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. AthanasiosT
    Sep 18, 2013
    8
    Very good action RPG Nice scenario, excellent graphics, pretty good gameplay along with a flex ability development and optional resetting of all characteristics, set a game full of fun. Great variety of monsters and lots of loot and weapons. Looking forward to a sequel
  2. Rusko
    May 2, 2012
    9
    One thing to note about this game, is that it's a brand new IP. A lot of people seem to be having really high expectations for this companies first game, which some ways is really unfair, but at the same time I think this game meets a lot of those expectations and demands. Which is impressive. Also a lot of people will see the connection to EA and go zomg #@&@(*&# EA. Good news is thatOne thing to note about this game, is that it's a brand new IP. A lot of people seem to be having really high expectations for this companies first game, which some ways is really unfair, but at the same time I think this game meets a lot of those expectations and demands. Which is impressive. Also a lot of people will see the connection to EA and go zomg #@&@(*&# EA. Good news is that after this game I do believe that BHG will be able to do things on their own. They just needed EA for the release or it wouldn't have been released at all. Further product will be, as far as I have heard, released through their own company. Now for the game, everyone has their own opinion about this game and from what I see, what people get from this game is very diverse. The combat for this game is awesome, I've never had more fun fighting in a rpg before. Your ability to mix the classes really adds to the fun of this as well by having the ability to be a mage/rogue, a warrior/mage ... etc etc. Lots of different ways to mix your spec. Or you can just do a pure build if you want. I'm all finesse atm having a ton of fun setting up battles and planning how I'm going to do things. Now the graphics of the game to me are awesome, very bright and very colorful, so if you like that dark realistic Skyrim ( just using an example) look this won't be the game for you. I agree with some peoples statements that the toons graphics are a bit outdates, in BHGs defense this game has been in the works for quite awhile and the characters looks did get a bit behind in the times. This didn't really distract me that much from the actual fun I was having playing the game. Armor sets and gear...... there is tons, your character will look like a badass, almost from the moment you start the game. Blacksmithing to me is overpowered so if you prefer to use gear you find, I wouldn't recommend putting too much time into that.
    I'll make this short as I realize this is getting long, if you like having fun, genuine fun playing a game, this is it, give it a chance to grow on you and you will love it. The amount of fun I have, easily over shadows any of the small shortcoming this game has. To be fair, I would love to give this game a 10, but..there is room for improvement as well and I'm sure this company will do that. So I will give it a 9, I would prefer 8 but the 9 will balance out some of the non constructive reviews on here.    … Expand
  3. Catesfan
    May 11, 2012
    8
    The game lacks character facial animation. The story lacks deepness. The plot is a lot better in Dragon Age, Witcher, Gothic etc.
    On the other hand we usually presume that the plot is awful if it is not as non-linear or colorful as in Witcher and so on. But that is not quite accurate. The thing is that the story in Reckoning is good. First of all, most of the caracters are swift speakers.    The game lacks character facial animation. The story lacks deepness. The plot is a lot better in Dragon Age, Witcher, Gothic etc.
    On the other hand we usually presume that the plot is awful if it is not as non-linear or colorful as in Witcher and so on. But that is not quite accurate. The thing is that the story in Reckoning is good. First of all, most of the caracters are swift speakers. They give you the whole topic in like 5 seconds. I do not spend much time on it! Secondly, you always have blue topic important for plot development, and you have other topics. You do not have to hear them all. Thirdly, the plot is logical, and that is what makes it quite interesting. No one complains about God of War's linearity and simple story development. Amalur is the same thing. There are other things to make you engaged.The key element is hard difficulty. For Kratos's sake, pick hard difficulty! There is no point in different strategies, crafting, alchemy, speachcraft if you do not feel difficulty of battles!
    After that the game becomes an interesting action with a story. And by the way, of all of the modern RPG's Kingdoms of Amalur contains a huge portion of fun for thiefs and assassins. A brand unique branch of skills is at your service. You do not just take daggers instead of swors and axes in your hands. You actually become a different class to control. That is what amazed me. And two marvelous DLCs also speak in favour of this game. The only thing I did not like about the game is the console control over the craracter and navigation through the menus. But that is something you can live with.    … Expand
  4. magee
    Apr 6, 2013
    1
    the game starts pretty decent combat system is ok. this game just doesnt have a soul, it really feels like a mmo the loot system just sucks in an offline rpg i dont want 100 weapons that all look the same the only difference is that 2 dmg this.. if youre looking for an good rpg dont get this.
  5. kyosuke69
    Oct 5, 2013
    9
    The problem with being in the same genre as Skyrim is that if you're not as good as one of, if not the, best game ever in the genre, then people claim you're awful.

