Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 402 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 275 out of 402
  2. Mixed: 88 out of 402
  3. Negative: 39 out of 402
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  1. JDConspirator
    Feb 5, 2013
    7
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has many treasures and riches in its RPG ensemble. A brilliant sense of weight defines every bludgeon from an axe and every swing of the greatsword. The colour and the melodic tones that shimmer in the background as you play, define the elegance of Amalur's creation. The big drawback though is that it feels comparatively small when the likes of Skyrim areKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has many treasures and riches in its RPG ensemble. A brilliant sense of weight defines every bludgeon from an axe and every swing of the greatsword. The colour and the melodic tones that shimmer in the background as you play, define the elegance of Amalur's creation. The big drawback though is that it feels comparatively small when the likes of Skyrim are giving you some awe inspiring landscapes. You tend to trundle the forests on your merry way, then you stumble across narrow paths densely populated either side by cliff faces. There isn't a grand sense of scale and awe. Furthermore it feels like you've been there and pillaged that when you are out and about completing fetch X amount of these items or kill Y amount of this. KOA therefore feels forged by the conventional trappings of a massively populated genre. With that said, it's still an impressive, elegant, rich and satisfying RPG that has some gusto to deliver your post Skyrim needs.… Expand
  2. EnKira
    Jun 20, 2013
    7
    Amalur is a BIG, HUGE game for sure. But did they gave us a huge amount of content for us to explore and to find out. Yeah...? Amalur has a pretty interesting plot, but with few highlights. A colorful and beautiful world, but with a kinda awkward camera and the maps are always connect via the same pathway/tunnel. A fun combat system that reminds me of God of War. No buts on the combat. AAmalur is a BIG, HUGE game for sure. But did they gave us a huge amount of content for us to explore and to find out. Yeah...? Amalur has a pretty interesting plot, but with few highlights. A colorful and beautiful world, but with a kinda awkward camera and the maps are always connect via the same pathway/tunnel. A fun combat system that reminds me of God of War. No buts on the combat. A huge list of sidequests and they are fully voiced, but only a few of them got me really interested. Fun fate/class system, but a not so interesting character customization. Amalur does so many things right, but at the same time there are many small flaws that hold this game back from it's true potential.
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 7.5/10 A'IGHT!!!
    I do have to admit that it's always fun to just walk around enjoying the beautiful landscapes and environments of Amalur.    … Expand
  3. andoarias
    May 12, 2014
    6
    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the first RPG I play that is uninteresting as what is concerned to the plot. There's a very rich background but no reason for the player to investigate deeper and the technical thing is just correct.
    On the bright side, the game's combat system is easy to pick up and well thought, with multiple variances for every player.
  4. ShadowNotSeen
    Mar 31, 2012
    5
    This is not a great game, nor is it a bad game. High points: world size is large and backstory (concerning the fae and other races) is consistently woven into the main and side quests and is at least mildly interesting. The graphics are not immersive but are otherwise of good quality - the main play areas (maps) are diversely painted though the different geographies have no impact onThis is not a great game, nor is it a bad game. High points: world size is large and backstory (concerning the fae and other races) is consistently woven into the main and side quests and is at least mildly interesting. The graphics are not immersive but are otherwise of good quality - the main play areas (maps) are diversely painted though the different geographies have no impact on play (it all works the same whether your in forest, plains or desert.) The role-playing element is non-existent - your dialogue interaction with NPC's serve only to acquire/update quests and be spoon fed backstory. Opportunities to alter game course with persuasion or dialogue options appear limited. Low points: combat system is simplistic and the game presents few real challenges. I am at best an average quality gamer and on normal level the game presents no difficulty. I'm about 60-70% through the game (estimated on portion of world map revealed) and have not touched the options to reswizzle your character (throughout the game you can change from fighter to rogue to sorceror focused character.) Why not? The game has given me no reason to. I knew that was an option so I started with what I assumed was the simplest model - put on some armor, grab a sword and start hacking. And to this point (my character level is somewhere in the 20's) I've had no reason to change. Further, the game gives you access to various maneuvers as you level but I can hardly tell you what they are because I don't have to care. Mash the square, pepper in the occasional dodge (circle) and the monsters fall like rain. The monsters fall into one of about 4 types