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. AngealHewley
    Feb 2, 2014
    8
    Played about 20 hours of it so far and I believe it deserves a solid 8.2ish out of ten. Great game, alot of options for your character, gameplay is fun as muck and never before have I come across Chakrams in an action rpg such as this before. They are fun to play around with and this game is worth catching on steam sale for sure!

    The only con I can really think of is the lacking story.    Played about 20 hours of it so far and I believe it deserves a solid 8.2ish out of ten. Great game, alot of options for your character, gameplay is fun as muck and never before have I come across Chakrams in an action rpg such as this before. They are fun to play around with and this game is worth catching on steam sale for sure!

    The only con I can really think of is the lacking story. Just a bit long winded but apart from this and a bug or two, its a stellar game.    … Expand
  2. TheGamingSaint
    Jul 19, 2013
    8
    I had heard this game was good from a few people and decided to check it out. If you come in expecting something akin to Skyrim or Oblivion you might be disappointed but with an open mind you are sure to enjoy this game. The combat reminds me of fable and dragon age two except it feels tighter and more responsive. That isn't to saw the combat isn't without minor flaws on rare occasionsI had heard this game was good from a few people and decided to check it out. If you come in expecting something akin to Skyrim or Oblivion you might be disappointed but with an open mind you are sure to enjoy this game. The combat reminds me of fable and dragon age two except it feels tighter and more responsive. That isn't to saw the combat isn't without minor flaws on rare occasions your camera will do something completely idiotic that makes about as much sense as braille at the drive up ATM but you really can't complain to much. Story wise it was somewhat forgettable however the lackluster story will fade from mind as the loot starts to drop and you run around the world of Amalur like the god of reckoning killing things in ways that will put a smile on your face. Think murdering things with daggers is fun and lo and behold a legendary greatsword drops, just visit a fateweaver and spec into sword and go on a rampage. The combat in this game is so enjoyable it will overshadow all gripes. The loot is outstanding you feel the need to open everything just to see if you get something new to rip things apart with. The world is nice to look at don't expect realism you are in the fae lands the monsters are a riot to fight and there are about 30 different types with many sub types. The crafting allows you to make items that will make you whistle.
    This game is solid enjoyable and worth your time and money maybe not at 50 dollars but if you see this game on sale be sure to buy it you will enjoy your purchase    … Expand
  3. RinEvangel
    Dec 29, 2013
    8
    Amalur is easily and by far my favorite RPG i have played in 2012 only since Dragon Age origins have i ever truly liked a western made RPG. Amalur like dragon age was one my most immersive experiences i had. the gameplay, story, and game world were all so wonderful for me to indulge in.
    To start of with the gameplay was some of the most invigorating i have seen in a western RPG. with the    Amalur is easily and by far my favorite RPG i have played in 2012 only since Dragon Age origins have i ever truly liked a western made RPG. Amalur like dragon age was one my most immersive experiences i had. the gameplay, story, and game world were all so wonderful for me to indulge in.
    To start of with the gameplay was some of the most invigorating i have seen in a western RPG. with the game being an action RPG you will spend most of your time in combat witch is by far better than most other western RPG title, more comparable to combat in God of War or Castlevania Lords of Shadow, Amalur's combat is heavily based on dodging parrying and attacking rather than preplanned elaborate tactics, this style of combat serves and fits well in this type of game. to go along with the game play the UI is very well design, the HUD is simple yet solid and the menu catagorizes all your gear and items so well its never hard to find what you want. the RPG elements that support the game are impressive as well. being able to blend the three styles of combat Might(warrior) Finess(rouge) Sorcery(mage) in anyway you want is great i found my self preffering the rouge mage build and a combination of all three. there is also crafting but im never much for crafting in any game it so i wont judge it. navigating the world is all simple and sastifying a massive map filled with many areas strung together with narrow interconneting pathways makes navigation easy and not at all overwhelming to any player. all together the gamplay package with this game is one that borrows alot from good examples and excutes them just as well
    the game world its self is quite pretty i found it seems like it started as a very bright and colorful MMO but stopped half way to be a single Player RPG. the art direction is one i really like especially with many games having such bland color pallets its nice to see a game like viva pinata thats not afraid to use colors thats are browns and greys. the creatures in the world arent very original in though or idea but have their personality in execution (except wolves but come on they're wolves you can only make them look so different). also the game is riddled with lore. that can be found in many forms such as books NPCs and Lorestones(stones that when activated play an audio file related to the background story of the world) are scattered throughout the world. the game world is one that i find to be immersive and interesting.
