E3 2011: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Impressions

In a lot of ways Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning reminds me of Batman: Arkham Asylum. It looks exceptional despite being pre-alpha and is being developed by a relatively unknown studio called Big Huge Games. Hit the break to view our first impressions of this potentially massive new role-playing title.

One of the gems thus far has been KOA: Reckoning, an action RPG being published by EA. There was virtually no line to this title and I figured why not check it out.  Not only was it refreshing because it’s based on a new intellectual property, but it’s also an in-depth role-playing title. Don’t be fooled though, KOA: Reckoning looks to be equally adept at creating a compelling combat system. KOA: Reckoning looks like a more interesting version of God of War mixed with the looting and collectibles from all of the PS2 role-playing games we came to play and love.  The developers didn’t want us to take their word for it however and showed a ton of different loot combinations; for a minute I swore I was in heaven. It’s incredibly difficult to showcase a role-playing game in a 20-minute span; however they did a marvelous job of showcasing it and even provided live code after the trailer.

After showcasing how the loot system worked we got a little taste of the combat. Like other RPG’s the combat system is directly related to how the player invests in the skill trees. Perhaps you want to be more magic oriented, or more forceful and direct? KOA: Reckoning allows the player to choose how they want to approach the universe by offering several pillars of gameplay. The really great thing about this system is that you’re never forced to only place skill points within one class. The combat looks unique; despite inviting the God of War comparison. Everything is quick and fluid and there are even some finisher animations that rival some of the best action adventure titles.

What really impressed me was the fact that the live footage was still pre-alpha and still managed to trump everything I’ve seen thus far on the show floor. There’s been a severe lack of polish from several high key titles (I’ll get to those in later impression pieces), and it was refreshing to see that this particular studio came to E3 ready to show off their product.

I’m still trying to figure out how this title has flown under my radar for the past year.

KOA: Reckoning is set to release sometime in 2012.