Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning Angry Review
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Platform: Xbox 360, PC, PS3
Developer: 38 Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: RPG
Players: 1 Offline Player
Angry Joe explores the world of Amalur to determine whether this new RPG IP worth investing in. How does it stack up against the stiff competition from Dragon Age and Skyrim? Find out!
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108 thoughts on “Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning Angry Review”
it is teh best rpg i ever played.
I picked this up a few days ago, per Joe’s Review . . . and my god I am glad I did. The combat is fun. Not only that, but it is a lot more complex than I gave it credit for. I instantly credited it to Fable I’s style , however that was a major understatement. The combat in this game is like Fable I; if Fable was on crack steroids and completely insane.
Upon first glance it is just press one button for one weapon and the other for your alternate weapon. However as you level up you develop abilities which in turn become combos. For instance: press button pause for a second and go again. It rewards you for that simple variation, that despite its simplicity in the heat of combat can be hard to pull off. Point being, the combat is actually stress-filled especially at the hardest difficulty. That is how fighting should feel; it should make your heart beat faster and it should make you nervous in boss engagements.
Now, I know combat is not everything but in an action-rpg it counts for a lot. Even if you cannot get fully invested in the story, the world is high fantasy and if you like that genre, you’ll find some familiarity in Kingdoms. The setting is great AS A WHOLE. However, like Joe said it is forgettable. After just playing it I can only name a few people and that is because they are part of the main quest.
All things considered, NO it is not better than Skyrim, although I would not go so far as to compare the two. I feel that they are too different to relate, both in art style and combat. They are both great games in their own right but whereas Skyrim can appeal to everyone, Kingdoms cannot. Good for fans and casual gamers but for those few hardcore members out there that like to tear games apart: this is not for you. You have to overlook some minor hindrances . . . but if you can the time you spend here is worth it.
Also, you may not want to buy this if you are the type of person that can truly only like ONE game in a genre. Those of you that are, well you know I am talking to you.
This game is better than Skyrim for various reasons:
1-It doesn’t consume your life trying to get all the secrets out.You play Skyrim for 200 hours and still you won’t get 1/2 of it, while in Rekoning it’s more stable about your real life vs game life.
2-You feel and see when you hit something or someone. (This my main point why I dislike Skyrim) In Skyrim you play FPM or TPM and in both you feel more like CoD than Oblivion, while in Rekoning you hit an enemy like a beast no matter what type of warrior you are.
3-This is how Fable should have been when it jumped to the 360. Something I have noticed is how familiar Rekoning is with Fable 1, which is good because Fable 1 was the Fable game, but more enhanced. However the combat is more unique, unlike Fable you have an obligatory ranged weapon, a melee weapon and spells, but in Rekoning you choose if you want full ranged or full melee or full magician or the three ( badass choice IMO)
4-The enviroment is like Dark Alliance 1 & 2. Both Dark Alliance 1 & 2 were spectacular games,and when I heard that the creator of the best character in both games the Drizzt Do’Urden was involved in this game,I went nuts. No surprise, the enviroment was as magical as Dark Alliance, you feel how the enemies want to kill you in different ways and how divided the different places are compared to each other ( idylic, gothic style, snowy styled,etc.).
These are just a few things to mention, including the Shepard’s armour set with Omniblades Daggers bonus just for playing demos, and a “must buy to understand the feel”. Buy it if you liked any Baldur’s Gate or Fable game, but do not if you played Skyrim.
I agree with most of the things that Joe didn’t like about the game. The NPC’s could have been better developed; some of the quests were lame, etc. But where I think Amalur really really shines is the combat system. It’s just so f*cking FUN to kill things. My rogue got a skill called “gambit” late in the game, where she scatters 12 bombs out in front of her. Then I start picking things off with my arrows as they run toward me. As soon as they hit the bombs they go up into the air like firecrackers, and you can just pick them off like a turkey shoot. It never got boring to see that. I would consider this more of a “casual” RPG, to play just for the fun of it. Don’t be all Skyrim pretentious. Break out and play this if you like RPGs. It really is just a blast.
angry joe plz if u ever see this plz change the player on ur site and give 240 dimensions rivew most of the guys connection in this region are not good due to isp cant watch em if u see this culd u have a player like youtube with 240 resolution and which buffers with time so if we culd let it load and watch when completed thanks in advance if u culd help us
While I’m behind you on how innovative this is, The constant controller freezes are what caused me to uninstall what would be an awesome game. I wish companies would do better beta testing!!!