    lastly the story which is very possible the hardest thing to review. some may find it boring while other may find it entertaining. it all falls heavily on what you like in a story. for example many people find the witcher to have a great story where i find it to be a whatever story but its all opinion. So in my opinion the story to Amalur is good. any one who knows of Joseph Campbell knows what to expect from any story that involves a hero's journey there is no originality here in plot devices and what not just like any other hero story but the circumstances and setting around it supports it enough and makes it stand out in my memory. to give a quick no-spoilers summary: having being brought back from the dead you discover that you are no longer bound by the weaves of fate the determine the fate of the world and all who inhabit it. and since you are the only one free to choose your own destiny its up to you to save the world. nothing new here same as many hero stories, but i believe that the fateless one angle is worked pretty well.
    all in all Amalur is a great game and should be at least tried by any RPG fan. I was so infactuated with this game i actually bought it 3 times once on all the platforms it was released on eventually. and of course like every other game its has its faults but none take away from overall enjoyment i give it a solid 8/10 the game would earn a 9 from me if it didn't suffer from boring side quest syndrom(where all almost all the side quest are go here do that come back for hours on end) more varrying enemy types and a greater visual variety of armor sets(just about all armor of the same type looks exactly the same) just to name a few problems i had and guess a slightly better fast travel system to, if only to be picky at this point.    … Expand
  4. DeusXCom
    Aug 2, 2014
    8
    Beautiful RPG fairytale packed with fantastic combat and tons of content. Amalur feels like The Elder Scrolls for kiddies, especially thanks to the cartoonish colorful artstyle that evokes Mickey Mouse more than anything, so the target audience seems to be about 3-12 years old, but don't get fooled, this is an amazing fantasy RPG and once you get used to it, it's just pure joy to play.Beautiful RPG fairytale packed with fantastic combat and tons of content. Amalur feels like The Elder Scrolls for kiddies, especially thanks to the cartoonish colorful artstyle that evokes Mickey Mouse more than anything, so the target audience seems to be about 3-12 years old, but don't get fooled, this is an amazing fantasy RPG and once you get used to it, it's just pure joy to play. Controls and interface are a bit consolized so a good gamepad is recommended, but then it just feels so smooth and fluid. With the exception of Souls series, I don't remember having so much fun with combat and tight fighting mechanics in RPG anywhere else, these battles were just brutal. I played as a mage and I must admit that after reaching certain level of higher power spells like meteor shower, I have never seen such overpowered mage ever in my life. My char was just a total magic death machine. The world is huge and varied, there are tons and tons of quests and side quests, which is arguably not the best thing about this title, but the main story is pretty good and the primary thing is that progressing your character is fun and the combat is just pure bliss. It took me about 100 hours to finish it, so just about right amount to call it a big solid RPG and even years after finishing it, I'm still remembering memories of playing it very dearly, listening to the soundtrack played by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Pity 38 Studios went down after this release, I would love to see more material like Amalur. 8/10… Expand
  5. Ronnie22-94
    Sep 24, 2018
    8
    This game actually deserves a sequel.First of the story becomes boring and annoying at times but its decent worths finding out at least.Gameplay is a mix of Elder Scrolls, Witcher and Darksiders but it's fun anyway.Graphics are awesome the best aspect of the game.Combat also is one of the best aspects of the game independently of the class you play.There are some minor problems about theThis game actually deserves a sequel.First of the story becomes boring and annoying at times but its decent worths finding out at least.Gameplay is a mix of Elder Scrolls, Witcher and Darksiders but it's fun anyway.Graphics are awesome the best aspect of the game.Combat also is one of the best aspects of the game independently of the class you play.There are some minor problems about the game like the camera you can't control sometimes and unfortunately the player character is not voiced kinda disapointed but not every game is the best..To sum up in my opinion worth playing the game but don't expect the worse and not the best.It's a very good game with minor problems.… Expand
  6. Dragonmastr
    Jun 9, 2014
    8
    Kingdoms of amalur is a great RPG which sadly the company declared bankruptcy.