and are easily dispatched. Mini-bosses and tougher monsters are child's play with the fate shift ability (monsters are essentially paused and you get to hack the crap out them while they do little or nothing to you.) Again, I'm on normal level and leveled in the 20's and I can't remember the last time I died. Heck, I hardly need health potions and if you do, they're as abundant as grass. (And if your answer is: the game is harder as a rogue or sorcerer, in my mind that's still a "fail" - my career choice should not affect difficulty at least to this degree.) Aside: like every other frpg I've ever played the economic system is broken (and therefore it does not factor into my rating.) There are multiple crafting options - potions, weapons, gems (for socketing into items) but there seems little reason to do so other than for the satisfaction of having done it. I put some effort into sagecrafting and it does make items better but as soon as I did it, I found a better option on fallen enemies or in treasure chests. Perhaps a simpler description: I have 800,000gp and nothing to spend it on.
    Conclusion: on normal setting, my simplistic, brute force play style should produce the occasional death or drive me to consider other tactics. (Counter example: in Uncharted 2 and 3 on normal, I died frequently enough to be annoying - which tells you about my skill level.)
    With all this negative feedback, why do you keep playing? I'm stubborn, spent over $50 on the game and I'm something of a dinosaur - hack and slash appeals to me. But if you're reading these reviews and thinking this game has a cool combat system - umm, No.    … Expand
  5. swale7
    Feb 27, 2012
    5
    There are two main reason I was disappointed with this game. First it is certainly not an open world game (which it was advertised as) and it is structured weirdly, it has large open regions that you progress through but the world as a whole is not open at all. The second is that the story and presentation of the game did not draw me in and make me care in the slightest about my characterThere are two main reason I was disappointed with this game. First it is certainly not an open world game (which it was advertised as) and it is structured weirdly, it has large open regions that you progress through but the world as a whole is not open at all. The second is that the story and presentation of the game did not draw me in and make me care in the slightest about my character or the world, it failed to show any original material to make me think this game was worth playing. Also the combat started out fun but rapidly got old. Played for about 15 hours, had a relatively good time but I got bored of it. Overall I am disappointed with this game but it doesn't deserve too bad a review score as it was fun at times.… Expand
  6. pnathan_28
    Feb 16, 2012
    5
    When this game was about to release i was really excited for it , i mean just take into account the pedigree of talent behind the development team alone plus all the previews and pre-launch talk, mostly on G4 made me want to play KoA . That was then, now it's a completely different story. can only be chalked up to a MASSIVE disappointment. i really wish now i had waited for the reviews,When this game was about to release i was really excited for it , i mean just take into account the pedigree of talent behind the development team alone plus all the previews and pre-launch talk, mostly on G4 made me want to play KoA . That was then, now it's a completely different story. can only be chalked up to a MASSIVE disappointment. i really wish now i had waited for the reviews, the one by G4 in particular instead of getting caught up in the hype and pre-ordering KoA. Granted the combat is engaging and better than just about every rpg on the market but that is all this game has going for it. The graphics are OK, the camera is sub-par , the voice acting and dialogue are dull and boring.
    my biggest fault with Amalur is that, with any good rpg, you have an emotional investment in your character as they are an extension of ourselves , and in this respect KoA fails miserably. i tried (45 hours into it) till i just couldn't feign enthusiasm anymore. at no point did the game give me a reason to care about my character or the multitudes of fetch -quests that i was being sent on. all you FANBOYS out there that are waving your pitch forks around need to realize that this game did fail on delivering what it set out to. thank you to the brave few who came out with an honest review of this game while the rest of the reviews pretty much rehashed EA talking points .    … Expand
  7. bsNYC
    Feb 7, 2012
    7
    I play RPGs for one reason: immersion. For me, immersion requires seamless and fun user-interface, a compelling plot, consistent suspension of disbelief, and characters you care about. More importantly, at its best, complete immersion is not a concatenation of these requisites but rather a coalescence. It is this rubric that informs my review of KOA:R. UI: the interface ranges from good toI play RPGs for one reason: immersion. For me, immersion requires seamless and fun user-interface, a compelling plot, consistent suspension of disbelief, and characters you care about. More importantly, at its best, complete immersion is not a concatenation of these requisites but rather a coalescence. It is this rubric that informs my review of KOA:R. UI: the interface ranges from good to great. Combat manages to accomplish that all too