Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

[mestevo]

Now available for preorder on Steam.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[mestevo]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

This game has no real identity.

That's kind of the point of this game, this is establishing the setting and identity for the IP Schilling and co. are creating an MMO in. One article I read last year said that R.A. Salvatore has created 10,000 years of history for this fictional world.

[choadler]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

That's kind of the point of this game, this is establishing the setting and identity for the IP Schilling and co. are creating an MMO in. One article I read last year said that R.A. Salvatore has created 10,000 years of history for this fictional world.

I think he is talking about what type of RPG this game is. Is trying to be Oblivion or Torchlight or Fable. Personally, I am glad it doesn't necessarily try to be an Oblivion or Skyrim clone. I have Skyrim already. What I would like is the loot system of a diablo, with the open huge world and play how you want style of Skyrim, and the combat of Batman AA or AC (with swords and magic of course).

Skyrim's combat feels stale so this is a big point for me that I am hearing that combat is good and the camera is good.

[Flawless]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Personally, hearing it's like Fable makes me happy. That's what it reminded me most of in videos. I like Fable, but always yearned for more depth in the RPG systems and combat, as well a more open world. Kingdoms of Amalur looks like it may provide exactly that.

Waiting for the PSN Store to update to try it out myself.

[goh]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

I think it's pretty great. Seems to be plently of loot to me.
The walking/running animations are terrible and the graphics aren't spectacular but the gameplay is fantastic and there seems to be a ton of quests.

Also a heads up for anyone else getting the demo on PC. Turn off Post Processing. They said the problem has been fixed for the full game.

[choadler]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

I think it's pretty great. Seems to be plently of loot to me.
The walking/running animations are terrible and the graphics aren't spectacular but the gameplay is fantastic and there seems to be a ton of quests.

Also a heads up for anyone else getting the demo on PC. Turn off Post Processing. They said the problem has been fixed for the full game.

Good info. Graphics I can deal with after all I still love Baldur's Gate II from 2000. I saw videos of the walking/running and those didn't bother me too much. How would you describe the combat or what game would you compare it to?

[goh]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

I'm not really sure. There's a lot of options and stuff going on. Fable is selling it short. Maybe DA II if you weren't restricted by abilities.

The graphics aren't bad...just not great. Very average.

[Spongedaddy]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

I spent the entire 40 minutes after the dungeon with the PS3 version. This game feels like what I wanted Fable to be. The combat is fluid, character development is wide open and the world seems interesting.

My only concern is that encountered a number of glitches (graphical tearing, music cutting off abruptly and the worse one was NPCs speeding through dialogue...couldn't even read it) this close to release. This may be an older demo, but since it is 40 minutes plus it might be nice if they had some more polish.

A day one purchase for me.

[mestevo]

I spent the entire 40 minutes after the dungeon with the PS3 version. This game feels like what I wanted Fable to be. The combat is fluid, character development is wide open and the world seems interesting.

My only concern is that encountered a number of glitches (graphical tearing, music cutting off abruptly and the worse one was NPCs speeding through dialogue...couldn't even read it) this close to release. This may be an older demo, but since it is 40 minutes plus it might be nice if they had some more polish.

A day one purchase for me.

From what I've read EA took a beta build and made a demo out of it.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Spongedaddy]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

From what I've read EA took a beta build and made a demo out of it.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

That explains it.

I played me demo as a rogue/archer. I think I may try it again tomorrow as a fighter and see if there is any difference in the experience.

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Just now hearing of this game, is this more of a hack/slack dungeon crawler type of gameplay or what? Cause if so this is a must buy I love those Diablo,etc. type of games.

[Sandman42]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Had a bug in the demo where it would speed through all NPC dialogue and the background music would cut out. Hopefully its just a bug from an old build.

As for the actual game though, its confirmed that its a day one purchase for me. I was worried that it might not draw me in right away because I just played through Skyrim and am currently playing through The Witcher 2, thinking that I might be tired of the fantasy genre by the time this hits. Definitely feel like it does enough different to set itself apart from the other games in this genre.

The loot and the combat are definitely the biggest draws for me so far. Color coded loot is automatically going to draw me in, and the fluidity of comparing and equiping your loot is seamless. Combat also seems like its much better than any other RPG or action RPG I've played, whether its Skyrim, Fable, or Diablo/Torchlight. Definitely has more of a character action feel to the combat a la Bayonetta or GoW, much more complex than just straight button mashing like Diablo/Torchlight.

The RPG systems also seem to go pretty deep with the ways that you can specialize your character through abilities and destinies. Didn't get to see much of the conversation system thanks to the bug though. From looking at the map the world looks pretty big also, but most of the paths I went through the course of the demo seemed linear, but I'm fine with that. I don't need every game to have the expansiveness of Skyrim.

