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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. VETJasper
    Feb 13, 2012
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a good game (with a really bad title). A decent story, slightly generic world, and fun combat come together to make an enjoyable, but not perfect, experience.

    THE MAIN STORY does a good job of making the player feel important to the plot. It's not as detailed as comparable games such as Witcher 2, but Witcher 2 is a much more main story oriented game. In    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a good game (with a really bad title). A decent story, slightly generic world, and fun combat come together to make an enjoyable, but not perfect, experience.

    THE MAIN STORY does a good job of making the player feel important to the plot. It's not as detailed as comparable games such as Witcher 2, but Witcher 2 is a much more main story oriented game. In comparison, the huge amount of side quests in Amalur naturally make the main quest feel sluggish. It shoots for quantity while still retaining decent quality.

    THE WORLD is a bit on the generic side, using the elder scrolls method of taking your basic high fantasy races and locations and adding slight variations. Enemies follow the same route, being re-imagined classic creatures like kobolds and brownies. Overall disappointing, but still very bearable.

    COMBAT is visceral and fun, and while not nearly as difficult as current "hardcore" rpgs like Witcher 2 and Demon's Souls, it does take some concentration. Unfortunately some difficulty is given by combat animations delaying your block and roll, something the above games suffer from much less.

    GRAPHICS are vibrant and sharp, but overall very cartoonish. Depending on the person this could be one of the greatest features or biggest detriments, and I'm so-so on them. They don't have the realism and grit of Witcher 2's graphics, but are well done in their own right. Lighting is well used and there are some really great environments to admire.

    THE USER INTERFACE is a tiny bit clunky and bare, but still way better than Skyrim's launch.

    MISCELLANEOUS PROBLEMS include the camera, which I personally like but many find a problem with, mainly due to its floaty nature and fixed view distance. Character creation was pretty limited. My personal biggest was the lack of player voice overs, which really detracts from conversations. ALL IN ALL, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning gets a 7/10. It's a well polished game plagued by a generic take on fantasy.    … Expand
  2. laldmanx23
    Feb 7, 2012
    7
    A little more time in development and this game would probably be deserving of a 9 or 10. The story is great (for a sandbox), but the Bioware dialogue wheel knockoff is not very well done. The graphics are lacking and the actual combat just seems a little "off", it's not quite fluid. Obviously some will complain about the lack of character customization and it is a valid complaint asA little more time in development and this game would probably be deserving of a 9 or 10. The story is great (for a sandbox), but the Bioware dialogue wheel knockoff is not very well done. The graphics are lacking and the actual combat just seems a little "off", it's not quite fluid. Obviously some will complain about the lack of character customization and it is a valid complaint as it's very limited (personally I couldn't care less about customization). Most of the abilities are ascetically pleasing and the combat was more interesting than a TES game. It is essentially a solid game that didn't quite live up to my expectations, I feel like it was a little bit rushed but ultimately it's good enough to warrant a purchase at some point. Any hardcore RPG fan should pick it up, but anyone else should probably wait until a price cut.… Expand
  3. MattC
    Feb 7, 2012
    8
    Cons:
    Outdated character and environment graphics.
    Menu system is clearly console"ified" and clunky with m/k. Cartoony textures (may be a pro for some). Generic fantasy world, with all the usual players. Poor character creator. Mute main character Pros: Some of the best combat and gameplay ever in an rpg. Virtually bug free. Tons of ability to customize not only your appearance, but    Cons:
    Outdated character and environment graphics.
    Menu system is clearly console"ified" and clunky with m/k.
    Cartoony textures (may be a pro for some).
    Generic fantasy world, with all the usual players.
    Poor character creator.
    Mute main character

    Pros:
    Some of the best combat and gameplay ever in an rpg.
    Virtually bug free.
    Tons of ability to customize not only your appearance, but skills also, 3 talent tress that are all fleshed out very well.
    Forgiving leveling system that lets you reset your points. High quality voice acting.
    TONS (150+ hours) of side quests.
    Gear drops like it's going out of style.

