Developer: Kaiko
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One,
Version Reviewed: Digital Version
Category: Action, Adventure, Role Playing
No. of Players: 1 player
Release Date: March 16th, 2021 (Worldwide)
Price: $39.99 USD
HISTORY:
The history of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is quite a tumultuous one. This game released to decent acclaim but was tainted with developer issues when original developer 38 Studios, started by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling filed for bankruptcy after releasing Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The title sold over a million copies, but after the company folded, it was up to the taxpayers of Rhode Island to foot the bill for a missed loan payment.
Released back in February 2012, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had some very well-known creative leaders behind its development. The addition of writer R.A. Salvatore and renowned artist Todd McFarlane, and Grant Kirkhope writing the musical score really created an amazing world and experience that was plagued with financial and legal issues after the game released.
Fast forward to 2020, Amalur’s official Twitter account confirmed the remaster, awkwardly titled Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning was announced to release in August for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The remaster was released to some decent praise and the Switch version was announced from a Twitter post in January for a March 2021 release.
STORY:
In the mystical world of the Faelands, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning follows the “The Fateless One” who dies, revived in the Well of Souls by Fomorous Hugues. There is a war tearing the world apart, known as the Crystal War between the Tuatha Deohn and all the mortal races. The intertwining stories and quests are full of depth, character, and more story. This is a classic tale of good vs. evil in a massive fantasy world. The Fateless One rocks the foundation of Fate by turning the tides of war against the Tuatha.
The well-pieced-together fantasy world of Amalur is full of lore and voice acting and a story that really feels like it should have become the next big Western RPG franchise. The game’s story may seem blasé’, however, the creative direction Salvatore took throughout Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning will keep you hooked if you pay attention and are a fan of classic fantasy literature.
While this title is a remaster, it does show its age compared to the massively complicated stories of RPG’s today, however, I believe this game shows that it was ahead of its time by creating a great world that was fresh for its release time.
GAMEPLAY:
Western RPG’s tend to follow a formula. Create your character with a plethora of customization options, a variety of gameplay styles via weapon choices and types of characters to commit to like mages or warriors, and a basic hack and slash approach to combat that you can also focus on magic abilities if you feel so inclined.
You have the choice of the Almain, The Dokkalfar, Ljosalfar, and the Varani. The Almain are like the nobility, civilized human race. The Dokkalfar are the dark elves of the kingdom, the Ljosalfar are the opposite light elves and the Varani are the more nomadic, uncivilized type of humans. You have three classes to choose from with a skill tree with plenty of room to customize your journey as The Fateless One.
With a third-person perspective, I will say the camera work can be a little choppy and will affect your combat or aiming so try to adjust to how you want when you start. One thing that tends to bug me is choosing to be a warrior, but you can still do things like cast spells. I found using fire spells and others against the giant spiders, for example, melts the spiders versus using your giant sword for a few minutes while it attacks you. This game is full of options that can adhere to how you play, but there is still a pretty steady formula that is followed pretty strictly.
The combat features some quick-time button finishers like God of War and a “Reckoning Mode” which is an intense mode where time slows down but you do not and you can destroy your enemies with style. The “Reckoning” mode is built up with Fate points you earn as you fight throughout the game. Simply hacking and slashing is not the only way to achieve victory. You must be strategic and smart about how you use your potions, your skills, and magic. This is a great game for the task-heavy and planning type of RPG player.
Amalur is full of armor and weapons of various styles that you unlock through side quests and simply exploring the vast kingdom. There are some unlockable DLC and more content coming in the future to keep the kingdom alive.
CONTENT & FEATURES:
When Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning released, EA also released the DLC content from the original to accompany the game as well. The Teeth of Naros, The Legend of Dead Kel as well as weapons and armor bundles all add more content to the original game and keep things interesting for an almost 10-year-old remastered, underrated RPG gem.
The best part about this remastered Switch port is if you get to download the DLC, you can start your adventure with a really strong armory of weapons and armor that will give you some advantages early on. There will also be new DLC released at a later date called “Fatesworn.” Details on this DLC are very scarce but there are trailers about this new adventure for Amalur.
AUDIO:
Despite the legal issues plaguing the launch of this game back in 2012, the developers still brought in some powerhouse figures in fantasy literature and art. Ex Rare composer, Grant Kirkhope was brought on to score the music and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful. Sometimes I’ll just let the opening screen sit still and listen to the music.
The world is full of great orchestral scores, decent voice acting, and combat sounds. The battle music is intense, but in the background enough that it is not overwhelming. The sound design is easily my favorite aspect of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning.
VISUALS & PERFORMANCE:
Where the sound succeeds, unfortunately, the visuals fall. This remaster really shows its age graphically. There are some smoother shades and edges, however, the overall graphic quality is not that much different from the bygone Xbox 360 era. On the dock, the Switch version is a little choppy, and the handheld version actually runs a little smoother, as is the usual case for some titles on the Switch.