    KoA is one of the best open world and fantasy games to have ever been released. While not being Skyrim, the game systems are very rewarding, the artwork stunning and original, and the over all presentation being very    The problem with being in the same genre as Skyrim is that if you're not as good as one of, if not the, best game ever in the genre, then people claim you're awful.

    KoA is one of the best open world and fantasy games to have ever been released.

    While not being Skyrim, the game systems are very rewarding, the artwork stunning and original, and the over all presentation being very highly polished.

    It is a great injustice that the game fared so poorly commercially, and that we will likely never get a sequel.    … Expand
  6. almox21
    Sep 26, 2013
    9
    Fun game. Excellent gameplay. Some replayability. Great combat. Needs a sequel bad! This game is how you develop combat in rpgs. Very exciting stuff while looking for adventure.
  7. WillG027
    Apr 11, 2015
    3
    Basically plays and feels like a game aomed at juveniles.
    Repetitive, button mashing combat = thoughtless gameplay.
    Cartoonish graphics. Had potential, but took a serious misstep during production. If they had made a more mature world, with a further flashed out, strategic, combat system - then 38 Studios could have had something special. As it is - it's not worth the time investment    Basically plays and feels like a game aomed at juveniles.
    Repetitive, button mashing combat = thoughtless gameplay.
    Cartoonish graphics.
    Had potential, but took a serious misstep during production.
    If they had made a more mature world, with a further flashed out, strategic, combat system - then 38 Studios could have had something special.
    As it is - it's not worth the time investment - or the money.
    3 out of ten for depth of world.    … Expand
  8. devnulllore
    Oct 16, 2013
    10
    Based on a world and story created by the #1 best Fantasy author, R.A. Salvatore and with designs by Spawn and Spiderman artist Todd McFarlane this game is beautifully written and designed. It is a welcome escape from online RPG's and as a solo RPG it is one of the best I have ever played.
  9. blade01
    Jul 31, 2014
    5
    I will not write a long review, ill keep it short.This game can easily be described as generic and lazy!Visuals are ok, sometimes great!The problem is:Everything looks the same.There are some presets(desert for example) but thats it.The world is big, too big.Its not filled with good content.Not one quest is memorable.Not one character is memorable.If you search a great story or epicness,I will not write a long review, ill keep it short.This game can easily be described as generic and lazy!Visuals are ok, sometimes great!The problem is:Everything looks the same.There are some presets(desert for example) but thats it.The world is big, too big.Its not filled with good content.Not one quest is memorable.Not one character is memorable.If you search a great story or epicness, you wont find it here.The world is static, nothing changes, ever!The crafting system is interesting at first, and far too strong.Everything youll find will be crap compared to what you can craft.Boring.All in all not worth a buy, sorry.Entertains the first hours, suckz pretty quickly after that.… Expand
  10. rushimeta
    Dec 15, 2013
    9
    Dont get fooled by all the hate reviews. This game is worth every penny. Its mistake was that it came after Skyrim and Dragon Age.
    Combat mechanics are absolutely phenomenal.
    The world is simply stunning. The story is very gripping and side quests are much better than any other rpg right now. It may feel a little "made only for console" but i dont think it will matter much. The only    Dont get fooled by all the hate reviews. This game is worth every penny. Its mistake was that it came after Skyrim and Dragon Age.
    Combat mechanics are absolutely phenomenal.
    The world is simply stunning. The story is very gripping and side quests are much better than any other rpg right now. It may feel a little "made only for console" but i dont think it will matter much.
    The only negative I feel is that you cannot change the camera distance. Other than that its flawless. Must buy for rpg fans.    … Expand
  11. Gary14
    Jan 25, 2014
    7
    This game is nothing like you think , cuz this game is the best , it started when "us" were reborn in a well of soul and we started all the way from there to the darkness's camp and base so we stared as anything we want from being a human , a "Dokklafar" ( like an elf ) , etc. And we travelled to know/learn fate , and you can be as a army , magic leader , all sort of that and please use aThis game is nothing like you think , cuz this game is the best , it started when "us" were reborn in a well of soul and we started all the way from there to the darkness's camp and base so we stared as anything we want from being a human , a "Dokklafar" ( like an elf ) , etc. And we travelled to know/learn fate , and you can be as a army , magic leader , all sort of that and please use a good gaming pc to play it
    :-)    … Expand
  12. omegacat
    Feb 5, 2014
    6
    The leveling system and combat is pretty fun. Reminiscent of Darksiders. However, I never felt like your class goes very far to stand on its own. As a rogue, opportunities for stealth kills are few and far between, and the leveled indoor areas with their narrow hallways rarely present an opponent with a turned back, making stealth seem useless at times. Mages are difficult to keep atThe leveling system and combat is pretty fun. Reminiscent of Darksiders. However, I never felt like your class goes very far to stand on its own. As a rogue, opportunities for stealth kills are few and far between, and the leveled indoor areas with their narrow hallways rarely present an opponent with a turned back, making stealth seem useless at times. Mages are difficult to keep at optimal spellcasting range, as many enemies can close the distance very quickly, or even instantly. Hilly terrain makes line of sight a constant problem. In the end, most fights turn into a melee fest, regardless of your chosen class.

