Anyone else looking forward to this game? It's the next big open-world rpg coming out.

Release date is Feb 7th, Demo is out Jan 17th (tomorrow).

For those who don't know the game is being made by 38 studios, which is Curt Schillings company (the baseball player). IT features lore done by RA Salvatore and art direction is by Todd McFarlane and the "visionary lead" of Ken Rolston (who was the lead designer of both Morrowind and Oblivion).

The world is said to be quite huge, and the gameplay (with side quests, etc) is 200+ hours. Though the world design might confuse some people, it's not straight up open TES style go everywhere, but it's not closed/linear like Fable or Kotor, but more of a mix, with lots of open area,s hubs/paths.

The combat is one of the biggest draw points for me, it features a MUCH more action/player control combat, not your TES style clickity click boring melee but much more a God of War style combat. However Ken Rolston said that he doesn't want an "action game" and still wants it to be an rpg and doesn't want rpg fans to dislike it because of the combat and things.

Another thing that looks great is the destiny/skill system. The game does not have "Classes" or a strict leveling system. You have three tree's, Finesse (rogue type things) Strength (warrior type) and Sorcery (magic).

As you level up you can place points into any of the three trees you want. As you build up your character in whichever way you choose, mixing and matching, or going straight into one type, you get "destiny" cards that basically add bonsuses for how you are building your character. Basically they allow you to build your ocharacter ANY way you want an dgive you bonuses and things for that. There's one such as the "jack of all trades" destiny (for going in each tree) thta gives you bonuses to using equipment (lower requirment). Ther eare a lot of skills in each tree that can change how your character fights and their abilities. For example, going into the Sorcery tree (I believe, may be finesse) there's a "blink" ability, so that when you dodge, instead of just rolling you actually teleport around. You can then teleport THROUGH targets and do damage, even applying a poision effect or such if you have a skill for that.

The game really seems quite versatile when it comes to this and it's one of the main reasons I'm looking forward to it, being able to make any type of character you want, from a quick rekflex rogue with magic or a heavy armor weilding mage, etc.

The game features both crafting and looting, there's a TON of loot int he game, and a lot of full armor sets and things. They wanted to have a Diablo style looting system, lots of random items, good unique items, sets, etc. Crafting also has a lot of items and they aren't cheap/throw away compare dto loot either.

There's also choice/consquences in the game, such as doing something bad in one villiage, they'll remember it and treat you differently because of such things, among other more "bigger" descisions you make.

There are some great videos out there , here are some of the more recent ones that have came out:

A great overview of the game to get key info and things:

Ken Rolston on combat (I love this guy, he just seems so enthusatic for the game and I can see how he could have easily put so much inot morrowind):

Claudia black (she narrates a lot of the trailers, not in game though sadly) Combat trailer:

50-minute gameplay:

Also it' sbeen said, the game will NOT require origin to play, they hav ealso hinted that it may be on Steam for release as well.

Originally Posted By Stiler (16 JAN 2012 1:01pm)

 

Also it' sbeen said, the game will NOT require origin to play, they hav ealso hinted that it may be on Steam for release as well.

 

Hmm, I thought I'd already made a thread for it, but it must have jusut been a post (besides what we said in the ME3 thread)

...but if what you say above is true, I'll almost definitely be getting it.  Let's just hope they don't do what they did with Crysis 2. 

>

Anyway, thanks for the thread, Stiler,  I didn't have close as much info as you posted there, it's very informative, thank you! 

actually this is the first time i notice this game, hadn't heard anything about it before.

It looks 'ok', but there's nothing that makes me drool, i also am not a big fan of cartoonish graphics in rpg games.

the opposite is true for adventure games though.

I made a comment on the game in the Mass Effect 3 thread, where I said that I don't think it will end up selling very well. The marketing campaign for the game has been rather disasterious, and while there have been banners adververtising the game all over the internet, it feels like most of those have made the game look like yet another free to play MMO. Only the people who are really intersted in the genre seem to be aware of what the game actually is. As for the game itself, when I hear them talk about it, it sounds like they are building an interesting game, but the game does not look nearly as interesting in action. I'll not pre-order the game, but I'll keep an eye on it. Hopefully it will turn out to be better than it looks. 

Originally Posted By Fnord (17 JAN 2012 6:01am)

 I'll not pre-order the game, but I'll keep an eye on it. Hopefully it will turn out to be better than it looks. 

I'll definitely not pre-order, but I'm hoping they'll allow other outlets like Steam also sell it.

Hmm, well when It comes to advertising how many open world rpgs hav ea demo? I Think that is one of the main things they are doing right.

For a new IP having a demo is something you simply do not see much of anymore, not many people want to risk a demo.

As far as advertising goes, maybe It's because I'm a gamer, but I look at videos, and read previews. It has looked nothing like an mmo to me (though they are actually making an mmo based in the same world, code named project conpercius or something).

