate for Amalur's generic world design and familiar story. [May 2012, p.72]
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