difficult feat of being easy to engage yet rewardingly difficult to master (while not analogous in execution, it is analogous in quality to Arkham City). Bravo Big Huge Games! Menus are intuitively laid out yet complex. Game designers who worry that the complexity associated with RPGs (stats, loot, skills, crafting) is inherently anathema to intuitive menu design can learn a lot from KOA:R. Again, well-done BHG! Plot: fantasy stories are probably the most difficult to tell. They have to be foreign yet familiar enough not to alienate...and not so familiar that originality is lost. KOA:R is original, but its novelty does not rest on a unique plot but on a unique setting--unfortunately, it is unique in the wrong way. KOA:R setting is vast and complete with Tolkien-esque attention to detail and equally Tolkien-esque jargon. I am sure RA Salvator 's universe could rival Tolkien 's in size, scope, and minutiae. But I am equally sure that I do not want to take the time to learn about it. To be clearer, I'll compare it to Dragon Age: Origins whose setting, while not as complex, is fairly deep and detailed. But its profundity is teased out in a natural way so that the complexity never seems complex. You know as much as you need to but just a tiny bit shy of what you want to so that you keep going. Paradoxically, you are both satiated yet starving for more. Moreover, you always feel purposeful. In every quest you are dispatched, taking one huge step to your goal (even when you are, unbeknownst to you at the time, so far away from the end-game). This allows you to take in every detail and appreciate the intricacies of the universe as they unfold invitingly. KOA:R, on the hand, does not seductively weave your story amidst an elaborate tapestry of Amalur 's rich history so much as it vomits its details and sequesters its mystery. Consistent suspension of disbelief: KOA:R has rich animations both in dialogue and combat that serve well to foster immersion. Its effectiveness, unfortunately, makes glaring those instances when you are reminded that you are playing a game. For instance, you will be engaged in satisfying combat, overcoming overwhelming odds with brilliant strategy, watching your lithesome strikes, felicitous parries, and...uh...suddenly appearing/disappearing shield. Oh yeah...I am playing a game. Immersion ruined. The bad camera angles also take away from immersion. It's a bit too claustrophobic for my tastes. Characters you care about: While not impossible, it is rare for a game driven by a user-created-from-scratch-character to enthrall me. Usually, immersion for me requires a somewhat defined character (Mass Effect, Witcher). Again, to illustrate, DA:O made a nice compromise by giving me various origins from which to choose but each had his/her own touchstone to the world. I need this touchstone to be immersed. Especially if my character is voiceless. I felt isolated from the world in KOA:R. I felt like I was playing in someone else 's world, a world to which I didn 't truly belong. I never really cared for my character because of this: the more I cared about the world, the more glaring my alienation felt; the more I cared about my character, the more truncated the world felt. In other words, I was not immersed. Parting Thoughts: My expectations (which were high) have definitely shaped my criticisms--hence the negative slant of my review. But make no mistake: I am VERY impressed by BHG 's creation. This is their first game. FIRST! Think of Naughty Dog 's first game. Or how about Bethesda 's? Rockstar 's? Yeah, I know, right?! BHG undertook probably the most difficult kind of game to create and this is their first effort? WOW! I cannot wait for their second game. As an economist, I rate games by the price I should (in hindsight) be willing to pay for it. If you want to support this developer (and you should!) buy this game new. But buy it once it drops to $40-45… Expand
  8. Testdrive
    Feb 8, 2012
    5
    After 1 hour of play, it gets really boring. The shining coat wears off. The animation of voice acting is very 2000. The special combat turns into something bothersome. I just want to kill the monster and move on. It looks special the first time but not the 50th time. UI is not something to write home about on the PC version. After one hour, I do not care about any of the NPC or the story.After 1 hour of play, it gets really boring. The shining coat wears off. The animation of voice acting is very 2000. The special combat turns into something bothersome. I just want to kill the monster and move on. It looks special the first time but not the 50th time. UI is not something to write home about on the PC version. After one hour, I do not care about any of the NPC or the story. I thought the action will keep me going but as said before. It gets stale. It seems to me this game just want to ride the popular names and rake in money while they can. If you really want to play the game, wait till Steam has it on sale. It will not be long.… Expand
  9. syaryel
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    Despite the massive exploration and tons of lore..RPG-wise felt "empty" playing this game.. gameplay speed is too much for my liking..would give it an 8 if its a MMO title ..just another overrated action RPG
  10. Hahalo
    Apr 21, 2012
    6
    After putting sufficient time in this game. Is an above average game, I would say enjoyable for passing time. But I've to rate it down to 6 because the RPG element is so basic.