Sometimes the camera work can be a little interesting too. I highly recommend you adjust the camera to your ability. You can adjust distance, sensitivity, auto-locking on your character, and field of view.
If you’re a fan of high-quality, photorealistic graphics, don’t expect much from Amalur. This is an older game, and even though it’s been remastered, it still looks and plays like an older game. That’s not to say it’s not a good title or a good addition to the Switch, just keep that in mind if you pick up this title.
OBSERVATIONS:
Overall, when an older game is ported to the Switch, I still get excited. When I first played Kingdoms of Amalur, I loved every minute of it. It was one of the few games that were different that hooked me from the beginning, especially after immersing myself in the world of Skyrim. I was disappointed to learn of the legal issues and the shutdown of 38 Studios, but I still remember the experience and time I put into Amalur as a Western RPG fan.
When the remaster was announced, I was excited! I played it on my Xbox One and got even more excited for the Switch version. I can work on my character and do side quests while my wife watches Doctor Who. Yes, the game shows its age, yes it’s not as massive as many of the RPG’s of the games of today. What this game has is its ability to mold a brand new world and keep you interested throughout its playthrough. There’s even more DLC coming to keep this wonderful game alive!
CONCLUSION:
If you haven’t played this game yet, it’s worth checking out and it’s fun to play on the go! Keep in mind it’s age and the “remaster” is not AS GRAPHICALLY overhauled as one would think, but it’s worth picking up!
Recommended
*A review code was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review
To check out more reviews by the Miketendo64 Review Team, feel free to clickhere.
Related
FAQs
What is the resolution of the Kingdoms of Amalur Switch? ›
Kingdoms of Amalur on Switch appears to run at or near a full 1080x1920 docked and likely a native 720x1280 when handheld. Image quality in both configurations is outstanding, barring the occasional pre-rendered cutscene carried over from the original release.
Is the Kingdoms of Amalur DLC on Switch? ›After a lengthy wait, the Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning – Fatesworn DLC has finally been released on Switch. This expansion was confirmed for Nintendo's system at the end of 2021 and was planned for the following year. Last December, however, it was delayed to 2023.
What weapon has the highest damage in Kingdoms of Amalur? ›The Sword of the Bolgan King is an incredibly powerful and heavy weapon. It has the highest base damage out of all the greatswords in the game.
What is the max ability level in Amalur? ›In the initial version of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning the maximum possible level is 40. With each new level you will earn 1 Skill Point and 3 Ability Points to distribute as desired. This translates into earning a maximum of 120 Ability Points.
What is the difference between Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning? ›Re-Reckoning adds a new difficulty setting and updates the back-end rules for spawning loot, but it brings little in the way of graphical upgrades. Any improvements to the original textures are subtle to the point of invisibility.
What is the difference between Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning and fate edition? ›The FATE Edition contains the Re-Reckoning Main-Game, the Official Soundtrack and the content Addon Fatesworn that extends the game of 5+ hours. The Official Soundtrack features 35 high quality tracks for a total of 70 minutes of music. The hit RPG returns!
How many hours of gameplay is Kingdoms of Amalur? ›When focusing on the main objectives, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is about 31½ Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 104 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
What is the best merc damage weapon? ›Best Merc Weapon (Act 1)
The Faith runeword is the primary reason the A1 rogue is utilized, providing a high level (10-15) Fanaticism aura that can't be found or equipped on any other merc. The fanaticism is helpful to hit certain high level IAS breakpoints, as well as providing a great physical damage boost.
Unique Weapons can be acquired at any level. They can be found in chests, hidden in rock piles or hollow logs (discovered with a Detect Hidden skill of at least 2) or given to the player after the completion of a quest. They may also be found randomly as drops from monsters.
What ranged weapon does the most damage the forest? ›Bows are a challenging weapon to master; however, when it comes to damage and uses, the Modern Bow easily outshines the rest. It's powerful, quick, and extremely accurate which is something many get frustrated about with the other bows.
Is Kingdoms of Amalur better than Skyrim? ›
I think Skyrim has better graphics overall. They're not as colorful but they're more jaw-dropping. Both games have fantastic visuals, but the colorful, cartoony world of Amalur is just not quite as impressive as the snowy peaks of Skyrim.
Can you romance in Amalur? ›Notes. Sunhilda is a potential spouse in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, regardless of gender. She is also the only other potential love interest the Fateless One can pursue except Alyn Shir (If Persuaded), Captain Brattigan, And the Maid of Windemere.
What resolution is Dragon's Dogma Switch? ›Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen runs at 900p on Switch when docked, which is an upgrade from PS3 original's 720p resolution. The full aspect ratio is also filled out on Nintendo's console unlike the PS3 release.
Why did Kingdoms of Amalur fail? ›The game failed because 38 studios failed and went under.It got media attention, and most of it bad, because of the shenanigans going on at 38 Studios. Rhoade Island (the actual state) got control of the IP because of the shenanigans with funding the studio puulled, and the IP sat, untouchable for years.