Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning announced

[Greg Wak]

The graphics were kinda blah to me. But the rest of it has all the RPG goodness I crave. 30 yrs of PC gaming and I'm still a sucker for building a character up the way I want, exploring unknown areas, and finding cool loot. This game, Skyrim, and Risen 2 are giving me a lot to look forward to this year.

[EddieA]

Gamespot has a new video describing the various factions you can join and their benefits.

[Morgul]

http://www.1up.com/previews/

" It's Elder Scrolls meets Fable meets God of War combat bearing World of Warcraft's aesthetics, and there's no pretending otherwise."

[EngineNo9]

I'm kind of glad they said that, because it was exactly the impression I got from the videos.

[Morgul]

Well, I love elder scrolls and god of war.

Also love Salvatore, read some last night before bed.  Damn assassin and drizzt got hit by a trap and fell into the deeps of mithril hall.

I am in on the pre order for this one for sure.   Toss in twisted metal, maybe some diablo 3, and looks like 2011 ended with a bang and 2012 going to start off with a bang.

I love games 

[Lockdown]

Holy crap - this game DOES look amazing.  And I thought I was excited for Diablo III.

If somehow (like me) - you've pretty much ignored it, get over the giant weapon artstyle and watch some of these vids.  Looks excellent.

Inside Reckonings Combat, Power & Mastery, or Access Abilities videos should show/tell you all you need to see.

[Morgul]

I have already heard enough, I am buying this one right off the bat, damn the reviews..

[EddieA]

Here's a video of the first half hour of the game.  Also, one of the developers talked about the different types of housing you can acquire -

Spoiler for Hiden:

"Just to offer some corrections to the article regarding the inventory system. The inventory limit can be increased by purchasing backpack upgrades at select merchants. There also is a stash system! Once you own a house of any type (house, castle, island fortress, etc.), you can access your stash from there. It makes it nice when one of your "houses" happens to have it's own forge, or other crafting rooms."

[CeeKay]

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

OS:
Windows XP with Service Pack 3
Windows Vista with Service Pack 2
Windows 7 with Service Pack 1

CPU:
Intel Core2 Duo (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHz or greater
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (or equivalent) running at 2.6GHz or greater

RAM:
At least 1 GB for Windows XP
At least 2 GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7

Disc Drive:
CD/DVD ROM drive (required for installation only), 8x or faster CD/DVD drive

Hard Drive:
At least 10.5 GB of free space

Video Adapter:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB or better
ATI Radeon HD3650 512MB or better
Supporting Pixel Shader 3.0
Minimum Resolution Supported is 1280x720

DirectX:
9.0c Compatible


RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

OS:
Windows XP with Service Pack 3
Windows Vista with Service Pack 2
Windows 7 with Service Pack 1

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Quad (or equivalent) running at 2.4GHz or greater
AMD Phenom X4 (or equivalent) running at 2.6GHz or greater

RAM:
At least 3 GB for Windows XP
At least 4 GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7

Disc Drive:
CD/DVD ROM drive (required for installation only), 8x or faster CD/DVD drive

Hard Drive:
At least 10.5 GB of free space

Video Adapter:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 1GB RAM or better
ATI Radeon HD4850 1GB RAM or better
Supporting Pixel Shader 3.0

DirectX:
9.0c Compatible

You will also need an internet connection for product activation/registration.

[Jag]

While I love me a good rpg, the description of the God of War combat style totally turned me off. Twitchy console combinations are really not for me.

[EddieA]

There's a demo coming out Tuesday 1/17 on XBox 360.  The demo is also coming to PSN and PC, but the 1/17 date (although likely) hasn't been confirmed for those versions.

[EddieA]

It looks like EA is doing a Mass Effect 3 / Kingdoms of Amalur demo crossover.  Playing the ME3 demo gets you a weapon in KoA, while playing the KoA demo gets you a set of armor for ME3.