    Overall:
    I was very skeptical after playing to demo, but once you start raking in loot and gear plus get some points into combat this game starts to get very, very, good.    … Expand
  4. bulreporting
    Feb 8, 2012
    10
    Great visuals, refreshing new combat system that's fun and beautiful to watch, encourages hybrid play styles, story is engaging. No bugs in my experience so far.
  5. CQCBerzerk
    Feb 8, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing, but sadly all the Skyrim fanboys are flocking to every review site they can to hate on this gem.
    I absolutely LOVE this game. The combat is crisp and satisfying, and does require a lot of skill to fight enemies later in the game. The character customization is superb, and every combination is viable. Rogue Mages can do devastating backstabs,and if that doesn't finish    This game is amazing, but sadly all the Skyrim fanboys are flocking to every review site they can to hate on this gem.
    I absolutely LOVE this game. The combat is crisp and satisfying, and does require a lot of skill to fight enemies later in the game. The character customization is superb, and every combination is viable. Rogue Mages can do devastating backstabs,and if that doesn't finish off your target, you can conjure up a lightning bolt or a meteor to finish them off. Warrior mages can use the mage's support spells to aid themselves in battle. There is a lot of motivation to level up in this game. Each time your character levels, it really makes a large impact on your skillset and playstyle. There are not many abilities in the game, but every point you put in to a tree makes individual spells much stronger, and adds extra strength to them. Many people say that this game's story is nothing compared to Skyrim, and I have no idea what they are talking about. Skyrim was a decent game, but it's story was pretty crappy. I mean, you are supposed to kill zombie dragons so you can learn how to speak dragon. This game's story is a LOT better than learning how to speak dragon. Anyways, I recommend you disregard all the negative reviews and try this game out for yourself.    … Expand
  6. warprincenataku
    Feb 10, 2012
    8
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a new IP from EA and with any new IP there are many risks. Like is the new world and lore rich enough? Are the game mechanics and story deep enough? Are people willing to risk buying a full priced game from the start?

    Most of these are answered with a resounding, yes! This game have sweeping visuals and a compelling story. Sure, most fantasy genre games    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a new IP from EA and with any new IP there are many risks. Like is the new world and lore rich enough? Are the game mechanics and story deep enough? Are people willing to risk buying a full priced game from the start?

    Most of these are answered with a resounding, yes! This game have sweeping visuals and a compelling story. Sure, most fantasy genre games may have some overlapping content such as elves, swords and magic, but it's how these familiar elements are portrayed that sets it apart from other games in the fantasy genre.

    First the bad. The game has mixed reviews on its visuals. The game is full of rich and vibrant areas with almost cartoonish characters. It is not Dragon Age and does not try to be. It's more along the lines of Fable, with exaggerated hands and feet, but that's ok as everything is balanced to fit that particular style. The animations are fluid, the world is rich with various flora and fauna and is beautiful. It's a different kind of beauty than can be appreciated from even the most high graphic demanding players.

    The fight mechanics are quite solid and playing a melee, ranged, magic or a mixture of them all is quite fun. I really felt powerful as a spellsword, a custom built class built around melee and magic. Launching a lightning blast only to run in and clean up with your sword is quite rewarding. Your special attacks and abilities are on timers keeping you from spamming your most powerful of attacks. The combat is fluid and makes use of a solid collision detection system. Attack animations and spells can be interrupted, so combat feels more dynamic resulting in the need to plan your attacks accordingly.

    I hear a lot of people complain about the bow mechanics in this game. I barely used the bow as my character is geared towards magic, but I can't imagine it's that complex. The combat uses an auto targeting system, so I can see the disadvantages of using a bow, but it's not much difference than using spells since they use a similar system. Rounding off combat are finishing moves which give you a boost of XP for randomly mashing a button when an animation is triggered. These moves end in a God of War style executioner such as jumping up and driving swords down through your target's head or body. The animations are canned and there are only a few for standard enemies and only one for larger enemies, but they haven't gotten old yet.

    The story is written by R. A. Salvatore, who I'm not quite familiar with and the visuals are designed by Todd McFarlane who I am familiar with. I don't know if I'm missing anything having these two names thrown around, but for me it's a big "so what"? Todd McFarlane designed the visuals you say? Great! Couldn't care less. I mean you could have told me Bill Cosby designed the visuals and I would have been just as apathetic.

    The story is standard fantasy fair. You are a resurrected soldier of one of four playable races and three skill classes and you are fated to save the world. After your resurrection the machine that brought you back was destroyed, so you are the only one of your kind and it's up to you to make what is... *falls asleep* Yeah, the story is there to take you through the world. It's there, it's written by R. A. Salvatore and it's nice.

