# Kingdoms of Amalur : Reckoning



## tommers (Jan 27, 2012)

New open world RPG - created by the lead designer of Morrowind and Oblivion (Ken Rolston) with art designed by Todd McFarlane (of Spawn fame).

Out on Feb 10th in Europe.

Combat is based on timed button presses, like God of War.. and it has a cool sounding class system. 3 branches of skills - might, finesse and sorcery - and classes open up depending on the combinations of these you pick.

Gabe on Penny Arcade is raving about it... http://penny-arcade.com/2012/01/27/amalur

There's a demo out on all formats.

Is this the game that we wanted Skyrim to be?


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## tommers (Jan 27, 2012)

http://www.computerandvideogames.co...-want-to-take-rpgs-in-a-new-direction/?page=1


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## Cid (Jan 27, 2012)

R.A 'about as generic fantasy as you get' Salvatore? hmm... I have a great deal of respect for Gabe mind you, and an RPG that does combat well?


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## Crispy (Jan 27, 2012)

Very intriguing!


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## bouncer_the_dog (Jan 27, 2012)

Christ

(in a Cartman in the WoW episode of South Park voice)


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## tommers (Jan 28, 2012)

Cid said:


> R.A 'about as generic fantasy as you get' Salvatore? hmm... I have a great deal of respect for Gabe mind you, and an RPG that does combat well?




Yeah,  who is he? Never heard of him.

Might be worth keeping an eye on it.


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## Cid (Jan 28, 2012)

Forgotten Realms D&D type stuff; Drizzt  Do'Urden the Dark elf exile probably his best known creation...


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## fen_boy (Jan 28, 2012)

Cid said:


> and an RPG that does combat well?



Dark Souls has already done that.


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## tommers (Jan 28, 2012)

Yeah and it was absolutely fucking amazing.


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## tommers (Jan 28, 2012)

Cid said:


> Forgotten Realms D&D type stuff; Drizzt  Do'Urden the Dark elf exile probably his best known creation...



 well, I look forward to that.!


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## bmd (Jan 28, 2012)

I am really looking forward to this but the fact that EA is sticking some single player content on a paid basis i.e. if you buy the game new you get a code, if not you pay for one, is sticking in my throat somewhat. I usually buy games 2nd hand.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Jan 28, 2012)

Looks interesting. I might get this if it gets a good reaction on release.


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## tommers (Jan 28, 2012)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> I am really looking forward to this but the fact that EA is sticking some single player content on a paid basis i.e. if you buy the game new you get a code, if not you pay for one, is sticking in my throat somewhat. I usually buy games 2nd hand.




Is it the same as the normal 'get your vip crossbow of oshgalir' or is it restricting parts of the game?


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## bmd (Jan 28, 2012)

It's a complete quest.


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## tommers (Jan 28, 2012)

That's shit. 

I've been playing the demo. It's not quite what I expected


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## Cid (Jan 28, 2012)

They did it in Dragon Age too:


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2012)

Yeah. It has its own special chest for dlc.  Stuff gets delivered there when you buy it.  I've also got stuff waiting for me when I buy mass effect 3 (which isn't going to happen, sorry EA.)  I've already unlocked a load of stuff just by playing the demo.  It's a bit shit but it's only going to get worse.  

Oh, and it also asks if you want to share personal details with their servers, with the promise of more stuff in return.

The demo itself is good though. Well over an hour of game.  You get to do the intro dungeon and then get 45 mins to do whatever you like.  There's obviously a lot of stuff there that I didn't get near - character development, factions etc.  Crafting and alchemy is all present & correct.

Combat seems to be button mashing but that might evolve as you get further. I did have quite a good boss fight at the start.  It's no dark souls though.

The style of it is like torchlight or fable.   Quite cartoony.

Download it and see what you think. Free innit?


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2012)

It's 7 quests!

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/...continues-a-slippery-slope-for-used-games.ars

Hmmm....


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## DotCommunist (Jan 29, 2012)

Cid said:


> Forgotten Realms D&D type stuff; Drizzt Do'Urden the Dark elf exile probably his best known creation...


 
Oh my god. !00 Orcs. Thats probably the worst fantasy novel I have ever read. Not just hackneyed, obvious and clunky but full of technical errors and moments of facepalm.

I wouldn't let that cunt write a cheque for me


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## tommers (Jan 29, 2012)

Did he write that?  Oh dear. That was fucking awful.


Oh no... I'm thinking of this...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316033707/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Also rubbish.


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## Cid (Jan 29, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> Oh my god. !00 Orcs. Thats probably the worst fantasy novel I have ever read. Not just hackneyed, obvious and clunky but full of technical errors and moments of facepalm.
> 
> I wouldn't let that cunt write a cheque for me



The flickering blades of Drizzt Do'Urden would reflect the light of the moon in his piercing, violet eyes and bright white hair as his blades flickered across your face and your face became a network of red lines that glowed like a demon's fire as Drizzt Do'Urden signed Mr Salvatore's cheque for him.


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## bouncer_the_dog (Jan 29, 2012)

I downloaded the demo for the X-Box.

I really like this game. Its way more polished than Skyrim and I prefer it. It as a very satisfying fighting style like that of the recent Castlevania game with all the usual RPG gubbins of quests, talking, twatting things that you expect. I prefer the cartoony style, its like WoW. It also has a WoW like load of trashmobs wandering around in the word to kill. Initially I was thinking of going for the soul calibur warrior type look but actually find the magic very stisfying. I have no idea how epic the quests are, the Skyrim ones have it beat on that, based on the demo alone. Also I didn't get to kill a sodding massive dragon. Hmm.. no i don't know.

My next X-box game will be one of: Batman, Mass Effect 3 (but still have to finish 2) or this...


