Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review (PC)

Nowadays, all new triple-A titles are a rare sight, so Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, coming from 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, definitely stands out from the array of sequels or reboots that are arriving on the market. 

Throw in the fact that it’s masterminded by Elder Scrolls designer Ken Rolston, fleshed out by novelist R.A. Salvatore, and brought to life by comic book artist Seth McFarlane, and you have more than enough reasons to get excited about the game.

Now, Reckoning is finally out so it’s time to see if it manages to live up to its promises or if it’s just a case of too many chefs ruining a good recipe.

Enjoy the world of Amalur ...	... and explore its locations

Story
Reckoning starts off in a peculiar way, as your own character is dead. Thanks to a clever dwarf and a mystical device called the Well of Souls, you’re brought back to life. There’s a catch, however, as you don’t have a fate anymore, thus becoming The Fateless One.

This is a big deal in Amalur, as each character has a predetermined fate that he, she or it must follow until the end. Now, seeing as how you don’t need to follow such a path, you’re free to do anything you want, helping various characters and factions while destroying others.

Peace in the world of Amalur rests on the shoulders of an uneasy alliance between humans and the Fae, which are pretty much your standard elves. Unfortunately for them, the Tuatha, a group of evil Fae led by Gadflow, want to usher in a new era for the world of Amalur, even if it means eliminating anyone who opposes them.

Like any good, open world RPG, Reckoning delivers a complex plot filled with all sorts of different threads, crucial decisions and plenty of intrigue. Most of the story is quite interesting, gradually ramping up your importance in Amalur’s virtual world, and quite a few side missions deliver some truly unique experiences. There are exceptions but, seeing as how there are a lot of things to do in the game, you won’t be stuck doing something unpleasant or boring for a long period of time.

Throughout your adventures, you’ll have an impact on lots of things, but it will still feel great, as the game doesn’t try to offload lots of backstory or exposition on you, keeping things, wherever possible, as simple as can be. There are lots of details for those who seek them but they're not shoved down everyone’s throat.