    To be Super Honest, is a Hack and Slash Game, with very basic RPG element. Basic character development, nothing you do matters, or your conversation matters. 95% of the time you will still end up hacking and    After putting sufficient time in this game. Is an above average game, I would say enjoyable for passing time. But I've to rate it down to 6 because the RPG element is so basic.

    To be Super Honest, is a Hack and Slash Game, with very basic RPG element. Basic character development, nothing you do matters, or your conversation matters. 95% of the time you will still end up hacking and slashing to finish a quest. Applies to both Main and Side quest, and then multiply it by 70-80 hours then you have the game.

    Monster you see in your first 20 hours, will be the same monster (with stronger stats) you see at End of game. Seriously.. thats BORING.

    The monsters are super easy (even on Hard mode), most players now are finding ways to make it harder for our own satisfaction. Can see in almost every forums out there.

    I can't help but feeling is EA way of trying to dumb down the game and also make it super easy for the mass market.

    The game has potential, the ideas are there, but just lack the finishing touch, everything is left at the very basic level.    … Expand
  11. lostkoss
    Feb 7, 2012
    5
    I expected more. I just couldn't shake a been there done that feeling while trying this game. I do give them credit for making a decent arcade combat. The rest of what I saw from the crafting to the questing reeked of a generic sameness. If I wanted to play WoW or Rift I would , uhhh, go play WoW or Rift. At least then I would have some one to show off the fact that I did a bunch boringI expected more. I just couldn't shake a been there done that feeling while trying this game. I do give them credit for making a decent arcade combat. The rest of what I saw from the crafting to the questing reeked of a generic sameness. If I wanted to play WoW or Rift I would , uhhh, go play WoW or Rift. At least then I would have some one to show off the fact that I did a bunch boring fetch and kill quests in a zone like structure.

