Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Previews

For some updated details on 38 Studios’ Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, you may want to sift through the following GDC- and PAX East-based previews.

GameSpot:

The team’s answers offered up additional bits of info on various aspects of the game. A question on swimming in the game revealed that while there will be swimming, there won’t be underwater swimming, although there will be dive points where you’ll be able to go underwater to collect items. A targeting question revealed that there’s a soft lock system for combat. A question on difficulty was answered with the revelation that there will be a difficulty slider in the game. The answer for a question on how many major classes will be included in the game was a cryptic “a lot.” The subject of morality revealed that the game won’t have a set system of good and evil that includes a traditional morality meter; instead, some of the world choices you make will have an impact on your adventure. Other info of note from the panel included word that there will be an absorption ability for mages and that the game will feature some level of control customization that will let you choose between different presets. The massive game is set on just part of the world of Amalur, which is being groomed to be a cottage industry supporting toys and comics if the interest is there from the masses.

GameInformer:

A harpoon spell allows you to grab enemies and drag them over hidden environmental traps. High-level magic users can call upon meteor, a top-tier spell that rains flaming rocks, devastating a whole room of enemies. Magic-focused characters also have a range of abilities and weapons that help create distance between them and their opponents, freeing up time to cast these powerful spells.

Reckoning does not stand apart from the crowd in combat alone. The wider universe of Amalur is being shaped by a talented brain trust at 38 Studios: founder and former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, fantasy writer R.A. Salvatore, and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. Although this group is not directly involved in the day-to-day development of Reckoning 38 Studios is currently developing an unnamed MMO set in the Amalur universe their impact is evident. Amalur is not as generic a fantasy setting as it seemed upon first impression.

TeamXbox:

When you begin the game, you’re resurrected from the Well of Souls as I mentioned already, but the story-kicker is that once resurrected you no longer have a fate. This means that through your gameplay, actions and experience you’re changing your own fate as you go, as well as the fates of those around you. This even ties into the combat where after a combo you can sometimes deliver a (fate shift kill) by which you are quite literally changing the course of an enemy’s life by ending it.

The world is built to support any kind of RPG play style. You can wander the open world for hours finding side quests and crafting, or you can simple hop from marker to marker completing the main storyline. The world has a day and night cycle that loops lighting and an air of authenticity to the experience and everything is supposed to make you feel as though you’re in a (larger, lived-in world) full of (long gone civilizations.)

Curse:

Another neat feature about the combat is the enemy A.I.. Enemies will actually team up and coordinate against you, using their abilities together to distract and/or disable you so the others can do damage. Also, the loot system in the game is very similar to the randomly generated loot system in Diablo, so you never know what you’re going to get, but there’s always a chance to get an item you need so you don’t have to dungeon crawl to get that special piece of gear you’re looking for.

The developers wanted the game outside of combat to be just as enjoyable as the fighting in the game. The detail of the environment has been a big priority for the team and they strive to make every single inch of the game realistic. They explained that they wanted the world to feel real and true to the books. Everything down to the time of day affects the world. NPCs in the game will start going inside for the night when the sun sets, the barkeep will start cleaning up, different enemies will appear in the shadows of the woods to jump out at you in the dark and will disappear when the sun comes back up again.

And Game Rant:

The character creation tools shown appeared to offer a high level of customization over the face and body type of your character. So much so, that Frazier joked that you could actually make your avatar look exactly like Curt Schilling. Players will be able to pick from various races, each with their own set of bonuses, gender, and a patron god that will bestow small bonuses throughout the game.

Unlike other fantasy games, in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, players don’t initially pick a class for their character since you start the game deader than a doornail. Somehow you are brought back to life, but you don’t recall who you are, know where you are, or how you came back. As the game progresses, players will be able to select (destinies,) which allow their character to specialize in different forms of combat. How many destinies are available in Reckoning? Schilling simply stated (a lot.) Frazier then explained that, in most role-playing games, trying to be a Jack of all Trades usually results in an underpowered player. In Reckoning, hybrid classes won’t have that problem so players can create their character in the exact manner they wish.