Republished on Wednesday, twenty eighth October, 2021: We’re bringing this assessment again from the archives following the announcement of November 2021’s PlayStation Plus lineup. The unique textual content follows.
As common Push Sq. readers could already know, we determined to carry off on our Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning assessment again when the embargo lifted. This was because of a game-breaking bug that we encountered on three separate character saves, which prevented us from seeing most of what the remaster has to supply. Fortunately, that bug was mounted with the sport’s newest replace (on the time of writing, anyway), and so we lastly really feel like we may give Re-Reckoning a full assessment.
Let’s begin from the highest: Kingdoms of Amalur was one in every of our favorite motion role-playing video games of the earlier technology. It definitely had its flaws, nevertheless it was implausible enjoyable to truly play. The entire expertise was propped up by a slick, satisfying fight system — and the excellent news is that this technique nonetheless holds up immediately.
Performing combos with numerous weapons, unleashing highly effective magic assaults, and pulling off good parries — that is what Kingdoms of Amalur is all about. We’re virtually a decade down the road, however this fight system continues to be probably the greatest that the style has to supply. It is weighty, punchy, and actually rewarding as soon as you’ve got mastered the basics.
So smacking monsters about continues to be a pleasure, however the identical cannot be mentioned for the remainder of this excessive fantasy journey. When it comes to storytelling, construction, and presentation, Kingdoms of Amalur hasn’t aged particularly properly. Even with its graphical touch-ups on PS4, Re-Reckoning is tough across the edges. Character fashions are downright ugly, the consumer interface is severely clunky, and numerous the voice performing is decidedly dodgy.
Nonetheless, there is a sure attraction to Amalur regardless of its chunkiness. Its semi-open world, full with picturesque forests, rolling plains, and foreboding swamps, is enjoyable to discover. It appears like a secret or two hides down each overgrown path, and quests usually lead you in direction of contemporary and thrilling new areas. It is a huge recreation, and solely following the principle story implies that you miss out on a few of Amalur’s most intriguing points of interest.
Talking of the principle story, there have all the time been some cool ideas at its core. Your customized character isn’t certain by destiny in a world the place every little thing is predetermined and foretold. You and also you alone have the flexibility to change future, and as such, your actions ship shockwaves throughout historical past. Evidently, your hero has a job to play within the ongoing conflict that engulfs the world — a battle that mortals can not win with out your assist.
It is an attention-grabbing plot on paper, nevertheless it’s largely instructed by means of dreary dialogue from secondary characters that you do not actually care about. Equally, facet quests are sometimes fairly boring. Killing a selected monster, amassing a sure variety of objects — you already know the drill. There’s numerous busywork to get by means of in the event you go on the lookout for it, however once more, it is the promise of extra fight that retains you hooked.
Character development can also be an element. Creating your fateless hero is engrossing, as you combine and match skills from three totally different ability bushes: Would possibly, Finesse, and Sorcery. You possibly can spend all your ability factors on maxing out a single tree, or you may dabble in a little bit of every little thing. Relying in your decisions, your play type could change dramatically as you start to favour particular weapon varieties and ability synergies. There’s a lot room for experimentation right here, and it is one other space during which Amalur nonetheless excels.
Nonetheless, as a remaster, Re-Reckoning may be very hit or miss. It provides some welcome bits and items, like digital camera distance choices and a really onerous issue setting, however visually, it is not an enormous enchancment. Apart from an apparent bump in decision, not a lot has modified, and the remaster has even managed to introduce plenty of graphical glitches that weren’t current within the unique launch.
Happily, in the event you can look past the graphics, Re-Reckoning makes some a lot wanted adjustments to the sport’s underlying programs. Most of those alterations will not imply a factor except you are already accustomed to Amalur, however they make an enormous distinction to the way it all works. For instance, zones are now not locked to your character’s stage upon entry. As a substitute, they scale with you all through the sport, leading to a way more constant expertise, each by way of enemy issue and loot. What’s extra, randomised loot is now geared in direction of the sort of character that you simply’re taking part in.
Conclusion
Re-Reckoning is not an important remaster, however there is no denying that Kingdoms of Amalur continues to be numerous enjoyable to play. Its action-based fight has stood the check of time, and exploring its usually whimsical world is pleasurable. In case you can look previous the clunky presentation and pretty frequent bugs, you will discover an ample excessive fantasy journey.