    With the pedigree of the people working on this game I expected more. Invisible walls everywhere and no jumping over that pebble in the road? Come on, gimme a break. 6/10 In my opinion this game is about as original and fun as Monster Hunter, from my PS2 collection, just bigger. I played on both a PC and PS3 - I thought it played better on a game pad, but still not worth release day money.    … Expand
  12. Velendris
    Feb 7, 2012
    6
    I wanted to like this game but there's just so much holding it back, the color palette and graphic design is pretty upsetting. It's like they went through a World of Warcraft filter and picked out the worst color combinations imaginable. And the NPC faces, they make Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion facial animation look good. Along with wrestling with the camera throughout your play session thisI wanted to like this game but there's just so much holding it back, the color palette and graphic design is pretty upsetting. It's like they went through a World of Warcraft filter and picked out the worst color combinations imaginable. And the NPC faces, they make Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion facial animation look good. Along with wrestling with the camera throughout your play session this games leaves much to be desired.… Expand
  13. youngzen69
    Feb 16, 2012
    5
    Okay, I think their has been a lot of confusion as to the word (open world) and what that actually means. That word is getting throw around allot lately by developers these days. The very word open world means varied, free. Meaning that I could start the game off as a good person and end the game just as evil as the final boss itself if I so chose(or vise versa). That whatever I did in theOkay, I think their has been a lot of confusion as to the word (open world) and what that actually means. That word is getting throw around allot lately by developers these days. The very word open world means varied, free. Meaning that I could start the game off as a good person and end the game just as evil as the final boss itself if I so chose(or vise versa). That whatever I did in the game had the potential to effect the final outcome of the entire game. Simply put the more varied and flexible a game is the more open world the game is. The less flexible and varied a game is the more linear the game is. That said their are some really good linear role playing games out their, and the reason that they are good is because the story is so immersive. One actually cares about what happens to the characters and how the story finally ins. Just not in this game!… Expand
  14. dpc
    Feb 7, 2012
    5
    I agree with Orc, but even his rating is too generous. Gameplay is good and definitely fun, but I doubt anyone will be having orgasmic seizures over the originality of it. The other reviews here, especially CMPN, seem too neatly written and succinctly structured to sound like a genuine player. While playing the game, I had a vague deja vu feeling. After a little while you get the senseI agree with Orc, but even his rating is too generous. Gameplay is good and definitely fun, but I doubt anyone will be having orgasmic seizures over the originality of it. The other reviews here, especially CMPN, seem too neatly written and succinctly structured to sound like a genuine player. While playing the game, I had a vague deja vu feeling. After a little while you get the sense that this is really nothing new. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but to me it's as enjoyable as Two Worlds II (which I sorta liked before the lack of polish and weird ideas finally did me in). The art style while kind of cool takes away that feeling of being immersed in a world like Skyrim does. And I'm not saying all games have to try to be "realistic" (yes, we know Skyrim isn't either), but you don't get the sense that you own the world. You always know you're playing an arcade-y type game. And that may appeal to a lot of people. To me, it's just ok.… Expand
  15. Ravenger
    Feb 10, 2012
    6
    Hello, Please help scoreing games people. Don't just give it a 10 or a Zero I posted a review on Reckoning forum prior to release to see if I would get any response as they were wanting feedback on the demo.. I never did. Here it is.
    Wondering if we will feel freedom of movement ?
    PC . Mouse / keyboard 1600X1050 widescreen I've played the demo 4 times now with different characters. First    Hello, Please help scoreing games people. Don't just give it a 10 or a Zero I posted a review on Reckoning forum prior to release to see if I would get any response as they were wanting feedback on the demo.. I never did. Here it is.
    Wondering if we will feel freedom of movement ?
    PC . Mouse / keyboard 1600X1050 widescreen