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

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

    All in all, this is a good game, and I've enjoyed it.    … Expand
  13. rscl
    Jul 7, 2014
    4
    Average dialogues and quests and too many pointless things to keep track.
    Horrible controls for the PC experience. Balance between classes is a joke. Combat and controls are very disappointing.
    This is the kind of game where the most rewarding action is autosaving every move you make. Disgusting. I suppose you could play the game on easy to get the main story. But then again, you can    Average dialogues and quests and too many pointless things to keep track.
    Horrible controls for the PC experience. Balance between classes is a joke. Combat and controls are very disappointing.
    This is the kind of game where the most rewarding action is autosaving every move you make. Disgusting.
    I suppose you could play the game on easy to get the main story. But then again, you can read a book instead.    … Expand
  14. NOSEARCHIMI3
    Aug 15, 2014
    6
    The first thing I noticed was the camera was controlled like in WOW. The game itself was very much like Oblivion with a better combat system for swordplay, and a worse combat system for bows because I couldnt switch to first person mode. It seemed like a console game because of the autoaim for bows and magic. There was less immersion because I couldnt snipe my enemies in first personThe first thing I noticed was the camera was controlled like in WOW. The game itself was very much like Oblivion with a better combat system for swordplay, and a worse combat system for bows because I couldnt switch to first person mode. It seemed like a console game because of the autoaim for bows and magic. There was less immersion because I couldnt snipe my enemies in first person mode. The dialogue was good, because there was a mix of voices. The lockpicking was equal to oblivion but less immersive than skyrims lockpicking system. There was also a system for alchemy, forging, and lifting curses. I found myself soon overpowered when I wasnt using a sword. The game limited me to one style of play. While this gave the game an element of strategy, I wanted to use a bow, but couldnt because I put all my stats into improving swordplay (on leveling). Because I was stuck doing one style of play I got bored and quit.… Expand
  15. lazergabo
    Sep 13, 2014
    6
    soooo boring... i played like 20 hours... and still bored... weak char customization.. small skill tree,, isn't a Rpg game.. is a casual game.. is not the worst game... but still have a lot of aspects to improve... the story is fine... you are the Nobody who is the best of the best, born to be god... .. but the game is weak... the strong point is the fighting system and visual fx... butsoooo boring... i played like 20 hours... and still bored... weak char customization.. small skill tree,, isn't a Rpg game.. is a casual game.. is not the worst game... but still have a lot of aspects to improve... the story is fine... you are the Nobody who is the best of the best, born to be god... .. but the game is weak... the strong point is the fighting system and visual fx... but even that is repetitive… Expand
  16. leSange
    Jun 19, 2017
    2
    I know you want play a cool RPG game. But this one, should be good in 2012 not in 2k17. Go better play some Dragon Age or Witcher, planty of any other RPG. This on is WoW like graphics. Really large world. HUGE! Lot a side-quests, thats make u run 5 times same spot. Go find something another. Really dude
  17. dnnblue
    Jan 11, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. we need surpport korea language. today 2017 year.
    I hope we can build up mutual trust through communications like this.
    we cordially ask you to think again before filing an official complaint report.    … Expand
  18. Mobile
    Sep 26, 2018
    6
    ENG RU
    Probably one of the longest single rpg with elements of mmo, that's just not enough peta.
    At first it is interesting to explore, listen to dialogues, to pump the character, to beat out new equipment and to carry out the next quest about the help to peasants and not only. But when you spend on the implementation of all of the above in the first location and you still do not know,    ENG RU
    Probably one of the longest single rpg with elements of mmo, that's just not enough peta.
    At first it is interesting to explore, listen to dialogues, to pump the character, to beat out new equipment and to carry out the next quest about the help to peasants and not only. But when you spend on the implementation of all of the above in the first location and you still do not know, but guess how it can be delayed and whether you need it. And it becomes not so interesting to run back and forth, perform the same type of job, run through the same dungeons and listen to all the chatter that you pour into your ears and this applies to the main plot, which is also safely skipaesh. For a single game too "big world", a lot, a lot of jobs, the same type of village, the same applies to enemies. Comes the realization that the game is certainly good, exactly until you realize how big and empty at the same time. Personally, I do not want to sit for half a hundred hours, or even more just running around doing tasks, knock out clothes and other delights of mmo, to which I am absolutely indifferent. Definitely the game is interesting and unusual in its own way, but it is not worth the time and heaps of everything, and the graphics could make it prettier, and not in the "style" WOW.