[metallicorphan]

pretty good demo

If you are a fan of Fable,then i think you may like this,with little hints of Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls

pretty large demo as well,the first part of the demo,will have you escaping from a big dungeon with the help of a Gnome and getting to know the basics

The controls are pretty straight forward,X to use primary weapon(sword,dual knives or staff)Y to use secondary weapon(Bow and Arrow),B and Left stick to dodge,RT and X,A,B and Y to use a power(only X was available for me in the demo),D-pad for medicines etc

And then the second half of the demo has you in a much more open world environment,with lots of quest givers about,i reckon(haha,no pun intended)i must of done pretty much most of what can be achieved in the demo,i was trying to finish a quest when the demo ended

when you start the second part of the demo a notice appears saying that you now have 45 minutes(not included when you are talking to someone)to play the demo,so with the first half and the fact that the clock stops when you are talking to someone i think i must of spent 2hrs + on the demo


there are quests that you can receive in the game,but it tells you it can not be finished in the demo

I quite enjoyed it,and i may pick the game up when it is released in February

as said in the ME3 thread,you get your ME3 armour at the beginning of the demo and your ME3 weapon at the end of the demo

EDIT:
Sorry i thought this topic was in Console gaming forums,i guess there isn't a thread in there on KoA

[EddieA]

The PC demo is available on Origin, and should be on Steam later today.

[namatoki]

The PC demo is available on Origin, and should be on Steam later today.

Considering that Origin is EA's direct competitor to Steam, I don't think EA would give the demo to Steam.  I looked up KoA on Steam and nothing is listed.  Same with BF3 and SWTOR.  Looks like you have to use Origin to get the demo.

[EddieA]

The PC demo is available on Origin, and should be on Steam later today.

Considering that Origin is EA's direct competitor to Steam, I don't think EA would give the demo to Steam.  I looked up KoA on Steam and nothing is listed.  Same with BF3 and SWTOR.  Looks like you have to use Origin to get the demo.

They just added the full game preorder and the demo to Steam.  I'm not sure why, but the game isn't exclusive to Origin.

[namatoki]

The PC demo is available on Origin, and should be on Steam later today.

Considering that Origin is EA's direct competitor to Steam, I don't think EA would give the demo to Steam.  I looked up KoA on Steam and nothing is listed.  Same with BF3 and SWTOR.  Looks like you have to use Origin to get the demo.

They just added the full game preorder and the demo to Steam.  I'm not sure why, but the game isn't exclusive to Origin.

Wow, just saw that too.  I stand corrected!

[CeeKay]

pretty good demo

If you are a fan of Fable,then i think you may like this,with little hints of Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls

this.  just played the demo and I'm sold.  controls seem to work decently with the mouse and keyboard, and it's visually a beauty.  I only wish they had taken time to give your character a voice.

[rittchard]

The PC demo is available on Origin, and should be on Steam later today.

Considering that Origin is EA's direct competitor to Steam, I don't think EA would give the demo to Steam.  I looked up KoA on Steam and nothing is listed.  Same with BF3 and SWTOR.  Looks like you have to use Origin to get the demo.

They just added the full game preorder and the demo to Steam.  I'm not sure why, but the game isn't exclusive to Origin.

Wow, just saw that too.  I stand corrected!

I'm pretty sure the devs mentioned somewhere they wanted to get the game out to as broad an audience as possible and were working hard on getting a Steam release.

[CeeKay]

played some more of the demo, and it started getting a bit glitchy after a bit.  I'd get stutters when there were a lot of spell effects on the screen, occasionally the game would insist I was holding down a movement key when changing zones so I'd automatically be moving in that direction until I hit that direction key to stop it and some weird 'stretching' of the terrain.  looked around and it's definitely an older build, so hopefully these bugs have been worked out.  still, it's a helluva fun time and a huge demo.

I crafted a pair of daggers that kind of unbalanced things, I wonder if I'll be able to do the same thing so quickly in the full game.