    All in all, visuals are similar to Fable. Gameplay is similar to Fable and God of War. Story is standard. In closing, this is the game that Fable should have been.    … Expand
  7. twinki
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    This game is far better than what i though firstt!
    The combat system is really dynamic and it's lots of fun figuring out different combos and stuff! it might not be as much of an "rpg" as lets say skyrim but the gameplay is IMO miles better. dont know why this got rated this low..
  8. Syrionus
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    After several hours in, I think this is better than Skyrim. Granted they are different games but the story combat and quests are quite a bit better. I love the art and of course, can't forget the loot. The combat is a cross between Fable and God of War. The loot and questing system reminds me of World of Warcraft. As far as people saying it is easy, try hard mode. The devs are working on aAfter several hours in, I think this is better than Skyrim. Granted they are different games but the story combat and quests are quite a bit better. I love the art and of course, can't forget the loot. The combat is a cross between Fable and God of War. The loot and questing system reminds me of World of Warcraft. As far as people saying it is easy, try hard mode. The devs are working on a way to improve the camera so I am not worried that much about that. In fact the camera was only a minor complaint because you get used to it after a while. Anyway, the game is my favorite game to be released in a very long time. Any RPG fan should pick this up.… Expand
  9. NastyN8
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    There are many thing to like about KOA:R. (I am currently playing on PC with a single RADEON 6850 GPU). The story is complex but very meaningful if you take the time to talk to the NPCs. Side quests are numerous and the world is open and very vast. There is much to explore and rewards for your exploration seem to await around every corner. The combat is in a class of its own and puts anyThere are many thing to like about KOA:R. (I am currently playing on PC with a single RADEON 6850 GPU). The story is complex but very meaningful if you take the time to talk to the NPCs. Side quests are numerous and the world is open and very vast. There is much to explore and rewards for your exploration seem to await around every corner. The combat is in a class of its own and puts any other current RPG to shame. I really enjoy the art style as well, KOA:R doesn't try to look realistic, instead it focuses on looking cool (which is where Todd McFarlane is at his best). To be fair, there are some cons as well. It takes too many clicks of the mouse/keyboard to get into the menu you want and back out again and so switching a piece of armor or a weapon is more time consuming than it should be.The voice acting and character animation is brilliant but the lip syncing is far less than perfect. The NPC character models, even on PC high-settings leave something to be desired; however, the main character (you) and the monsters usually look great.

