Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Review (PS3, 360, PC)

written by Emma Worssam on 13.2.12

As a lover of RPG’s I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this game when I was asked to review it.

Published by EA Games, developed by Big Huge Games and written by acclaimed author R.A Salvatore the pedigree was undeniable so would it live up to my expectations?

• Likes

  • Smooth Combat System
  • Good Gameplay
  • Long Lasting

• Dislikes

  • Lacking Originality
  • Lacks Engrossing Storyline

You start off the game dead……………yes that’s right, you’re DEAD!!! However it turns out that your death is the 1st day of the rest of your life. Confused? I know I am!

It turns out that you’re the 1st successful attempt in a long line of failures to resurrect the dead using ‘The Well of Souls’. Not only does it make you the 1st person to ever be successfully resurrected it also makes you the only person to have no Fate. Everyone else in the world has a predetermined destiny, you completed your destiny but then some bugger bought you back and Fate hadn’t taken that 1 into consideration.

So there you are, the wild card in the deck of life and your whole future is there for you to determine as well as how you can affect the futures of not just the people around you but the whole world, the potential is so great………and thats where it all falls down.

There IS so much potential to this game, the idea behind the story is great but as you play you realise that there’s nothing new, nothing that hasn’t been done before to it, it lacks any originality.

I know as a reviewer I have to look at each game subjectively and try not to compare it to other games but this game feels like someones tipped Elder Scrolls, Fable and WoW into bed together and this is the resulting love child.

You spend the game either on the main quest or doing little side quests such as exploring caves, recovering items for people and finding missing persons and I just found myself thinking ‘well this is like this game, or this is like that game’. You find yourself running hither and thither between waypoints little knowing and to be honest little caring as to why.

The NPC’s that you encounter are very generic, conversations with them are informative but you don’t find yourself drawn in, a feeling enhanced by the muteness and 3rd person perspective of your character leaving you almost disassociated from whats going on.

Gameplay itself is excellent, the characters are fully customisable both in looks and attributes and as you play you level up allowing you to develop your skills in Might, Finesse and Sorcery. Through the use of easy to use skill trees you can mold yourself into a Master of Magic, a Wonder of Weaponry or a Jack of all trades, Master of none with a smattering of everything.

If you don’t like the choices you’ve made, well that’s no problem. In the game are NPC’s called Fateweavers who can read peoples fates (it bugs the hell out of them that you’ve got nothing to read) but they can reset your skill tree for you so then you can redesign yourself all over again.

You can create your own weapons, enchant them with powerful magical gems, whip up your own spells and potions, it’s actually more fun to dismantle items you find on the way(and you’ll find plenty) and recycle them then to sell them and buy items already made for you.

Combat is where this game really comes into a class of it’s own, with a great arsenal of weapons at your disposal ranging from swords and staffs to daggers and bows and arrows and these funny round throwy things (I can’t remember what they’re called but they’re good) the real time combat flows as you block, parry and thrust yourself in pitched battle, dodging here and throwing a spell there.

As you level up your might and finesse you’ll unlock new move combos and finishing moves so in the end you’re dancing around as if the floor’s covered in hot coals before finishing of the enemy with a move that makes you look like you’re pole dancing round your longsword. The effect is enhanced with short sharp cut scenes where you have to push the right button at the right time to produce the killer blow (Gods of War but I’ll let them off coz it looks bloody good).

There’s a wide selection of enemies from small bouncy Boggarts (not like the Harry Potter kind happily otherwise I’d be battling a whole host of Michael Bubles) through to the muscle bound Ettins and the usual wolves and spiders.

Graphically it’s very pretty and cutesy, all bright colours and soft focus, the enviroments are big but you it’s lacking the feeling of any size and depth. It’s a strange combination of feeling claustrophobic whilst being in a huge room.

Acoustically the music is sparse, the developers preferring the sounds of nature with lots of bird calls (I wonder if they realise that most bird conversations are either, Danger!! I want sex or FUCK OFF!!!) and insects.

There’s no denying that it’s money well spent timewise with the main quest stretching out between 40-45 hrs and adding all the side quests in you’re looking at a good 100+ hrs of gameplay and the game itself is relatively bug free, smooth running although the lipsynching leaves much to be desired, we’re almost in kung foo movie territory.

So if you’re looking for a game with good gameplay and excellent combat then this will suit you down to the ground but if you’re looking for a story that’ll draw you in and hol you enthralled then I’m afraid you’re going to be heartily disappointed.