[Crawley]

The graphics don't seem that great to me but certianly passable. Basically plays like Fable to me. Also had the stuttering issue but other than that it ran pretty smoothly on my older system which is nice. Its one of the better demos. Was kinda surprised how much there was to it as I figured I was hitting my time limit and it warned me I had 20 minutes left. Played for about 10 more minutes then stopped satisifed.

Concentrated on making a rougue but don't think I'd go that route in the actual game. The sneak/killing was kinda boring and the bow auto targeting made that underwhelming.

Not sure if I'll buy it for $60. Might wait on a price drop as I already have so many other games to play.

[metallicorphan]

The graphics don't seem that great to me but certianly passable. Basically plays like Fable to me. Also had the stuttering issue but other than that it ran pretty smoothly on my older system which is nice. Its one of the better demos. Was kinda surprised how much there was to it as I figured I was hitting my time limit and it warned me I had 20 minutes left. Played for about 10 more minutes then stopped satisifed.

did you still get the Mass Effect 3 weapon?,because it usually informs you that it has unlocked when that time limit is up

and yeah i would get a glitch that would put the camera,underneath the terrain,under my character(on 360 this is)

[rittchard]

Don't know if this has been mentioned above, but you can also pre-order the digital version from Amazon now for a slightly discounted $50.99, supposedly available "the minute it comes out" at midnight of the 7th.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064TYL0G/

[naednek]

buggy pos.  I get a black screen during some cutscenes, (like when you are on the death cart) and the gameplay is all black.  Guess I'll try it on the xbox

[CeeKay]

buggy pos.  I get a black screen during some cutscenes, (like when you are on the death cart) and the gameplay is all black.  Guess I'll try it on the xbox

are you using an ATI card?  try turning off post processing in the options menu.

[CeeKay]

played through the demo again and found out it gives you the option to skip the tower level.  Unfortunately it only gives you some generic equipment plus less potions and you don't get any gold or extra inventory to sell to get more gold.  as short as the level is it's probably better to play through it instead of skipping it.

The graphics don't seem that great to me but certainly passable.

after the bleakness of Skyrim I'm glad to have some bright and cheery surroundings, even if it's only the beginning of the game.

[baelthazar]

Well, I played the demo and I don't know what to think. On one hand, the combat is fast and fun, the character customization seems like Diablo II and relatively extensive, and the story is sort of neat, albeit a tad "bad guy in his bad guy castle threatens the world. On the other hand, the graphics/aesthetic were like a cross between Fable and World of Warcraft (and I was a bit turned off by this), there were a few buggy bits, and the setting and game pacing felt off... sort of like a collection of things just hanging on a wall.

What I mean by that comment is something like this: I go into the town and I see a crowd. Nothing happens when I walk up, although I notice a girl writhing on the ground. I talk to a person nearby and I've been told there was an assault. I talk to another person and he tells me where to go. I go to the alchemist to get help, enter an empty room, pilfer a healing potion from a desk (with nobody watching) and suddenly a guard comes out of nowhere and arrests me. It all felt a little surreal and poorly connected, sort of like the steps where there but the characters a bit wooden and the situation staged.

Another example was when I walked up to a lorestone. I have no idea what this is. I click it and it begins to talk to me, but in a weird voice like I'm hearing a radio show in my head. One lorestone starts talking to me about a magical rooster, and it sounds like some peasant lady is telling me a story in a bar. It was so odd... and it jarred me out of the game a bit.

Maybe things get a bit more life to them as the game progresses. It is supposed to be "open world" so I would like to see how that plays out. I'll probably try the demo again, but if I don't get over this sense that the game is a bit unpolished then I don't think I am going to get it. IIRC, the game releases on the same day as Crusader Kings II, so realistically I will ignore this one to play CKII.