    Flaws aside, I gave this game a 10 because the experience of playing it is brilliant and it feels different from any other game in the genre.    … Expand
  10. Eidolon
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    I have spent the last few months searching for a new game that would capture and hold my attention for more than a couple of hours, a game that I would look forward to playing when I got home. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has filled that role. The detailed storyline and history of the world combine with beautiful storybook graphics and an addictive fast paced combat system have me eagerI have spent the last few months searching for a new game that would capture and hold my attention for more than a couple of hours, a game that I would look forward to playing when I got home. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has filled that role. The detailed storyline and history of the world combine with beautiful storybook graphics and an addictive fast paced combat system have me eager to embark upon my next quest and see what's hiding around the next corner.… Expand
  11. nirvycn
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    Excellent fast action combat system i LOVE the combat in this game. GRaphics a bit below par, as is the UI, but the core of this game is the loot and fighting system, both of which are superb.
  12. CMPN
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning delivers exactly what it promises: a pitch-perfect fantasy RPG, with visceral, intuitive gameplay that is easy to pick up, difficult to master, wildly flexible and just plain fun, in a way that has yet to be seen in the genre. The world is accessible and vast, offering genre fans plenty to sink their teeth into. One gets the sense that they are watching anKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning delivers exactly what it promises: a pitch-perfect fantasy RPG, with visceral, intuitive gameplay that is easy to pick up, difficult to master, wildly flexible and just plain fun, in a way that has yet to be seen in the genre. The world is accessible and vast, offering genre fans plenty to sink their teeth into. One gets the sense that they are watching an entire world unfold before them, one rich with history and lore and life. Amalur opens itself up to the player in a way that is both familiar and refreshing, then empowers the player to do incredible things. 38 Studios and Big Huge Games have created a world worth saving, and they have given us some pretty damn cool tools with which to get the job done.… Expand
  13. Allions
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    Not as good as Skyrim, but this is a very good RPG. There are some good ideas (inventory, armors, weapons creation) and the story looks good. Some problems: cameras and V Sync on PC (with v sync enabled loadings time are more than a minute on a high end pc).
    I'll give it a 9
  14. FearTheCalm
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    I am quite enjoying this game, but I urge everyone to look at CMPN's user profile. It's obviously a fake as all this user has posted are reviews for all the versions of KOA:R, with a copy and paste review that reeks of a review from the developer or publisher. Please, people in the business, do not do this. It is unfair to try and artificially boost your scores.
  15. kofelovr
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    Overall, a solid RPG. I personally prefer a different art style, but that's just a personal preference. The combat is better than most RPG's and, hopefully, they'll be able to make some changes to the camera with future patches.
  16. op8
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    really enjoyable action rpg, kinda like a mix of oblivion and fable.looks great, has awesome combat, tonnes of loot,weapons,armours abilities and skills to customize with. (not witcher2 grfx but serves its purpose, and you have maybe 5 second load screens entering homes,caves etc., and new lage areas of the map).you will recognise a lot of aspects from other rpg's but thats fine because itreally enjoyable action rpg, kinda like a mix of oblivion and fable.looks great, has awesome combat, tonnes of loot,weapons,armours abilities and skills to customize with. (not witcher2 grfx but serves its purpose, and you have maybe 5 second load screens entering homes,caves etc., and new lage areas of the map).you will recognise a lot of aspects from other rpg's but thats fine because it works well, so why the hell not use it.Also it is BUG FREE. There really is a HUGE amount of quests to do and so far they have been excellent, and i have only explored 25% of the map.Just wanna say again its so nice to be able to play a game WITHOUT ridiculous bugs, awful animations, dreary dialogue,boring quests and pathetic combat.........(i honestly dont know what game user "sf2000" was playing but it certainly wasnt this game, so please IGNORE this fool)… Expand
  17. DarkChaplain
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    From what I've seen these past 2 hours of the Demo and 7 of the Full Game, KoA:R is a great game.

    The world is open to travel, and I've yet to come across an area I could not enter if I wanted to, although I am more entertained by exploring the world, solving quests as they come and talk to NPCs. I wonder what people expect from an Open World game - sure, Reckoning connects the bigger    From what I've seen these past 2 hours of the Demo and 7 of the Full Game, KoA:R is a great game.

    The world is open to travel, and I've yet to come across an area I could not enter if I wanted to, although I am more entertained by exploring the world, solving quests as they come and talk to NPCs. I wonder what people expect from an Open World game - sure, Reckoning connects the bigger spaces on the map through smaller paths, but who gives if I cannot view the other end of the world from my house? Even in Real Life, areas are connected by bigger roads and passes.

    KoA:R has its fun moments, where it does not even take its own characters seriously. One example would be a wannabe-alchemist trying to assume the identity of a legendary man of that craft, but can only keep up with that due to a potion that makes him smart. He also resembles black rapper stereotypes, which makes the nonsense he talks even more enjoyable.

    While there are fun moments like these, the world itself feels consistent so far, with a bigger conflict being hinted by multiple important NPCs. There is a lot more depth to be found here than people would like to admit when comparing it to the grand, excessively overrated "skyrim".

    Yes, this is no Skyrim. But quite honestly, I'm glad for that fact. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning feels far more engaging and exciting than Skyrim ever did.
    This game offers interesting combat, customization both in terms of equipment and skills, with basic traits and abilities split and a world which is fun to explore with its multitude of colors and nice voice acting.

    It will take multiple playthroughs to explore everything the skill and ability trees have to offer. Spending points either on Might, Finesse or Sorcery also make your character much more specialized than in an "you can be anything you want, all at the same time"-RPG like Skyrim. You sure can weild a hammer, staff or sceptre whenever you want, for sure, but you won't be quite as good as with the weapon types you spec on, and its fairly noticeable early into the game.

    The combat itself is nicely balanced so far, from easy enemies you could mow down without effort to fiends who'd require faster reactions and different ways to approach in general, and bosses that can be quite frustrating if you underestimate them. The dual-weild style of combat works extremely well and it is rewarding to watch enemies get pushed back by your melee attacks just to get finished by an arrow or ability. switching between combat styles is simply and works to the player's advantage, as there is a weapon for any taste, and different flavors of these weapons.