The videos that they have put out, to advertise the game with claudia black (did I mention I love her voice) have been extremely informative and well done imo, I don't see how they've "failed" in advertising in any way, at least when it comes to video form, previews, etc. There are a ton of gaming websites that have done extensive interviews, video gameplay, that clearly show it's not an mmo and the combat should get that message out loud and clear to many people, when compared to any mmo witht he usual hotkey boring combat.

Up until recently I had only seen the banners for the game, and the short segments of gameplay that they showed, and they made me think of MMOs. And because of that, I did not bother with finding out anything more about the game. The information was there,  but the impression that the advertisement campaign gave me of the game did not make me interested in seeking it out, in fact it had the very opposite effect.

There was some talk about the game over at RPGwatch a while ago, and several people there did not really know what it was about either, they had, like me, only seen the banners, which made the game look uninteresting to them as well. It might well be a regional difference in how the banners were created. Here the banners had a small  window to the right, showing some flashy combat, and the left side were dedicated to the name of the game, and some background images. This is almost exactly how F2P MMO advertisement banners are made as well, and the flashy combat did not look all that different from those either. 

Anyone try out the demo?

Apparently you don't need to play it to receive the in-game so-called bonuses/cards + those for ME3, you just have to install it and they are automatically linked to your personal EA account.

Unfortunately there are no options included with the demo that allow adjustment to graphic settings, therefore all I see after character creation is a beautiful black screen.

Just finished playing the demo. In a move that is perhaps inspired by more casual games, and in order to showcase its somewhat open nature, it is not content but time restricted. After finishing the opening quest/tutorial, you have 45 minutes to do explore the first city and its surroundings, definitely not enough to solve every quest available.

While you are prompted to create an EA account , you can simply ignore it and go on with the game. Let's hope the full game doesn't change that.

Only the most basic of graphics options available. Never sits well with the pc crowd. At least I seem to be lucky enough for the game to run without need for adjustments.

The much-hyped combat system isn't really apparent in the demo. Unsurprising, since I expect you get the more interesting abilities/options as you level up, and the demo is just the start of the game. But after all the talk about the amazing combat by the developers, I wonder if it wouldn't have been a better idea to offer a demo at a more advanced stage/character level, to let gamers experience some of the nifty stuff.

All in all, I quite liked it, not so much for what there is in the demo, but because it shows promise of a much better gameplay experience once you get a few more levels under your belt.

I get the same feeling the start of Divine Divinity 2 gave me, another game with a slow start that became much better the further you progressed.

At any rate, I can't afford to spend 50€ on a game right now, even if God told me it was the greatest thing ever. But I'll definitely keep an eye on it...

From what I discovered the black screen is only reported with the demo and is resolved by disabling post processing in the graphics options which I eventually found stashed in gameplay options.  I'm good.

The learning curve is short, as the demo holds your hand tightly, but the main menu seems rather clunky in returning back to gameplay. It's a pity the demo doesn't let you resume after completing the escape/tutorial quest, I'll miss my extra 45 minutes to absorb the outdoor environment and get a taste for the world other than the initial violence and gore. I'd also need to know what the save system is like in the full version.

I agree the price seems a bit steep for this quality of work, hopefully it will make its presence on next year's Steam Blow-out as I do have numerous other titles already on the shelf begging my attention.

Originally Posted By CB (18 JAN 2012 1:28pm)

 

Anyone try out the demo?

 

 

 

Apparently you don't need to play it to receive the in-game so-called bonuses/cards + those for ME3, you just have to install it and they are automatically linked to your personal EA account.

 

 

 

Unfortunately there are no options included with the demo that allow adjustment to graphic settings, therefore all I see after character creation is a beautiful black screen.

 

You get a few in-game bonuses at the start of the demo, when you make a character. You get another in-game koa item (helmet) further in the demo. If you finish the entire demo, at the very end, you get the Mass Effect 3 unlock for othe weapons inspiried by KOA.

So basically you get everything if you finish the game, and only two things if you simply start it.

Originally Posted By Mr Innocent. (18 JAN 2012 5:47pm)

Just finished playing the demo. In a move that is perhaps inspired by more casual games, and in order to showcase its somewhat open nature, it is not content but time restricted. After finishing the opening quest/tutorial, you have 45 minutes to do explore the first city and its surroundings, definitely not enough to solve every quest available.

 

While you are prompted to create an EA account , you can simply ignore it and go on with the game. Let's hope the full game doesn't change that.

 

Only the most basic of graphics options available. Never sits well with the pc crowd. At least I seem to be lucky enough for the game to run without need for adjustments.

 

The much-hyped combat system isn't really apparent in the demo. Unsurprising, since I expect you get the more interesting abilities/options as you level up, and the demo is just the start of the game. But after all the talk about the amazing combat by the developers, I wonder if it wouldn't have been a better idea to offer a demo at a more advanced stage/character level, to let gamers experience some of the nifty stuff.

 

All in all, I quite liked it, not so much for what there is in the demo, but because it shows promise of a much better gameplay experience once you get a few more levels under your belt.

 

I get the same feeling the start of Divine Divinity 2 gave me, another game with a slow start that became much better the further you progressed.

 

At any rate, I can't afford to spend 50€ on a game right now, even if God told me it was the greatest thing ever. But I'll definitely keep an eye on it...

