Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Reviews

After hearing Matt Barton’s opinion on the title we’re back with a round-up of reviews for 38 Studios’ Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, although by now there’s little of surprising in the opinions and criticism aimed at the open-world action-RPG.

Game Industry News, 4/5.

It may falter in certain areas, such as framerate issues that can be all but fixed by installing the game to your harddrive, but it doesn’t let those faults slow it down. Make no mistake; this is not the RPG that will tide you over until the next big name title comes around. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is what many RPG enthusiasts have been waiting for. It’s here. Time to enjoy it.

Complex, 8/10.

There are other minor issues, too. The camera never gets stuck, but, especially in larger battles, it will come in too close on you, forcing you to adjust as you defend yourself. And, unlike Skyrim, where just about every room came alive in some way or another, many spots in Amalur’s towns are rooms where nothing can be done, mere window-dressing to pad the game’s length. Repetitive sidequests remain an issue, too.

But none of that can remove the luster from this game. It’s early in 2012, and you need some RPG to play until Mass Effect 3, right?

Kingdoms of Amalur may be exactly what you need.

Forbes has a scoreless in-depth four-page piece.

What I can say without a doubt is that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one hell of a fun game, and you should go buy it and play it right away.

And don’t be fooled by the intro of the entire game, the opening is the weakest. It’s an odd sort of shortcoming. While the tutorial is effective, it was also not very compelling. I like a game that throws me right into the fray with a dramatic opening, and while I think that Reckoning does attempt to do that, it falls short of the mark.

Techonrati, scoreless.

Question is, do you need another life-consuming world? Isn’t Amalur flighty fantasy fun enough to mark it out from the competition? This is an epic for the man-on-the-go or, for those currently Skyrimmed, a gateway drug to real life.

ZTGD, 9.3/10.

For what it’s worth, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an amazing game. I can’t suggest it enough. RPG fans will fall in love with the customization of both your character and equipment, action fans will love the thought out combat and fantasy fans will love the lore and story. There’s really something here for everyone, so much so that you may be put off by it all. I would say stick to the factions and main story quest lines if you start getting a little bored with the side quests. Even just doing those will give you over 25 hours of game play. For $60 you get a lot of game with Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Is that game good? Absolutely.

Brutal Gamer, 8.0/10.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning is a huge and enjoyable fantasy RPG. The combat system is one of the most fun experiences in an RPG, and the huge amount of lore in the game will give you plenty of story to chew on, although with it being completely new lore, it might be a bit complex for some. The lack of variety with a lot of the monsters and the side quests, and the fact that ‘˜Reckoning’ mode does take the challenge out of boss fights do let it down a bit, but the sheer wealth of content and the excellent combat system make Reckoning an engaging and all round fun game that will keep you happy for hours on end.

MMGN, 9.0/10.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one of those titles that will get a mention when the game of the year chat starts, but is released too early to be a serious contender. The comparisons between Reckoning and Skyrim are obvious, but the differences are more prevalent than you’d think. Reckoning shows how combat should be done in an action-RPG, without detracting from other aspects of the gameplay. While it gets repetitive and doesn’t quite entice players to explore the world like Skyrim, it’s a massive adventure that fans of the genre will love to get lost in.

Total PlayStation, 8.5/10.

Overall, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a very well thought out game but there needs to be some minor adjustments to the controls and enemies to make it more enjoyable. Though the flaws can be downright frustrating at times, don’t be surprised when you look down at the clock thinking you’re only an hour into the game and see that it has been three or four instead. Considering that this is 38 Studios’ maiden voyage out into the world of large RPG’s they did phenomenally well in hooking even battle hardened RPG enthusiasts. We’re looking forward to the next installment but in the mean time we have no qualms with journeying back into Faelands and the Plains of Erathell to tie up some loose ends.