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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  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. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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.
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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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