    There are multiple traits a weapon can carry, some strengthening your energy or health bars, others protecting of damage or adding status effects to your attacks, and you'll compare your gear all the time.
    KoA:R uses the typical "white, green, blue, purple, gold"-pattern for equipment levels, which is a good and intuitive decision. You'll feel right at home.

    Crafting requires some talent points to be truly effective, as you first dismantle gear into their basic parts, where the quality (and success) depends on your blacksmithing skill, and then reattach gear by using the necessary basic parts and adding enhancements in the process after unlocking these optional slots on the skilltree. Alchemy works similarly, you'll have to actively spend points on that tree to be able to brew stronger potions rather than having you craft x potions to level up. Of course, experimenting is in as well as brewing by recipes.
    There's also sagecraft, where you can combine shards or put them into weapon/armor sockets to give the gear special traits, but these are typical lategame-things.

    All crafting screens are easy to navigate and intuitive to use, which is a definite plus.
    There's much more to the game as a whole, but these are the points which I personally find noteworthy and deciding.

    Overall the game is great, entertaining and engaging. I can't see why people already start downvote-spamming on release day (which isn't even worldwide yet).    … Expand
  18. RodrigoGalliard
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    Please, remember, the world is FULL OF fanboy, ignorant people. This game has flaws, of course, but the MAIN OBJECTIVE in a game is have fun! I already reviewed this game, but some people has accused us, the people who like the game and gave him a good score, saying we are fakes, or something stupid like that. I'm made this account just for review this game, a lot of people have account,Please, remember, the world is FULL OF fanboy, ignorant people. This game has flaws, of course, but the MAIN OBJECTIVE in a game is have fun! I already reviewed this game, but some people has accused us, the people who like the game and gave him a good score, saying we are fakes, or something stupid like that. I'm made this account just for review this game, a lot of people have account, at least is what i can deduce, just for make bad reviews, so, i decided do something positive, this game deserve a better note, this crap people who are giving to him notes absurdly low, they are just saying empty words. I actually have the game, not just the demo, and believe me, it's way too different, very much more polished.… Expand
  19. lagendofdoom
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    I can't believe how many haters there are out there, if you want to understand what the hell am i saying well watch the user score in the xbox 360 and the ps3 after that watch how many in the pc version have a bad reviews ( and also you should see the difference between the number of negative reviews and the negative score ) after that you should watch the user's account to check how manyI can't believe how many haters there are out there, if you want to understand what the hell am i saying well watch the user score in the xbox 360 and the ps3 after that watch how many in the pc version have a bad reviews ( and also you should see the difference between the number of negative reviews and the negative score ) after that you should watch the user's account to check how many reviews they did ( you will find out that only two users did many reviews while all the others are just haters... and made a new account only to lower this game's score ). My suggestion to you is to check the critic reviews and not the users. The only reason i give this game a score of 10 is because this game's user score is too low and should get a score over 7.5 while in my opinion this game's score deserves an 8. Reckoning has flaws in storytelling,difficulty level which is too easy,the camera and sometimes have screen popping other than that everything was well executed, the gameplay is the best thing that Reckoning can offer, some could say this is the best Rpg gameplay, in my opinion the gameplay is one of the best Rpg gameplays i have ever experienced. voice acting is well executed, the skills and abilities are great and the leveling up system is also great. The exploration is fascinating, the graphics is more of a Cartoony style which reminds me of Fable only better executed, the items which you find while exploring aren't useless and sometimes you can get a real rare item. Kingdoms Of Amalur : Reckoning isn't perfect but its a game which you should try out… Expand
  20. infinite
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    I've played a little more than 10 hours and I have yet to get away from the starting area! This world is absolutely massive! So. Huge. It's not a true "open world," but I prefer a more guided experience -- smaller digestible chunks. This helps someone with ADD as you'll constantly be discovering new visual styles, areas/dungeons, creatures and piece of lore. The attention to detail in manyI've played a little more than 10 hours and I have yet to get away from the starting area! This world is absolutely massive! So. Huge. It's not a true "open world," but I prefer a more guided experience -- smaller digestible chunks. This helps someone with ADD as you'll constantly be discovering new visual styles, areas/dungeons, creatures and piece of lore. The attention to detail in many aspects of this game is pretty special. I, personally, love this artistic style. The combat is wild (including all of the animations/sounds that go with the combat moves)! It's certainly not bad, at all, for a first studio title. This will likely be the first game to keep my attention to the end since the release of SC2.… Expand
  21. Grosher
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A MASTERPIECE Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning . Spectacular and Amazing is the first title of 38 Studio and is very very competitive with other fantasy RPG . This game not have to be jealousy to other games like Skyrim. Dragon Age, Souls Demons /Dark Souls, Dugeon Siege, LoR War on The North, M& M Heroes 4, The Witcher and Quest Titan so that it has everything in one. Is a world totally different, full of color and spectacular history, You feel the personages with real life ,delicate movement . The music WAooo!!! the music is the most important factor for the game and this game you found it Violins , Cello, Trumpet , French Horn ,Timpani drums and many more (Waooo!!! again) . The visual and sounds are HD 3D effects. I hope other title of the same studio (I wish be a open World, to feel the water, cascades and rivers).If this title is interesting the following must be equal or far better. The studio to be remain the same work party a same think to give to the true good players good titles. Thanks for do a better world my personal Score 9.6 for not be a open world… Expand
  22. evolvia31
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    Excellent RPG Game is a bit under skyrim but games is very long to the main quest (~30h) and if you add the side quest, faction quest and all other there are very very much hours of games.