    Наверное, одна из самых долгих single rpg с элементами mmo, вот только очень не хватает peta.
    По началу интересно исследовать, слушать диалоги, прокачивать персонажа, выбивать новое снаряжение и выполнять очередной квест про помощь селянам и не только. Но когда ты потратишь на выполнение всего выше перечисленного в первой локации и ты еще точно не знаешь, но догадываешься, насколько это может затянутся и нужно ли тебе это. И становится уже не так интересно бегать туда-сюда, выполнять однотипные задания, бегать по одинаковым подземельям и слушать весь треп который тебе льют в уши и это касается основного сюжета, который так же смело скипаешь. Для single игры слишком "большой мир", много, очень много заданий, однотипные деревушки, тоже самое касается и врагов. Приходит осознание того, что игра конечно хороша, ровно до того момента пока не понимаешь, насколько велика и пуста одновременно. Лично мне не хочется сидеть пол сотни часов, а то и больше просто бегая выполняя задания, выбивать шмотье и прочие прелести mmo, к которому я абсолютно равнодушен. Однозначно игра интересна и по своему необыкновенна, но она не стоит того времени и нагромождения всего, да и графику могли сделать посимпатичней, а не в "стиле" WOW.    … Expand
  19. 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
  20. CrafTricks
    Mar 12, 2014
    8
    The game is very, very good. I for one found most of the side quests a lot of fun and a good main quest. I give it a 8 out of 10 because this is the best combat in an RPG I've ever seen. And everything else is fine as well. Yes, It doesn't give the best on all fronts, but it gives enough of everything and a ton of awesome combat to earn around a 7/10. It is very, very unique with all it'sThe game is very, very good. I for one found most of the side quests a lot of fun and a good main quest. I give it a 8 out of 10 because this is the best combat in an RPG I've ever seen. And everything else is fine as well. Yes, It doesn't give the best on all fronts, but it gives enough of everything and a ton of awesome combat to earn around a 7/10. It is very, very unique with all it's creatures. No Dragons, no orcs, no regular trolls. It is with mostly completely original enemies and it is the first game made by 38 Studios, so I'll be positive and give it a 8/10… Expand
  21. AlienSpaceBats
    Apr 28, 2013
    5
    Plays as though it was designed to be an MMO, and looks like one too (WOW); predominantly hack & slash nonsense and tiresome fetch-quests (or wander-to-the-other-side-of-the-map-and-kill-this-thing-quests). After a few hours, I was bored, and had no desire to pick the game up again.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. Vaerik
    Jul 13, 2014
    6
    Entirely mediocre
    I enjoyed this game for the first 10-15 levels. At level 15 I started to get bored. Everything had an element of "sameness." The combat was the same pattern. Maybe I'd mix things up by throwing in a lightning bolt or an arrow instead of killing that monster with my sword. Maybe I'd do the QTE finishing move for extra experience. Overall, it quickly became boring, though.    Entirely mediocre
    I enjoyed this game for the first 10-15 levels. At level 15 I started to get bored. Everything had an element of "sameness." The combat was the same pattern. Maybe I'd mix things up by throwing in a lightning bolt or an arrow instead of killing that monster with my sword. Maybe I'd do the QTE finishing move for extra experience. Overall, it quickly became boring, though.

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

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

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

    I really wanted to like this game. I did at first. It just became an exercise in WANTING to like it long after I'd stopped actually liking it.    … Expand
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. Japanese
    Feb 4, 2013
    3
    Too much severe key assignment. I think GPU usage rate is not optimized. It is regrettable although it is contents which can be enjoyed very much.
  28. MrMuse
    Sep 7, 2012
    5
    Good points: This game is huge, the storyline is passable, the dlc's are big and worth getting if you like the game. Nice character animation during combat.

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

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

    Overall - HUGE and mildly entertaining time sink with unforgivable technical issues (save losses) and a bland storyline    … Expand
  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. Klewer
    Jan 16, 2015
    8
    For me this game has all the makings of being something truly brilliant, however while having so much content is great it becomes quite repetitive and similar after a while.
    The combat is solid, good graphics and a strong story.

    Any fan of RPG's and the MMORPG genre will get a kick out of this.
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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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