The combat gets a lot more open as you level things up. Even in the demo you can unlock some new moves if you build up one tree more then others.

For example, I went up in might mostly, with a dash of finesse.

I unlocked the quake ability, which you use with the right mouse, hitting it once creates a close little aoe in front of you, hitting it again makes it bigger/further, and three times it is even bigger.

I also unlocked the block + attack ability that let me  attack from behind a shield, so I could block with a hammer, then hit attacka n dit did this awesome combo of charging forward, headbutting/kicking them. The combo's are dependent on the weapon, using the sword doing the SAME button press it does a quick slash from over the shield instead.

On top of your easy to get charge attacks. So I had a few options.

You can look in the "moves" list and see later moves you can get and what they do.

Interesting demo. I'm not quite sure what to make of the game. The graphical environment and interface remind me quite a bit of an MMO, but the apparent flexibility in building a character  hints at a lot more. I wish I could have seen some more of the game. Ah, well. Not something I'll pay full price for, I think, but definitely something that will go on my wish list for a future sale.

Interesting, will have to try the demo and see how it feels...the advertizing is very simliar to 100 other online RPG MMOs so i will have to wait to see what is what.

i am getting tired of the same old fantasy medevil style generic games...there are a ton of them now.

IGN review out, 9.0:

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1216517p1.html

I'll come right out and say it: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will be discussed when Game of the Year 2012 rolls around. It has brought the conversation about what combat can be in the role-playing genre to the forefront and sets the bar exceptionally high for its future contemporaries in the genre. But don't let its competition-shaming gameplay lull you into think that that's all this game has to offer, because that's just gloss on an overall package that's bound to impress the RPG faithful.

video review:

hmmm, the game crashes to desktop when i start a new game, i can change the options but nothing helps.

Oh well, i'm not buying it anytime soon, so i'll check the steam forums whether this problem persists in the actual game

I must remember to look out for gamer reviews of this when it hits.  2 more days!

That does look promising, though I am still on the fence in regards to this game (if I can even run it that is).

Game trailers also really liked KoA, but found a few more flaws in it than IGN. 

Reveiws:
IGN 9
Eurogamer 8/10
Gameinformer 8/10
Gamespot video review
Gamespot written review 7.5/10
Joystick 5/5 stars
The Guardian 5/5 stars
Gametrailers.com 8.2/10
1up B+
Computer & videogames 7.8
ai.com A
Fronttowardgamer 8.5
Gamefront.com 85
Destructoid Video Review
Destructoid Written Review 8
Gamerant 4/5
GamesRadar 8/10
Wegotthiscovered.com 4/5
Incgamers.com 9/10
G4TV 2.5/5
Ripten 8.5
GamingNexus A
tesskyrim.com 88
OXM Italy 9
OXM USA 8
OXM UK 7
GamersHub 4.5/5
VGRevolution 9
metacritic.com Currently 83

Taken from Falkon on the official KOA forums:
http://forums.reckoning.amalur.com/showthread.php?4054-Th-Reviews-are-coming-in...

I've only clicked on your Gamespot written review so far, Stiler (I was wondering why their rating is so low), and a strange thing happens: it links right back to this post here. 

Not sure why it did that, doesn't seem to like the url/naming tags.

You should be able to just view the post I took it from on the KoA board and see all the links there then.

I'm stilling waiting on Mr. UPS man to drop off my signature edition, seems he's making it as late as possible (usually comes at 10:30 am, and the tracking shows it was on the truck for delivery at 6am so...), still not got it yet.

I just got a gift card to a local store that sells games (and movies, but as I hardly watch movies these days, that is not something that really interests me), and I highly doubt they have any niche or older titles, so I figured that in case they have KoA I might pick it up. How computer intese is it, compared to say Skyrim? 

*edit* Nevermind, I just remembered that the game has a demo. 

*edit 2* Nope, not working. While the game runs fine, no slowdown what so ever, some effects and textures looks odd. I don't think my graphics card supports this game. 

Just out of curiosity, what is your GPU?

While KoA is no Skyrim, it is a fairly major release, and if there is some issue with an officially supported GPU, it will most likely be corrected in the next official drivers release.

For me, Mass Effect 3's demo (I'm rather surprised there isn't a topic about it, btw) won't run if I turn antialiasing on. I've heard KoA's demo had some similar issues, and they can probably be corrected by fiddling with the graphics options.

I don't believe the graphics for the demo and the full game are the same. I recall there were very few options to diddle with, and for me to play the demo I had to turn off post-processing [not entirely sure what that is] something that was supposed to be fixed when the game was released. I would hope the full version has more options so that it can be tuned to work best with each persons hardware. 

I have a very crummy graphics card. A GeForce 7600GT (256mb). I was surprised by the fact that the game ran smoothly, considering I'm a fare bit bellow the system requirements (single core processor for one), but the same was true for Skyrim, I'm bellow the requirements, and yet the game runs just fine. I have, from seen other people screenshots, noticed that I'm missing some specific particle effects, but that is about it.