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

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

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

    Give this game a go, expect some major gameplay!    … Expand
  7. kmich
    Jul 10, 2014
    8
    Although this game doesn't revolutionize RPG gaming, it is a fun classic RPG. It will get you addicted in trying to level up and get xp. It's like the junk food of RPG games. The only negative is that the characters are not memorable. That's because there's hundreds of people to talk to, and so you'll often skip a lot of dialogue. But if you're a fan of lore, and don't mind gettingAlthough this game doesn't revolutionize RPG gaming, it is a fun classic RPG. It will get you addicted in trying to level up and get xp. It's like the junk food of RPG games. The only negative is that the characters are not memorable. That's because there's hundreds of people to talk to, and so you'll often skip a lot of dialogue. But if you're a fan of lore, and don't mind getting deep into the story, then you'll enjoy the dialogue.… Expand
  8. AbeMC
    May 12, 2016
    8
    A lot of users compare this game to Skyrim, when really it is more like a single-player mix of Torchlight II and Guild Wars 2. Tons of missions, deep crafting, combo-friendly combat, a huge game-world and genuinely interesting lore means a lot of time can be spent in Amalur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The company that developed Reckoning, 38 Studios, went bankrupt in 2013. The only support for the game is what you will find when trawling the forums.    … Expand
  9. Sharpen
    Jul 31, 2018
    8
    I was expecting something else looking at title and cover, but I was pleasantly surprised. I like dark hard games, however even though it's easy and bright (atmosphere) game it's quite pleasant. Nothing amazing, but still really well done. The combat is great when you learn how to combo normal hits with your abilities so you get a chain of attacks that obliterates everything on your path.
  10. AlinuxOP
    Apr 7, 2020
    8
    This is the second time I've played KoA: Reckoning, but this time I managed to finish it. I've decided to give this game the rating of 8, because it isn't such a bad game and also, I respect the work of the developers, even if it wasn't put enough effort in the making of it.
    The story of the game is not simple, but not complex either. The beginning of the game is very promising, because    This is the second time I've played KoA: Reckoning, but this time I managed to finish it. I've decided to give this game the rating of 8, because it isn't such a bad game and also, I respect the work of the developers, even if it wasn't put enough effort in the making of it.
    The story of the game is not simple, but not complex either. The beginning of the game is very promising, because there is a lot mistery there... You don't know who you are, you don't know what you will do and most importantly, you don't even know who you have been, because it seems that you have been revived by some gnomish invention. The number of the main quests is very small, compared with the side quests and tasks you will have during gameplay. The game is huge, but not because of the main quests, but the side quests which are a lot, around (250-300).
    The graphic of the game is beautiful, of course, but it isn't realistic. There is kinda animated and is very similar to that of World of Warcraft. The special effects are good too.
    The customization of the character is detailed enough and the best thing is the diversity of the destinies and fates you can choose of. You can just be focused on might, finesse or sorcery, or you can combine all of this skill trees, even being a jack of all trades type of person. Moreover, after some important steps or milestones of the game, you unlock a new fate and that fates gives you other benefits. The lore of the game is immense and you can find different scattered lorestones during the world and if you can find all of some set, you receive another benefits.
    There are some things I didn't like of this game too, unfortunately. First, the slience of the protagonist, made the dialogs boring after a while. I would have wanted that the bosses to be a little more difficult, because overall, the game is very easy. The combat is easy too, that's why it got boring for me, personally, after a while.
    These being said, the game is not bad, and definitely should be played, especially by the RPG lovers. There are some missing parts of the game, but the lack of these doesn't make the game bad.    … Expand
  11. SantiPar
    Jul 27, 2020
    8
    Extremely underrated RPG. It had a rocky disastrous development fore sure, but it's a lot of fun nevertheless, you should check it out.
  12. Tabbou
    Aug 5, 2021
    8
    Je suis assez mitigé sur ce jeu, c'est un open world avec pas mal de quêtes, sorts et attaques à votre disposition, les dialogues proposent différents choix, l'histoire est sympa et on peux choisir plusieurs manières de combattre (plutot magie, corps à corps, discrétion, équilibré...) du même genre que skyrim mais en plus limité.
    Donc à choisir prenez skyrim, mais si ce jeu est en promo    Je suis assez mitigé sur ce jeu, c'est un open world avec pas mal de quêtes, sorts et attaques à votre disposition, les dialogues proposent différents choix, l'histoire est sympa et on peux choisir plusieurs manières de combattre (plutot magie, corps à corps, discrétion, équilibré...) du même genre que skyrim mais en plus limité.
    Donc à choisir prenez skyrim, mais si ce jeu est en promo ça peux être une bonne expérience ;)    … Expand
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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.
  30. 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.
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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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