This is especially the case with Amalur’s awesome quicktime sequences. The third-person perspective and action-heavy combat, however, feel much closer to the original God of War games. Along the way, you learn a lot about the world and the people in it. You’ll be sidetracked by people in small towns who need you to solve their problems. This strong pedigree also shows in the action-packed gameplay.ģ8 Studios founder Curt Schilling (yes, that one) famously said in 2010, “We're taking God of War and marrying it with Oblivion.” In execution, both versions of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning deliver on that promise.Īmalur has the same core gameplay loop as any Elder Scrolls game: You’ll explore vast environments and stumble upon bandit camps and dungeons full of enemies and treasure. “We're taking God of War and marrying it with Oblivion. MacFarlane’s raw artistic flair permeates the action and overall tone, which dips into visceral at times. Whereas Elder Scrolls games often feel mired in realistic grey tones, Amalur pops with a vibrant, cartoonish aesthetic that more closely resembles World of Warcraft or Fable. Ken Rolston - who worked on The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and Oblivion - served as design director. Salvatore, and Spawn creator Todd MacFarlane drew much of the artwork. Amalur’s riveting, unique tale was written by best-selling fantasy author R.A. In many ways, the mythos and story of Amalur offer the highest of high fantasy that’ll enchant the most diehard Dungeons & Dragons fans and Lord of the Rings casuals alike. You’ve also got a world to save.Įven this trailer from 2012 is still pretty gnarly. There are plenty of people to meet and nooks and crannies to explore. Within minutes, you’re thrust into a gorgeous open world teeming with life. Things kick off when you awaken atop of a pile of failed experiments just as the Tuatha invade the facility to destroy the device. Except you’re his first and only success. A gnomish scientist creates a device to resurrect the souls of the recently deceased into new bodies, an inventive solution to help defeat the Tuatha. That’s where you come in: The Fateless One. (We may never know where the dwarves and halflings are!) And because the Tuatha naturally reincarnate after death, this is a war the mortal races are sure to lose. An extremist sect of immortal beings called the Tuatha seeks to exterminate the mortal races - various humans, elves, and gnomes. The Kingdoms of Amalur are at war when the game starts. The original game’s developer, 38 Studios, went belly-up not long after the initial release, so Amalur’s second chance probably feels like a miracle to fans of the cult classic action-RPG. The “Re-Reckoning” rename feels like a meta nod to the game’s premise: a hero brought back from death to defy Destiny and save the Faelands from certain doom. The irony of this remaster’s existence is not lost on new publisher THQ Nordic, which acquired the rights to the Amalur IP in 2018. Reskinned for 2020, everything feels just right. (Imagine if Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was fantasy instead of sci-fi with more straightforward combat like an old-school God of War game.) Sure, this remaster has its fair share of glitchy hiccups and awkward transitions, but everything from the writing to the world design and the wildly engaging combat was ahead of its time eight years ago. For gamers out there looking for a lighthearted, action-filled time sink in a fantasy world with a lot of depth, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning just might be the most fun you’ll have all year - and the most inexpensive.Ī loving remaster of the 2012 original, Re-Reckoning looks and feels shockingly modern by 2020 standards as an early open-world fantasy RPG with an emphasis on fast-pased action.
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