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## ruffneck23 (Feb 8, 2012)

its got a good review

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/121/1218160p1.html

I might have to get it as im a bit bored of skyrim now ( after 70 hours....)


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## tommers (Feb 9, 2012)

Out tomorrow.  I think I'm going to wait until it comes down in price a bit....


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## ruffneck23 (Feb 9, 2012)

I  got an 'evaluation 'copy last night  but havent had a chance to play it yet as I have to re-install windows tonight 

but hopefully I will give it a bash later


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Feb 9, 2012)

http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/critic-reviews

Quite a lot of 'good, but...' type reviews. One for when it dips under twenty quid I think.


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## bouncer_the_dog (Feb 9, 2012)

I'm gonna get it. But totally skint at the moment. I've always been against trade-ins, but might consider it.


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## Cid (Feb 10, 2012)

Quite a lot of them seem to say it's let down by bland, generic storytelling... wonder who's fault that might be...


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## ruffneck23 (Feb 17, 2012)

had it for a week, and well although the combat is excellent im still a bit unsure, it all seems a bit , how can i say, twee perhaps. Will have to give it another bash over the weekend


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## tommers (Feb 17, 2012)

That was exactly my worry. I want something a bit more... realistic is the wrong word but less... perky.


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## ruffneck23 (Feb 17, 2012)

il be honest ive not really touched the main quest and just stuck to the side quests , its o....k.... but i think i prefer skyrim..


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## Shippou-Sensei (Mar 1, 2012)

been playing this for a good few hours now

it's ok.  it's most like fable III  if fable III had much better combat  and  a touch of elder scrolls

 i think  ZP got it  dangerosly close when he described it as baby's first skyrim.   it has a lot of the elements  but in a  much simpler manner.

i'm enjoying it  but it hasn't bl;own me away like skyrim did


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## bouncer_the_dog (Mar 1, 2012)

Combats more fun than skyrim. I want to soul calibur stuff..  not trap it behind a rock and fire 200 arrows at it while it clips.


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 6, 2012)

I've just picked this up, been playing as far as the first village (so not far).

It's not bad, enjoyable enough. I expect it'll get better as I level up a bit.

Yeah, it's certainly no Skyrim, far more Fabley, but more in-depth in terms of how to build your character. I like Skyrim's combat though (since I always stick with archery), but it's nice to have a change of pace. Not as good as something like DA2's combat, but nowhere near as basic as Fable III's.

Anyone still playing it?


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## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 6, 2012)

i still knock out an hour or two.

i think of it as  fable  but  better.

the people who compared it to skyrim can fuck off  IMHO  for some reason i just  don't think this touches  skyrims gameplay

the eniviroments altough beutiful  just dont feel as epic and organic as skyrim.    when you explore in skyrim you feel  like your  doing something special   in amular it is justr an aspect of grinding


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 7, 2012)

Yeah, I don't really understand the comparison to Skyrim. I suppose it's because that was the closest big name RPG to Amalur's release, so that's the benchmark in people's minds, idk.

Combat is a bit weird for me starting out, because I've never been one for games with timed, chained moves and so on (I'm missing point&click from things like TOR or DA2, and in the latter I'm a serial pauser). That said, it's fun enough.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 7, 2012)

yeah 

the fable type type movement pisses me off though.  why can't i juuuump


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 10, 2012)

Yeah, I have found several times I want to jump. I just went through a cave with a bunch of traps, and one was a tripwire, spread the width of it, with no way around, and no visible way to disarm it (I can't disarm traps). Had to walk right into it and set it off, because I couldn't bloody jump over it. It was 2 inches off the ground, ffs.

Otherwise, I'm enjoying it immensely now though.


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 11, 2012)

I have decided this game is about loot. Not story. Not combat. Not exploring. Not lore. Just loot. Shiny, shiny loot.

I'm putting all my skill points into blacksmithing, sagecraft, and detect hidden. I haven't left the first regional area yet, and I've got 250k gold and really nice weapons and armour (far better than what the game is spawning).

Lovely, shiny loot.


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 11, 2012)

Seriously, if you like the shiny, sagecrafting and blacksmithing is the way to go. I made a new chestpiece with an epic gem that gives me 20% more gold. Then I sold my old chestpiece, for 25K.

If only real life were so lucrative.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 17, 2012)

hummm i should try and get back into this one.   i finally unlocked the big elf city  and  was getting  a better range of quests.   i don't  feel  like  i'm doing much in terms of powering up though.


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## Vintage Paw (Apr 17, 2012)

Yeah, I've just gotten to Ysa, thinking I was more or less at the end of the first region. But it's spewed a whole host of new minor quests at me, and I sort of can't be bothered. But, I've had a break for a while, so I might have a little play later on, see if I can't get a bit further.

It does seem to feel rather grindy after a while, which is a shame.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 17, 2012)

yeah

here come the  new boss same as the old boss

there are a few nice  little  quests  like   the assassination in ysa     but  it's all a bit  go to cave     click on monster till it's dead.

there are no  oh wow  moments


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## Cid (Apr 18, 2012)

Loot and grinding you say? Seems those that cried 'single-player WoW' were right...


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## Remus Harbank (Jan 6, 2014)

Just bought this – if you want to party like it's 2003, without any MMORPG elements and old fashioned graphics, and spend less than £15, then this game is for you. I find it quite enjoyable for all those (wrong?) reasons…


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## Vintage Paw (Jan 7, 2014)

I never went back to it after I said I was taking a break up there ^

I did enjoy it while I played it, but after a while it just got very samey.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Jan 27, 2014)

yeah ditto.

I was only  like  20% of the way in by the look of the map   but   i just wasn't that interested about what was around the corner.


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