    I've played the demo 4 times now with different characters. First Impressions:
    The Story line I found engaging and interesting. The combat is beautifully fluid and fun. The graphic style is correct in look for 2012 and I like the solid look of the beasts. About the camera, I was surprised that I couldn't look straight up. It gave me the impression there's a ceiling. And not being able to use the wheel mouse to zoom to MY tastes was missing. The "reckoning" portion of combat is a masterpiece. new fresh and the feeling of greatness was nice. Cons: The feeling of freedom is paramount. Not being able to jump or climb . I "didn't" know we are suppose to feel like we are always PASTED to the floor ! I do understand the game is a huge undertaking. And you list the game as "open world" BUT I expected to be able to swim AND explore underwater (Not just swim on the surface), or do what you would think as a simple thing as wading ankle deep in small pools of water something of that difficult a task not to be able to? I purchased Guild-wars as a pre-order. After finding out the SAME limitations I only played the game for the 30 days and dropped it afterwards not wanting to spend any more money on it. Mind you... I've played them ALL. Please respond to this posting and assure me these setbacks will be remedied in the future. Otherwise I'll have to cancel my pre-order. Thank everyone for the hard work that has been put into this adventure. (applause)
    The update to this post is that I did cancel my pre order... looks like I was correct in doing so.    … Expand
  16. JeffK
    Feb 10, 2012
    5
    Try before you buy. That's all I really need to say. Download and play the free demo first. I thought I would like this game, but it has the look and feel of a game from the last gen consoles, and it got old pretty fast. I have no desire to play more when there are so many other great games out there. Too bad, because the preview videos made it look like this game would be right up my alley.
  17. JohnGolden68
    Feb 9, 2012
    7
    It's true that there are some serious flaws with KOA, which is why I can completely understand the disappointment expressed from other players, but the one aspect of the game that I think they got right is the combat. Yes, it is pretty much your typical hack and slash, but I do like the way you can change your fighting style on the fly without having to pause the game to equip differentIt's true that there are some serious flaws with KOA, which is why I can completely understand the disappointment expressed from other players, but the one aspect of the game that I think they got right is the combat. Yes, it is pretty much your typical hack and slash, but I do like the way you can change your fighting style on the fly without having to pause the game to equip different gear. Using different methods can make the game very fun at times, but sadly it is there is no escaping the fact the story line and dialogue between the fights can make the game as equally tedious.… Expand
  18. durant0s
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    It's in no way original but the combat system is very fun to use. You don't have to stick to only 1 skill tree so you can create really cool character combinations. Also this being the studios first title you can tell this is kind of a setup game, showing off the universe while not pulling too many strings. I have a whole lot of fun playing the console version and I expect better thingsIt's in no way original but the combat system is very fun to use. You don't have to stick to only 1 skill tree so you can create really cool character combinations. Also this being the studios first title you can tell this is kind of a setup game, showing off the universe while not pulling too many strings. I have a whole lot of fun playing the console version and I expect better things out of their second game, a MMO.… Expand
  19. fatoldsun_98
    Aug 2, 2012
    5
    This is Dragon Age 2-IMPROVED. I recommend this game to kids, 14 and under. It is an excellent starter RPG for them. As for me, there wasn't enough diversity and mystery to keep me interested. You get a quest, activate in the menu and walla, there's a marker on the map right where the item is. You need to find somebody to get a quest, there's markers above each NPC that is aThis is Dragon Age 2-IMPROVED. I recommend this game to kids, 14 and under. It is an excellent starter RPG for them. As for me, there wasn't enough diversity and mystery to keep me interested. You get a quest, activate in the menu and walla, there's a marker on the map right where the item is. You need to find somebody to get a quest, there's markers above each NPC that is a quest-giver. This is NOT an awful game, just a bit childish. The menus are slow and flat, not much organization and you have to scroll (very slow) a LONG ways to get to things. It reminds me of Star Ocean, a LOT like a JRPG except the enemies don't come up in an array and then you pop into combat, however you can go into this hyper-reality mode given that you have built up the "fate" to do so, much like Star Ocean too where you build up points for specific moves. Don't buy this, rent it if you have to check it out. After about 50 hours into it, this game became pure drudgery to play and I dropped it and regretted buying it. However if there's some people interested in how RPGs work and want to find out what they're about, I would start them out with this game, as it has some lovely scenery if you can get the cam to work right, and the general idea of what RPG'ing is about is generally contained in this game. The monsters are cute, some of them I really feel bad about killing; threshes seem intimidating but once you figure out when you get close to them you can keep mashing the melee key with whatever weapon you have and when they're down, keep knocking them down until they die, not really ingenious in my mind, just the epidemy of hack and slash. Everything seems contrived meaning the game will let you win every battle, I never sensed I was in real danger because there's so many ways to get your health back up. Sneaking is useless. The more I keep writing, the more stars I keep knocking off so that's all folks.… Expand
  20. crazydangerous
    May 1, 2012
    7
    This game is a bit bland story-wise, game-plays decent, it has a impressive length and a great bit invested in crafting and variations in items like armours etc. I'm a bit suspicious of the people who gave this game a 10/10 on all platforms and that's their only reviews. I say pay $40 or less for it if you just want a game that will last a long while to avoid buyer's remorse.
  21. shrooomie
    Mar 29, 2012
    7
    This game is alright. This was one of the only RPGS i ever played where i skpped all side quest dialogue and did just ran from point a to point b
    COmbat was decent too
  22. mosessaur
    Jan 13, 2014
    6
    The only reason I played this game is because I had it for free on PS Plus few months ago. I have no idea why IGN rated this game 9 making it close to Skyrim.
    If Skyrim was 10 this game shouldn’t go any near to 7. I couldn’t help myself comparing it to skyrim each moment. Even trophies are clone form Skyrim. But the game itself is nothing close to Skyrim gameplay, role-play and visuals.    The only reason I played this game is because I had it for free on PS Plus few months ago. I have no idea why IGN rated this game 9 making it close to Skyrim.
    If Skyrim was 10 this game shouldn’t go any near to 7. I couldn’t help myself comparing it to skyrim each moment. Even trophies are clone form Skyrim. But the game itself is nothing close to Skyrim gameplay, role-play and visuals. There are fictions in the game exactly the same as those in Skyrim with different names. Main story quests aren’t interesting and boring. The 3rd person style is annoying with additional annoying camera. I hated that I couldn’t jump. Reminded me of LOTR: War in the North game. Same gameplay style which I really hated.
    I can’t give this game more than 6.    … Expand
  23. peterphnguyen
    Jul 29, 2012
    7
    I would give this game a 7.5 if I could as Kingdoms of Amalur deserves a purchase and a chance, however after seeing so many wonderful reviews of major websites about how amazing this game is, I realised that I begun to force myself to actually try enjoy it. The combat is one of the best reasons to purchase this game as well as the rich world it throws you in, but yet I couldn't help butI would give this game a 7.5 if I could as Kingdoms of Amalur deserves a purchase and a chance, however after seeing so many wonderful reviews of major websites about how amazing this game is, I realised that I begun to force myself to actually try enjoy it. The combat is one of the best reasons to purchase this game as well as the rich world it throws you in, but yet I couldn't help but find it all repetitive as things started to get easier. This is not a bad game, it's a good game with moments of greatness yet just falls flat. Regardless this game would keep many playing for hours, but games such as dragons dogma which received low scores in major critic websites seem to be more engaging than kingdoms, nonetheless the game is worthy of a playthrough with the rpg elements actually mixed in correctly.… Expand
  24. X-Abrupto
    Oct 20, 2013
    6
    To make it short, this game is like the child of World of Warcraft, Fable and Dragon Age games. It has that cute design Fable has, it has the gigantic map and huge quest amount just like WOW and the menus and HUD are very similar to Dragon Age. Alas, it can't beat any of those three champions in the action/RPG genre.