    Craft and spellcraft are funny and can make a very good item, weapon and armor.
    This game is a new licence and it's a very good launch to it.
  23. musicgamer
    Feb 13, 2012
    4
    On receiving this game I thought it was fantastic Rpg/Adventure with great Action. I was really hoping to enjoy this game, BUT!, am now discovering how actually bland and simplistic this game is - esp once your about 7hrs inn!!

    I was hoping KoA:R would have varied quests and many options/decision paths/discoveries as described and mentioned by the makers before the games release!!!!.. Now    On receiving this game I thought it was fantastic Rpg/Adventure with great Action. I was really hoping to enjoy this game, BUT!, am now discovering how actually bland and simplistic this game is - esp once your about 7hrs inn!!

    I was hoping KoA:R would have varied quests and many options/decision paths/discoveries as described and mentioned by the makers before the games release!!!!.. Now with 14hrs of game play(approx); all I've been doing is bashing the attack button, slaying creatures for the many samey side-quests, or, simply fetching mostly useless item(s) that still involve slaying everything!!!. While combat seems cool and engaging at first, it's nothing more then a series one button presses and occasional block pausing. You can easily take on groups of 4-7 guys with ease!! EVEN ON HARD LEVEL!!..This does start to drag at times, as it doesn't really require anything, just attack, attack, attack!. You walk a few steps before you have to repeat the same action attacking everything in your way, but, without any real challenge, as enemies do fall fairly easily. I actually just run past them now!...After a few hours play the gameplay with KoA:R doesstart to become action repetitive, actually very repetitive!!! . This is made worse as KoA:R lacks challenge, or required skill, or even discovering enemy weak-points, that can make fighting more varied and interesting as battles come far to often. I also found one attack technique seems to beatsall (so-far!) - the many attacking options are there, but, are not , actually required.

    I do find it rather stupid, for a game of this sort, that annoyingly, you are stuck to the ground!! You can't jump freely or over anything!. Because of this stupidity you are forced to walk around everything just to reach a place you can see just a few steps away, but can't, as its blocked by a small rock, fence, water, edge, lake..etc; forcing you to find a longer route. You can't even fall/step-off the edge(unless its at a very limited fixed game design place)!!!!...The world, while attractive and fairly varied, it is rather flat as you don't reach high places, no hills, no mountains, no ladders, no reaching high peaks - everything is on ground floor! This is also not a true open world game in the sense of Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout games, as you are funnelled into a one direction with many area architectural designs within the game world fairly similar - though painted with different textures !

    The story isn't very engrossing at present (14hrs) and seems fairly generic so-far. Also there seems to be NO consequences to the actions you make!! I slaughtered a whole village, yet no-one cared! this destroys feeling for a living game world. There isn't much activity gong onn in the villages, and can be quiet and empty in many areas too (so-far!). Cut scenes are poor, your character just stands staring of into the distance not reacting to anything; as do other characteres!!. Lip sync is bad too! like a badly dubbed movie.