Good review.But you didnt mention that you level lock an area when you walk into it.i found that to be the hardest downfall of the game.It waters down the content.Its absolutly great at how much content there is but if you accidently level lock it and go back to an area that you havent finished.You will come back to find its all grey and no longer worth your time.
Other than that a fair and accurate review.Definantly worth buying and want to see more of this.As in the scope.Massive single player offline mmo is what it feels like.More of this with a better story and i will keep buying.
The cons:
AS THE CONS ARE CONCERNED (apart the world graphics and the believable quests giving) I AGREE WITH JOE.
- characters are easily forgettable and average
- invisible walls on raw edges (however IT DOES NOT MEAN that you can’t go anywhere you want)
- characters graphics is not so up to day – they more look like painted dolls. However what I’ve forgotten to put in pros section – the enemies (spiders, wolfs and others) LOOK REALLY SCARY which is an awesome achievement (especially while the spiders are concerned). Nowadays RPG suffer from that problem – most of their enemies are funny or at least average.
- menus swapping (simplified side quests tracking)
THANK YOU JOE FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
YOU ARE A BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE REVIEWS SCENE.
The pros:
1. great fighting system:
- Simple, two buttons sequences making this system more strategic.
- Great learning curve. You will perform worse not using all the abilities but you’ll not be punished for that.
- Powerful feeling – the sound, the size of weapons, the uppercut technique – all that makes the great feel of really smashing the enemies down.
2. Joe – THE WORLD GRAPHICS IS BEAUTIFUL! What you have mentioned may concern the characters complexity not the wold itself. As the characters are concerned, they are really lacking some hair movement and other physics realism.
3. Great mission system – you’ll get sucked by the well known “just one thing to do” syndrome.
4. Missions make quite sense. Even the simplest ones are sold out to you the reasonable way. No stupid, out of the world, lengthening the time of play tasks.
In short worlds. THIS IS THE BEST FANTASY RPG I’VE PLAYED SINCE… since… ??? eee… temple of elemental evil?
Hey Joe,
Your reviews on games are awesome however I just wanted to point out which you didn’t mention re: Kingdoms of Amalur, Reckoning is that I felt that the human graphics reminded me a lot of Dark Alliance from old Xbox. As a matter of fact they brought back the kobolds from that game as enemies and there was also mention of the Onyx Tower which is what Dark Alliance 2 was about. These 2 games were great and are still fun to play and hard to find now. If you haven’t played any of these I do recommend them even tho they are old school. I had always hoped for a sequel from Dark Alliance2. It just stuck me as odd that there was some familiarity going back to Dark Alliance as I played Reckoning. Is Reckoning a prequil to Dark Alliance? Just a thought.
Funny thing is, the thing Joe criticizes about side quests (meet warriors, clear the cave, kill the boss) is the same thing like in Skyrim…
Skyrim sucked diseased dick. That game was boring as fuck. KOA is fun and engaging, you need to flip the scores around. You’re getting as bad as the larger reviewers.
Have you lost your mind fool?
For every person who did not like Skyrim, there are thousands who disagree. Your opinion is just that: an opinion…and not the comprehensive experience of everybody who plays the game.
First game with chakrams as weapons? Obviously he’s never played Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Come to think of it, there are a few J-RPGs that have chakrams as weapons.
Also, I dont get the whole EA war on used games.
The EA War on Used Games is this campaign that’s been going on for a long time. Basically, developers hate used game retailers because they don’t get any money from them. So, since EA is king of stealing your money, they now have Online Passes, which are one time codes included in New Copies of Games, usually to unlock content such as Multiplayer. This encourages more people to buy brand new, and used game buyers just get less of a product.
Which doesn’t exactly work either… I’ve purchased many used games from Gamestop and the like. Many used EA games and they have usable DLC content still in them.
In short, it’s still pointless to try and fight what makes your games easier and more popular. No one minds being able to try a new game out for a lower price. That’s why Steam does so well.
This game like if Fable grew a pair and started wrecking shit up.
