Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review

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Astuka Reviews: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

One of the best characteristics of Kingdoms of Amalur is that it succeeds in being different but not new. By that, I mean it appeals to the general flavor of today's games (AKA fantasy RPGs) whilst still adding much to the table.

GAMEPLAY: 10/10

On the PS3 (the console I played on), the combat is well fitted to the controls. Nothing seems to "difficult" to do, and combos, unlike some games, are not near impossible to do. FPS drops and latency are extremely hard to notice, if not nonexistant. The action is a nice mix of arcade-y and hack and slash. The inventory and shop screens are easy to manage, and there is not an overwhelming amount of things you need to put points in when you level up. The map can sometimes be misleading, but overall leads to little problems.

STORY: 8/10

The story unfortunately, is pretty generic. A little Dragon Age here, some Warcraft here, and there's your story. Writers tried to add some diversity with the Fae and Gnomes, but it seems to make very little of a difference.

Of course, the fundamental principal on rating a story is NOT by how generic it is, but if it's well done. KoA's story may be generic, but it's execution is very well done. Most quests feel like they have a meaning, and twists in the story lead to much more exciting adventures.

MUSIC: 8/10

Music is reminiscent of Dragon Age and Warcraft in some ways (no doubt the games two major inspirations). Some music is notable, but overall its a far distance from being considered "legendary" in any way.

ART: 10/10

The art style of KoA is one of its best qualities. Every area is well rendered, luscious, and beautiful. Every character is detailed, but still has a cartoon-y aspect to them that fits the theme of a fairyland escape shrouded by darkness. 

IMMERSION: 5/5

As most western RPGs are, KoA is extremely immersive. 

EASTER EGGS: 0/3

Sadly, no easter eggs were found in the game, so that causes KoA to lose 3 micro minipoints.

FINAL SCORE: 41/48 (86%) --- GREAT GAME

I HIGHLY recommend this game for fans of the Western RPG genre, especially for the fans of it's inspiration. Kingdoms of Amalur is a cartoon-y, arcade-y RPG that's serious when it needs to be and fun all around.

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