    I will continue to play to the end, but it feels I'm using my thumb to bash buttons more then making deep choices, figuring out things, making moral choices that effect game direction, or searching for meaningful items/loots to help progress (everything is just thrown at you without ant real discovering!). With the streamlined and generic Rpg that is rather simplified has taken away the depth of an involving Rpg and has made it more a arcade large Hack n Slash game - without depth!!!    … Expand
  24. sh4dow
    Feb 9, 2012
    5
    A lot of what the more critical reviews say is true. I gave this a chance because I am disappointed of Skyrim and I am not yet desiring a second Witcher 2 playthrough, even though that was awesome. Personally, I am fine with the story of the game (which a LOT of people seem to criticize the most). But unfortunately, first of all - the game really does look like an MMO. Anybody claiming itA lot of what the more critical reviews say is true. I gave this a chance because I am disappointed of Skyrim and I am not yet desiring a second Witcher 2 playthrough, even though that was awesome. Personally, I am fine with the story of the game (which a LOT of people seem to criticize the most). But unfortunately, first of all - the game really does look like an MMO. Anybody claiming it looks gorgeous clearly has not played any newly released games for five years. Secondly - the camera really is awful. And I mean AWFUL! It is incredibly close, cannot be adjusted and when you run to the side it even lags behind a bit. At least with a gamepad, the bow is especially useless because if you want to "aim" (there appears to be only auto lock-on - so "aiming" is just switching between targets), you have to use the right stick. Now try keeping X/Y pressed while moving the right stick. And then there is the cumbersome inventory management... which anyone can realize by just briefly looking at a gameplay video. Personally, I wouldn't even care so much that it looks like crap and that the bow seems a bit broken. I almost only use swords in RPGs anyway. And the fighting system does look like fun. I appreciate the combo-style fighting system embedded in a loot-heavy fantasy RPG. It's new and interesting and it would work for me. The way the weapons are drawn immediately and blocking reacts very rapidly makes for a very pleasurable fighting experience. Only the response of the dodge button seemed a bit hit and miss. AND one can save at any point!! After experiencing games like Metro 2033, Alice: Madness Returns, Batman: Arkham City, etc., I don't take that for granted any more. Yes, it's an RPG but... it IS very action-focused and the madness that is quicksave-only seems to take over every damn genre. But what I really can't ignore, no matter what intriguing aspects the game may have is that damn camera. I remember Sonic Adventures (yes, a console jump'n'run...) like it was yesterday... and people were **** all over about how crappy the camera was. I didn't think so. It wasn't the best but it was very playable. And I have seen worse since. But Kingdoms of Amalur beats ALL of them, it is THAT crappy! Maybe they'll patch it (ha!) and I'll end up at some day enjoying this game as I should (without the **** camera, if the whole story and quests and everything would be nice, I would probably bump it up to 7 or even 8)… Expand
  25. cmoyano
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    hahaha, not as good as skyrim? are you people serious? this is miles ahead of that boring, lame, atrocious looking game. Skyrim is all the same. You see the same crap over and over again, fast travel, take a quest, go to dungeon, beat it, go back and it all culminates in an insanely boring lame conversation with an npc. Amalur has great combat, fxaa injector makes it look gorgeous onhahaha, not as good as skyrim? are you people serious? this is miles ahead of that boring, lame, atrocious looking game. Skyrim is all the same. You see the same crap over and over again, fast travel, take a quest, go to dungeon, beat it, go back and it all culminates in an insanely boring lame conversation with an npc. Amalur has great combat, fxaa injector makes it look gorgeous on pc, the story is good, not boring and the loot is very good. It actually makes you want to look for armor to wear, something that skyrim didnt have cause all of its armor is so bad. Graphics are good and its very well optimized with a full smooth 60 fps at all times. Amalur is a much better game than skyrim in almost every single way. Now back to playing… Expand
  26. Kaizerfist
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    FAst paced action with all the staple rpg elemts. It does what skyrim could not do for me. Its fun and engaging. I highly recommend trying it for yourse;f instead of trusting any reviews.
  27. pjlennon
    Feb 7, 2012
    5
    - Even on the highest difficulty this game is jokingly easy. - No ability to zoom the camera out is nauseating (blur effect from turning) and it makes combat more difficult than it should be (at times). - Crafting is completely worthless,
    - Different character classes are pointless as they're all the exact same. Customization is awful. - Quests are repetitive. This is a MMO that was turned    - Even on the highest difficulty this game is jokingly easy. - No ability to zoom the camera out is nauseating (blur effect from turning) and it makes combat more difficult than it should be (at times). - Crafting is completely worthless,
    - Different character classes are pointless as they're all the exact same. Customization is awful. - Quests are repetitive. This is a MMO that was turned into a single player game and it really shows. - Cartoon graphics are fine, there is some decent lighting effects, it looks kind of like Aion. - It's by no means "open world" and it can get old real quick. - There are minor UI things that could be changed to enhance the game, which maybe they'll do in future patches. Still disappointing seeing as how much they play tested the game. - The story is absolutely forgettable, you click through almost all the dialog and click the blue quest lines, run to spot on map, repeat. - I can think of at least 10 other MMOs that could be turned into single player games and they would be more fun that this, which is disappointing as this just came out.    … Expand
  28. adler
    Feb 9, 2012
    3
    First of all this isn't an RPG, its Hack&Slash with light RPG elements. Game has rather bad graphics for a game that is released in 2012. Story isn't that great, once again main character with lost memory. I see all people that give 8-10 ratings on this game brag with "best combat and gameplay ever", combat is fast left clicking with mouse until everything around you is dead, if that isFirst of all this isn't an RPG, its Hack&Slash with light RPG elements. Game has rather bad graphics for a game that is released in 2012. Story isn't that great, once again main character with lost memory. I see all people that give 8-10 ratings on this game brag with "best combat and gameplay ever", combat is fast left clicking with mouse until everything around you is dead, if that is best ever they saw in games i don't have anything to say to that except LOL. Oversized lighting weapons, shield that main character holds in his pocket are just laughable, like its made for japanese market. Best way to say about this game is Cursed Crusade with EA logo on it.… Expand
  29. Artoflameness
    Feb 10, 2012
    4
    The review sites have failed again, big time. Corruption runs amok..
    Another worrying trend is that the first (few) poster(s) in the user reviews section on any game are from the marketing department of given game. At the moment the game is available to the public, they already know that the game is polished, contains X hours of gameplay, it delivers, etc.. And of course 10/10..
    This is    The review sites have failed again, big time. Corruption runs amok..
    Another worrying trend is that the first (few) poster(s) in the user reviews section on any game are from the marketing department of given game. At the moment the game is available to the public, they already know that the game is polished, contains X hours of gameplay, it delivers, etc.. And of course 10/10..
    This is absurd.
    Fortunately they can't offset the user score too much. I am grateful for this, thank you metacritic for your site and system.