Sorry, even if the game is decent the online passcode is a deal-breaker for me. I refuse to put out with that crap.
Please dont be that way. This game is worth the time and money to beat it. Look I dont have online so when i bought the game and saw it had that in there i thought it was a cool gift to give to someone who bought the game used. i dont even need that costume or anything. Just dont pass up a great experience for the sake of Lame DLC.
For me nearly all RPGs with decent RPG-elements are better then Skyrim. So I will give it a try, when I have time left – I guess.
Honestly, I felt that while Kingdoms of Amalur was a bit cold in certain points of the Story more so the side than the main though (Probably because it was originally planned as an M.M.O.R.P.G.) in fact there happens to be only Three thins that really bug me 01) The Balor and Tirnoch were way too easy, I took the Balor out in roughly less than a minute and Tirnoch in little over two, although in truth I was a Mage with plus 100% Elemental damage so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when one hit to the Balor with a Meteor when he was vulnerable left him ready to be reckoned and Tirnoch only took three, I don’t think they were leveled to match my character like the other things I had to kill to get to them. 02) I find it odd that given to the fact that your character rose from the dead that there was so little emphasis on ghosts and the afterlife (It would have been interesting to see Ghosts and flashes of memory from your time in the lands of the dead)
all in all though this game has to have been one of the least glitchy and bugged I’ve personam.lly played in quite some time, I just hope that the sequel (If there is one) isn’t some stupid cold fetch quest M.M.O.R.P.G., I this this series (If it becomes one) would make a far better R.P.G. than anything Mass Multiplayer Online.
I love Kingdoms of Amalur, I enjoy its combat system since it translates to consoles better than Skyrim did. As an artist I enjoy its colorful graphics, and stylized character designs compared to Skyrim’s more muted aesthetics. Is it better than Skyrim? Not Really, Skyrim has a much deeper storyline, a larger variety of spells and subplots, with the bonus of hiring companions.
I have to say that I really dislike this DAY 1 DLC trend. But there´s something I´m even more concerned about, and that is the ONLINE PASSES.
I mean, with a regular dlc I can play it with my gamertag and my brother/friend/girlfriend/son… are able to play it too on my xbox with their own gamertags (I mean in the first xbox where you downloaded it). All of that just paying for it ONCE.
But with an online pass, you can only play it with a single gamertag. Does it mean that, if I have 3 brothers and we like to play games with our own gamertags (may be because of the achievements), will we have to pay for a single player dlc four times??
That´s why my question is:
Is the code included with this game a DLC or an ONLINE PASS??
If it´s an online pass and only one gamertag can play that content this will be my first second-hand game, for two reasons:
1- I don´t want to support this practice
2- That way I wont have a code and I wont have to argue with my girlfriend about who of us will be able to play the extra content with his own gamertag! (probably resulting in “no dlc” or “no sex” or even both!!)
So, can anyone please answer my question? DLC or ONLINE PASS?? Thanks!
BTW, sorry about my english ^_^U
If you’re talking about Xbox Marketplace related content. You can always re-download your content via your download history area. There is some strings attached to this though. If you want to know more try looking on Microsoft’s Xbox website or calling the For My Xbox hotline and asking some questions.
In shot, you should be fine with your bros being able to play the same content. It just has to be single console focused.
Bought this game and to be honest, it bores me. I know I should not compare with Skyrim, but it’s hard not to. When you pay $60 for Skyrim and get the quality, life, effort, epic-ness, you feel that you got your money’s worth. Then you pay the same price for this? I felt cheated. Maybe Skyrim should have been $90, or perhaps Kingdoms should be $30. Regardless, imo, this feels thrown together quickly for a cash grab from the rpg community. Feels empty, soulless. I’ve played an hour here and an hour there. It’s just not captivating me. The graphics, I find, look dated. I find that nothing is really going on in this world. I am just roaming around and filling up my quest log, while nothing is pulling me to do anything. Perhaps it will get better with time, and something might escalate, but coming from an Adult ADD guy, it needs to grab my attention constantly. I am disappointed.
the deep a d refreshing combat system? You mean this left-click spamfest? Are you on ether Joe?
“is this better than Skyrim??”Of course not. skyrim score 10/10 on his scale, how the hell KOA can be better??11/10??
10/10 review. Perfect acting on the Office Space bit.
6/10 max boaring kill cave boss kill cave boss ex you even sayed i love the killing but after so 4 to 7 hours later it gets well it eats you
I completely agree with your review. I’ve played and beat virtually every rpg that comes on the market. I did all the Faction quests in KoA and that took roughly 20-25 hours of play time. I’ve just finished KoA and have 48 hours logged. In any case, this to me is perfect for casual gamers or those which want to try an rpg but can’t get behind a story. You can mash your way through a conversation, open up the map, and go.
Make no mistake, this is a hack and slash game. Probably the most rewarding quest line was House of Valor Faction quests. It really takes the feel of the hack and slash combat and turns it into fun arena battles without the need to travel to distant lands and look for random crap. It doesn’t hide the fact that the quest line will be repetitive…brutal and gloriously repetitive in the arena. Instant satisfaction.
This game is a necessity in everyones library of games. Its quick and fun with no depth. That being said, at least it has an actual ending, unlike skyrim. Skyrim left me feeling uneasy and unsure, unlike KoA in which I felt productive and good that i’ve finished.
-rpgguy007
“Make no mistake, this is a hack and slash game.”
ROFL, skyrim is a PURE hack’n'slash, but this don’t keep Joe from give to skyrim 10/10
Great review
Without a good mythos, I probably won’t buy it. Its’ really important in an RPG to me.
Late comment, because I’d been giving this enough charity to give my throughly opinion.
I’d say the combat is bloody awesome, so I have to agree with you here Joe. Even so, I’d say the AI acts smoothly even if every corner can’t be avoided at times, and it occasionally ruins the gimmick like it were supposed to. Nothing I’ve seen worse of before though.
Clearly offering plenty with challenging battles. Clearly something I could see in the future with the potential benefits of improving the sidequests, who tends to become a drag, but that doesn’t concern all of them.
Few other things I could’ve seen is the possible chance to settle down outside the actual combat, like Fable. Like small mini games, along with the treasure and crafting of potions. Like to earn some extra yearning cash, even if that’s easily affordable by looting and selling stuff.
Anyway, I love the game, there’s no denying there. But I have to agree with the majority what AJ mentioned.
Thanks for the review, nevertheless. True opinions is better then fake ones.
you aint no spider queen!
There were Chakrams in Terraria before KoA, Joe.
:3
I tried the demo and felt that same disconnect. I thought it was simply because I’d been playing Xenoblade for the Wii recently and gotten so absorbed with the world and everyone in it that I couldn’t bring myself to start over with a new one but…as time went on I just realised that I really didn’t care about a single person I spoke to.
There’s this stupid design philosophy they seemed to have that more = better. They’re wrong. I’ll have a bowl of icecream and enjoy it, but I won’t think a swimming pool of ice cream is better. Every NPC could be spoken to. Great feature to boast about on the box, but ultimately meaningless in-game, I spoke to a few and was very quickly bored of doing so. They felt less like NPCs and more like game sprites that vomited lore at me. They didn’t have a personality, they existed purely to act as a sign post and information kiosk.
I did enjoy the combat and I could see the potential in it, but the quests felt so dull and the storyline so generic (Seriously, there are ways of making me feel special and important as a player character without all the NPCs drooling and saying “OMG YOU’RE TEH ONE! YOU’RE LIKE UNTO A GOD AMONGST MORTALS!!” That doesn’t make me feel powerful, it makes me feel issolated, like there’s instantly no-one I can relate to in the world since I’m seen as better than everyone.
I play an RPG particularly for the story and the world. This didn’t do it for me. If you want an RPG like that in a large world with characters you might actually give a damn about, I strongly recommend Xenoblade for the Wii. But, as Joe said, going purely on a combat and level up system this game is epic.
I wish they would finally stop designing weapons and armor that look like some Final Fantay fanboy had a nerdgasm!
That aside, this game looks pretty unpolished. I get the idea of supporting the genre, but this doesn’t look like it is worth its price.
So joe, are you not uploading your videos on blisteredthumbs anymore? it was a surprise to me enter here and find soul calibur and kingdoms of amalur reviews, i thought you were taking a break or something.