[jersoc]

played the demo. the game is ok. didn't see anything earth shattering in the demo. it's fun though. will wait for 15-20 bucks probably.

don't dig the character models at all. the hair is awful and everything looks blocky.

not sure I dig the casting model in this game. it just feels very clunky to use

[Jag]

This is a bargain title at best. My poor RPG genre

[Lockdown]

Tried it.  Very disappointed.  Bummer.

[EddieA]

Wow - the demo was even more fun than I expected.  The combat was instantly enjoyable, the game looks beautiful, and it looks like there is a massive amount of things to do.  The game also seems like it will avoid the action RPG trap where all enemies just rush at you.  Even with the handful of enemies in the demo, fighting the different types required different tactics.  Fighting a bear felt completely different from fighting a pack of wolves, and the different feel of each weapon added even more variety.  I can't wait to dive into the full version.

[Qantaga]

Wow - the demo was even more fun than I expected.  The combat was instantly enjoyable, the game looks beautiful, and it looks like there is a massive amount of things to do.  The game also seems like it will avoid the action RPG trap where all enemies just rush at you.  Even with the handful of enemies in the demo, fighting the different types required different tactics.  Fighting a bear felt completely different from fighting a pack of wolves, and the different feel of each weapon added even more variety.  I can't wait to dive into the full version.

 
Ditto.
 
I'm in Day 1.

[Caine]

looking forward to trying this out after I finish up the Witcher 2 and maybe something not rpg in between.  not a day one purchase but it was fun enough. 

annoying about the post processing thing though.  if it doesn't work on a multitude of cards perhaps they shouldn't enable it by default. 

[Caine]

I do like the aspect of classing and multi-classing though.  gives you something cool to work forward to.

[CeeKay]

tried playing as a mage, definitely a bit more difficult since I had to actually use health potions during the final tower fight (the beastie was apparently resistant to both sources of magic you have on hand at the time).

also did a comparison of what you get by doing the tutorial and what you get if you don't.  here's what you miss if you skip the tower sequence:

310 gold
2-3 health potions
2 mana potions
5 lock picks (not too thrilled with the lockpicking minigame, needs some sort of feedback as to if you're on the right track or not)

I had 35/70 items after doing the tower, 22/70 when skipping it (10 of which are listed above).  not sure if it's that big of a deal but figured I'd post what I found.  when leaving the tower you get enough XP to level up, so you don't lose out on any.

[EddieA]

5 lock picks (not too thrilled with the lockpicking minigame, needs some sort of feedback as to if you're on the right track or not)

The closer you are to the right location, the further to the right the slider will move before the pick starts to shake and get ready to break.  It works almost exactly like Skyrim's lockpicking.

[CeeKay]

5 lock picks (not too thrilled with the lockpicking minigame, needs some sort of feedback as to if you're on the right track or not)

The closer you are to the right location, the further to the right the slider will move before the pick starts to shake and get ready to break.  It works almost exactly like Skyrim's lockpicking.

it seems like I'm not getting much, if any, shaking.  it seems to automatically break-  I wonder if using the keyboard is the wrong way to go for that portion.

[Abaddon]

Attempted to download the demo from Steam but I keep receiving an error message that the Steam servers arent configured to download it, tryed using Origin website but they insist you download an entire clien just to download the game. Not a very productive way to offer a demo.

[baelthazar]

5 lock picks (not too thrilled with the lockpicking minigame, needs some sort of feedback as to if you're on the right track or not)

The closer you are to the right location, the further to the right the slider will move before the pick starts to shake and get ready to break.  It works almost exactly like Skyrim's lockpicking.

it seems like I'm not getting much, if any, shaking.  it seems to automatically break-  I wonder if using the keyboard is the wrong way to go for that portion.

I had the exact same experience. Not much shake, only break (and I helped?).

[naednek]

buggy pos.  I get a black screen during some cutscenes, (like when you are on the death cart) and the gameplay is all black.  Guess I'll try it on the xbox

are you using an ATI card?  try turning off post processing in the options menu.

Thanks! That worked