EDIT: Don't know if its going to end up being a big deal, but having only certain places you can jump down feels too restricting. There's a whole lake/pond I should be able to jump down into from any spot, but I need to walk to the designated jump down point on the map to trigger a jump since there is no jump in game.

[Sandman42]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Just now hearing of this game, is this more of a hack/slack dungeon crawler type of gameplay or what? Cause if so this is a must buy I love those Diablo,etc. type of games.

Quest and loot systems are similar to Diablo, combat is more complex than just straight hack and slash though. More of a character action type combat and chaining together attacks with different weapons and abilities.

[Flawless]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

This post from the Lead Designer on the official forums has me excited about the depth and possibilities of the combat.

http://forums.reckoning.amalur.com/showthread.php?1530-The-Good-the-Bad-amp-The-Ugly&p=28697&viewfull=1#post28697

For example, here's the suite of stuff one particular Mage build might have access to at any given moment (without remapping anything even on the console). This is a pure-mage Ljosalfar character I was recently playing with. She's level 20, using the Sage Destiny, and her weapons are a Flame Staff and a pair of Frost Chakrams. On a moment to moment basis (without remapping anything or changing her gear loadout), she can...

• 1.) Do a basic 3-hit attack chain with her Flame Staff by hitting the primary attack button.
  1b.) Switching between Staff and Chakrams before completing the chain will let her continue attacking incessantly, but if she's willing to commit and complete the attack chain then she gets an extra strong blast in.

• 2.) Charged Entropy - Hold and release the primary attack button to float into the air and charge up a big AoE burst of fire.

• 3.) Mage's Vortex - Hit the primary attack button while blocking to slide backwards whilst sucking all enemies in front of her together via a vortex of flame and wind.

• 4.) Arcane Fury - Hit the primary attack button then delay a moment before hitting it again and she can send forth a rising wave of flame that lifts enemies into the air.

• 5.) Do a basic 4-hit attack chain with her Frost Chakrams by hitting the secondary attack button.
  5b.) As with the Staff, she can choose to either switch off to her other weapon before completing the chain for a faster rate of attack, or complete the chain for a single strong hit.

• 6.) Maelstrom - Hold and release the secondary attack button and she'll charge up her chakrams then send them out in a broad loop, knocking down enemies in a wide range.

• 7.) Elemental Escape - Hit the secondary attack button then delay a moment before hitting it again and she can slam down the chakrams and hurl herself backwards, distracting enemies and buying her time to get off a larger spell.

• 8.) Ice Blink - Hit the dodge button and she'll "blink" (teleport) a short distance, leaving a trail of ice magic in her wake. This can be used either as a pure evasive action or even offensively, but deliberately teleporting -through- enemies. The ice effect will slow those enemies down.

• 9.) Orbital Blades - Hit the secondary attack button right after teleporting and she'll throw her chakrams into a vertical loop, launching an enemy into air and keeping him there as the whirling blades strike again and again.

• 10.) Hit the block button to bring up her Frost Talisman and block attacks.
  10b.) Hit the block button right as an attack is incoming and she'll parry it, discharging the frost magic of her Talisman into the enemy for a few seconds. If other enemies are clustered close, it can affect them too.

• 11.) Hit the Storm Bolt button and throw a burst of lightning magic, damaging and stunning enemies in a small AoE.

• 12.) Hold down the Storm Bolt button to cast Tempest, bringing lightning bolts down over a large AoE.
  12b.) If she gets hit when she's in the middle of charging up Tempest, she'll be interrupted...but the lightning will discharge out of her and into the enemy who hit her (provided it was a melee attack).

• 13.) Tap the Healing Surge button for quick bursts of healing or hold it down to channel a larger amount of healing energy (while leaving yourself open to attack).

• 14.) Hit the Mark of Flame button and she'll tag enemies with a magical "mark."
  14b.) Hold down the Mark of Flame button and she'll detonate all the marks.

• 15.) Hit the Ice Barrage button and she'll hurl a torrent of ice shards toward a foe.

So that's at least 15 active things I can choose to do in the middle of a fight, even using only the controller (not the additional options granted by having the 5-0 keys available for abilities on the PC). And that's ignoring the fact that I've also got Sphere of Reprisal (a defensive spell) on, which I toggled on earlier and then unmapped so I'd have more buttons free for active stuff. What's extra nuts is that this isn't even a top tier character--for instance, if I level up a bit more I can get the Winter's Embrace ability, which will give me a heat-seeking snowstorm I can cast by just holding down the Ice Barrage button (still no additional mapping needed).

[choadler]

Re: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Demo felt good. Combat is on a whole different level than any RPG. This definitely a purchase.