    About the game:
    Pros: Somewhat solid combat system, more than average content, stable-polished engine -> no bugs.
    Cons: Generic world, bad and boring story, low level of immersion, horrible camera placement, outdated graphics, console-port feeling (GUI and controls)

    The game plays and feels more like Diablo, than a traditional RPG. Some people may like this, some may not.
    The main problem with the game is the disparity between graphic style vs story. The game tells us a dark and epic story , but tries to do this with a cartoon-ish, funny style. (in fable the story was in harmony with the graphic style).

    (sorry for my bad English)    … Expand
  30. Desdicado
    Feb 8, 2012
    3
    I'm amazed at the 100% "professional" reviews, are they playing the same game? Has money changed hands? I've played RPGs since the late 80s so love them. Unfortunately the game doesn't live up to the hype at all. I really really dislike the cartoony graphics, they look 5 years out of date and the camera is way too close in to you. The quests are repetitive, go here kill that, go thereI'm amazed at the 100% "professional" reviews, are they playing the same game? Has money changed hands? I've played RPGs since the late 80s so love them. Unfortunately the game doesn't live up to the hype at all. I really really dislike the cartoony graphics, they look 5 years out of date and the camera is way too close in to you. The quests are repetitive, go here kill that, go there kill that over and over. The skill trees are ok, but they've been done in similar ways in countless games. The cut scenes are poor, your character just stands there staring of into the distance not reacting. There are no consequences to your actions so it doesnt feel like a living world. Bows are broken, you can't aim. All guards know when you've done something psychically which I hate. You can't jump, even over small things. it's not open, just interlinked blocks of space, the only good thing is the combat which is fun and well executed, but harder on pc than xbox. Lets hope KOAR 2 is way more polished. Oh and the weapons degrade which I don't like either! And it doesn't suck you in like a really good RPG should, waste of money.… Expand
prev
Page:

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]
    Read full review
  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]
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »