I've been very pleasantly surprised by Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning, which after reading several reviews, I had very mixed expectations for. Amalur is an action, role-playing game in a similar vein to the Elder Scrolls series. Whilst this game does lack the overall polish and finesse of Bethesda's stalwart champion of this genre, Kingdoms of Amalur has a number of unique features which make it a worthwhile experience (and not just a curio from a studio who unfortunately went out before their time). Personally the most enjoyable aspect of the game is the combat, there is a huge amount of variety in the weapons, spells and skills that you can harness during your adventures in Amalur. There are three primary skills trees which focus on the area of Might (warrior class) Magic (wizard class) and Finesse (rogue class), how you set about scattering your skills points is entirely up to you, which means you can either go full hog on any one skill tree or embellish your character with a few choice abilities from each tree. The more points you invest in any of these overarching skill-sets will unlock more powerful abilities, but the choice is yours! There are a number of different weapons classes all of which focus on different attributes of strength, speed and range, not only can you create your own combinations and craft a style which suits you, it also means that there is a lot of scope for experimenting and having fun playing around. All of this of course wouldn't mean much though if the execution was poor but safe to say that combat in Amalur is fluid and responsive, and you'll be charging into that pack of monsters stalking the field to just get another taste. All this aside, Amalur still has plenty to offer, there is a tonne of exploration to do, admittedly my first several hours questing were spent largely ignoring the main story and picking up side missions and traversing the land looking for loot. This is also very easy on the eye is as Amalur is beautifully rendered and encompasses the range of landscapes you'd expect to see in a big, fantasy adventure. The game isn't without it flaws however, the hardest thing to cope with is the voice acting, it is by and large, terrible; though it can at times peak at bearable. It is a massive distraction and also such a shame given that voice acting in games is now better than ever with many top titles even attracting star names. It probably doesn't help that the dialogue is also quite stale and the plot generally uninspiring, but please don't let these things stop you from questing (there are so many quests) and just enjoying the freedom to explore what is, warts and all, a brilliant game.

Great game, if you like RPG games you'll definitely enjoy this one!

It's hard not to put be put off by the woefully generic that the game thrusts you into. Elves, gnomes, magic and incredibly colour-saturated environments. The game doesn't bother to tell you much about the setting, frankly it doesn't need to. On the other hand, it doesn't even try to be original. The writing is equally unimpressive and bog-standard. And it's hampered by the amateur animation. Characters stand perfectly still while they speak, rarely emoting or moving. And despite all of the flaws, it's a well put together game. Layers of complexity neatly fit together to give a combat system that merrily moves from satisfying boss battles to squashing swarms of weaker enemies. Diablo-style loot was a poor design choice for the game (limited inventory combined with endless loot drops just make for an unnecessary degree of inventory management). But there's neat exploration bonuses; Fun, unexpected, cap-stons when you complete certain quest-lines; and the ability to easy reassign all of your skill points and play a new character type. The class system needed work as it feels a bit last minute and slapped on. Non-combat skills are well implemented and contain few worthless entries making each level gained a difficult decision. A poorly presented and slightly rushed but very entertaining action-RPG.

Most people say that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an easy game and shun it just because of that. I agree that it's not been difficult, even in hard mode (rogue and wizard, the warrior has a tough time). It has several things I'd have made differently (more than 2 weapons simultaneously, probably 2 tier of mapped powers, a jump button, taking into account character's abilities when comparing items, a higher level cap) but it's very entertaining all the same.

So, I have to admit that this is my fist RPG on XBOX 360. Somehow I thought that RPGs are meant to be enjoyed on the PC. But Kingdom of Amalur proves I was wrong! I tried the demo first, and even that was challenging. After you've spent the first few hours on it you'll see the broad possibilities the game offers. It's a clear recommendation!

Kingdoms Of Amalur is a very good game at a fantastic price: too bad for the online pass. That's why I rated it 4 stars. If you lend the game to a friend he will have a limited single player experience, even though he will be able to complete the game, he will never get to 1000\1000g. If he doesn't purchase an online pass, that is. The game is worth much more than it costs on zavvi.com ;)

What can I say for this price! and many many hours of fun gameplay, it is a steal.

The game is very good, very addictive though. The only problem I've received is that the online pass code has already been redeemed!! But other then that very good game very similar to dragon age if your a fan off hack n slash free roaming RPG then you'll like this.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a really good game only issue is that it really needs a guide book with it on how to open the magical chests.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning is undoubtedly the best game I've played this year. I mostly play RPGs, and as far as I am concerned this is the best one this year. This game is renowned already for its great combat mechanics, and it has stood up to its reputation. The combat is fast-pace, responsive, dynamic and versatile. Also, I have found it easy to mold my character as I choose, as the game lets you receive bonuses to whichever type of character you want to play. Despite what most people say, I have found the story to be just as satisfying as that of Skyrim. Perhaps the only place whereby, it could fall short is in its exploration, but that is in comparison to Skyrim. All in all, it is a great game that offers a lot to any lover of RPGs and is also great for people who want to get into the genre. I highly recommend this game!