    Kingdoms of Amalur is an immense game. The map is one of the biggest    To make it short, this game is like the child of World of Warcraft, Fable and Dragon Age games. It has that cute design Fable has, it has the gigantic map and huge quest amount just like WOW and the menus and HUD are very similar to Dragon Age. Alas, it can't beat any of those three champions in the action/RPG genre.

    Kingdoms of Amalur is an immense game. The map is one of the biggest I've seen. The side quests come in legions although they can be repetitive over time. The main quests are quite diverse and hold the biggest part of action and originality the game can offer. There's days and days of content. Alas, the redundancy of the quests and the lack of complexity in the fighting side of the game makes the whole gaming experience tedious after a while.

    This game is beautiful in terms of scenery. So beautiful that it looks like there's too much going on. After a while, you get used to the beauty of the landscapes and pay little attention to what you see. Too much is like not enough.

    The faces of the characters are dull and lack expression. It is not acceptable nowadays. They look like they are from a game made in 2004.

    The music is sometimes convincing but lacks originality. Many songs are similar to other RPG titles that have come before it. Same thing goes with the sound effects which are generic at best.

    Your characters and the various NPCs you encounter barely have a personality. Only the characters seen in the main quests have something going for them but they remain RPG and fantasy/aventure clichés. It's very unfortunate because if a game like Amalur can't compete with other games in the graphics department, it should be able to add more depth to the characters and storylines to redeem itself. Alas, it doesn't, so you will often feel like you are playing some sort of a huge mod.

    The ennemies are pretty diversified and many are quite original in their own way although they are mostly inspired by other games.

