Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

One of the best RPGs of the previous console generation, Kingdoms of Amalur, is back and as good as ever. Don't let its previous commercial failure fool you, this is a very solid RPG with a ton of story and it has the best combat system in the genre.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning changes little from its original release because it doesn't need to. This is immediately one of the best RPGs you can play this entire generation.

Rather than struggle with its limitations, however, Kingdoms of Amalur embraces them and is quite confident about being that "single-player MMO" experience, without pretense. It is a joyfully lengthy, grindy quest that gets away with it because it's also quite beautiful, snappy, and coherent about it. This "Re-Reckoning" doesn't do anything more than test the waters for a potential future for the franchise, but I do think it deserves one. It has been a real pleasure to have the opportunity to re-experience this game.

The technical improvements are well done also, the extra details of each environment adding a little more color to Amalur’s world while keeping the framerate manageable. There’s still a few warts along the way, mostly involving things and people popping into view when passing or speaking to them, but none of them break the game to the point of starting over. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning accomplishes everything a remaster should accomplish, and stepping back into Amalur should be a top priority for everyone.

A great remaster of the best “single-player MMORPG” ever. The original seemed to have everything it needed to shine, but some external factors (poor marketing, the closure of 38 Studios) robbed it of success. I’m happy to inform that the remastering was done expertly and this charming, fun, unpretentious game resembling Fable is still worth both its price and all the hours needed to complete it. I’m really happy I got this chance to revisit Amalur, and I want to believe that Re-Reckoning foreshadows the revival of the franchise that died prematurely years ago. [11/2020, p.48]

As a remastered title, you would expect a huge overhaul in almost every department, but in Kingdoms of Amalur case, there is not much change other than better visuals and increased resolution. But the fact that a game released 8 years ago is still perfectly enjoyable in 2020 suggests just how good the original game was.

One of my favorite RPGs in recent memory just got easier to replay. That's a win.

Looks like Warcraft, plays like Fable, Amalur brings nothing new to the table. An RPG-lite, if you will, there’s enough for casual players to have fun with, as well as hardcore players to sink time into.

Ultimately, what I keep thinking of is Katamari Re-Roll, which was similarly a very fun game because it was an unambitious remake of an already very fun game. If you already have the original, it’s a harder sell, because the remake doesn’t change all that much from the original… but it’s also an improvement and a chance for those who missed out on the original (or the DLC) to try the whole package, with the promise of more still to come. There are, in other words, some reasons that not everyone will be delighted by Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. But even if there’s not much new to it… well, there’s also nothing wrong with it at all, and the original was great.

The game itself continues to be as good as it was when it came out the first time, and to anyone looking for a deep RPG world to get lost in, you could do a lot worse. Kingdoms of Amalur is a game that shows its age, mainly through system design, and while this re-release does little more then slap a new coat of paint on an already good game, giving a new generation a chance to enjoy the sole product of a studio they otherwise would have only heard about in the annals of “bad stuff that happens to poorly led studios.”

A fairly easy and light RPG experience. Kingdoms of Amalur is a game that rewards the player with new gadgets and powers and tries to be a nice, laid back experience.

A notable remastered work, especially when you take into account the original game's limitations, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a great way to discover this universe and a well earned second chance for a game that was unfairly forgotten.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is not terribly challenging or filled with complex plot, but offers you a straightforward, lengthy, and empowering journey to save the world from evil.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning’s world holds so much promise that it was heart-wrenching when the franchise went dormant, but with this new lease on life, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it won’t be long before we get a full-blown sequel. Until then, I shall continue exploring the world of Amalur as Barnaby, the dashing rogue.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is just as fun as it was eight years ago. Though the game didn't get any updates to its inventory management system or the criminally long load times, the combat is still great and the vast world is a blast to explore.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is every RPG lovers dream and if you don’t mind its somewhat dated appearance, this classic absolutely deserves your undivided attention. I’ve been having a blast saving the people of Amalur and I can’t wait to see what the all-new DLC content will bring to the table.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a revitalization of a game that remains vivid, addictive, and comfortably familiar. While it lacks the immersive touch of something like Skyrim, The Witcher, or Fable, the split-up areas of the Faelands are still fun to explore. However, the main draw remains the irresistible combat, which has now been refined to its full glory. As such, this remaster is the definitive way to experience one of the very few action-RPGs that realizes the “action” part so phenomenally.

Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning is one of those rare cases which a remastered has got its sense out of commercial reasons. A fine tuned narrative background plays well with a stylish system and shining environments, with some good ideas both on scenography and characters. If you will have the will to overcome a game structure that directly comes from 2012, you can rediscover a very underrated game. Let’s just hope they will fix its technical issues.