    As a conclusion this game is far from being bad, it's huge, beautiful and the loading times are pretty much non-existent... But it lacks what it takes to escape the etiquette of being an emulation. Its lack of originality, repeating quests and poor graphics can only make me give it 6/10.    … Expand
  25. boshi
    Oct 22, 2013
    6
    an alright game. it's really easy, no matter the difficulty. the story is alright as well, but not great. the combat itself is pretty fun, although the i felt that there could have been more combat animations. the fates system is pretty cool and is based off how you distribute your skill points.
  26. SJ-ULTI-Reiews
    Oct 28, 2013
    7
    To be honest i was expecting a lot more from KoA: Reckoning, that being said i dont like RPGs at all, but this one seemed to hook me like no other rpg's have. I only played it for 12 hours, the game starts really good and gets boring the more you play it. KoA: Reckoning has the best gameplay for an rpg. I never finished the game so it might have gotten better later on, but as it standsTo be honest i was expecting a lot more from KoA: Reckoning, that being said i dont like RPGs at all, but this one seemed to hook me like no other rpg's have. I only played it for 12 hours, the game starts really good and gets boring the more you play it. KoA: Reckoning has the best gameplay for an rpg. I never finished the game so it might have gotten better later on, but as it stands this game is good and id recommend it to any rpg fan or newcomers to the genre.… Expand
  27. Voodoogumbo
    Nov 17, 2013
    7
    KoA:R is an incredibly fun game, that is loaded with story, but short on depth.
    Pros: The Lore (written by R.A. Salvatore) is top notch with an immersive world and a story that doesn't lose steam from the get-go. And while the main story is rather short, the numerous side quests (read: more than 100) certainly provide a "bang for your buck." The graphics are crisp, while the sounds and    KoA:R is an incredibly fun game, that is loaded with story, but short on depth.
    Pros: The Lore (written by R.A. Salvatore) is top notch with an immersive world and a story that doesn't lose steam from the get-go. And while the main story is rather short, the numerous side quests (read: more than 100) certainly provide a "bang for your buck." The graphics are crisp, while the sounds and soundtrack are top notch. I definitely recommend playing it once to completion, especially if you're an open world RPG fan.
    Cons: Firstly, the crafting system leaves a lot to be desired. It's disheartening to throw skill points into Blacksmithing, and have your newly minted weapons out-statted by the next John Q. Vendor you come across. I found more of the underwhelming ho-hum to be evident in Sagecrafting or Alchemy as well. The controls are a little loose as well. It's easy to get turned around in battle which becomes frustrating when you're fighting three wolves who all are timing their respective howl and charge at you one second apart from each other.
    Rundown: It's definitely a game I'd pick up (though not at the new $60 price) for a fun adventure. The ending didn't leave me with a desire to play it again (a la Mass Effect or Dragon Age), but it certainly was a fun romp my entire playthrough.    … Expand
  28. Crewdroog
    May 5, 2014
    6
    I wish Kingdom's and Elder Scrolls would meet and have a baby.

    That being said, Kingdom's is an RPG that has an ok story, average actors (what is with the accents?!) but a really fun fighting system. However, even though the fighting system is fun, the enemies are not challenging. I've played about half of the game and every once in a while try to pick it back up, but just can't    I wish Kingdom's and Elder Scrolls would meet and have a baby.

    That being said, Kingdom's is an RPG that has an ok story, average actors (what is with the accents?!) but a really fun fighting system. However, even though the fighting system is fun, the enemies are not challenging.

    I've played about half of the game and every once in a while try to pick it back up, but just can't get into it. Got it for free via PSN plus account. Glad for that.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Best PS3 Game of 2012
16
#16 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
25
#25 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. RPG Fan
    Mar 8, 2012
    76
    Needless to say, Reckoning is a repetitive experience. If you've played the first five hours, you've seen everything the game has to offer except a few bosses and superficially different environments.
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  2. MEGamers
    Mar 5, 2012
    85
    When you set aside the forgettable characters and boring dialog you find a game that is so well polished in many of its other aspects. The title boasts one of the best combat systems ever in an action-RPG and a highly flexible class system that allows the player to choose to be whatever they want to.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 4, 2012
    80
    Reckoning is not about narrative. In this respect, it's a defiantly linear experience. What it is about is gameplay choice within the oft-rigid of an RPG. The way it accomplishes this is particularly fresh, and maybe even suggests a new precedent in the evolution of the genre. It's about time, right? Big Huge Games has clearly been paying a lot of attention to what's going on, and the result is that Reckoning is a patchwork of everything great that's been done to forward modern RPGs in recent times. [March 2012, p70]
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