Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review in Progress

Here at IGN, "reviews in progress" aren't uncommon. Our MMO Editor Nick Kolan uses such a format when he delves into the epic adventures he reviews, such as he did with games like DC Universe Online and, more recently, Star Wars: The Old Republic. But we've never tried this approach with a game outside of the realm of the MMO genre. That is, until right now.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be playing through Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning pretty much every day. I'll keep you up-to-date (perhaps a couple of times a week) as to my progress, how I'm feeling about what I'm seeing and doing, and more. All of that will culminate in a freshly written review before the game launches to the masses in early February, when I'll render my final verdict.

But enough about that. Let's get into the nitty gritty. Let's talk about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

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Dense. That's the first word that will likely come to your mind when you go through the introductory dungeon of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and finally find yourself outside, free to explore to your heart's content. It's not that the world itself in Reckoning is unruly or unmanageable, nor does the game give you too much to do in terms of control input. It's simply that you're going to find a world so chockfull of plot that you might have a hard time keeping up with it all.

Of course, this isn't a gripe at all. On the contrary, it's actually a testament to the incredible work done by famous fantasy writer R.A. Salvatore and his team of writers that, as I discovered back at New York Comic Con, created a world with a 10,000-year history. So as you begin to speak to people, hear the names of characters and places, and start to put everything together in your head, don't feel bad if you're a little lost. I'm only several hours into the game, and I'm already feeling a tad bit overwhelmed.

But I don't want to get too ahead of myself. Because Reckoning is an RPG in the western style, you'll obviously be playing as a character that you can cater to your wants, needs and -- most importantly -- play style. After some cutscenes fill you in on the game's plot (worry not, purists, for I won't be touching much on the story in the review in progress or the final verdict so as to avoid spoilers), you'll be able to create your character in earnest.

There are four classes available to you. The Almain get bonuses to persuasion, alchemy and blacksmithing. The Varani get a boost to mercantile, detect hidden and lockpicking. Ljosalfar are buffed-out in sagecraft, dispelling and alchemy. And finally, the Dokkalfar get a helping hand with sagecraft, stealth and persuasion. My character is a male Varani. "Hardened by the high seas," explains the game, "the Varani are just as frequently pirates and mercenaries as they are shrewd merchants. They favor swords and daggers as seaworthy weapons." That cursory story, combined with the bonuses the Varani get, made it an easy choice for me.

My red-haired, mohawked Varani named Stigandr thus found his way to the Faelands, where the post-introductory adventure begins. But I learned a great deal about playing Reckoning from the game's dungeon-based introduction, too. Because Reckoning and Skyrim are being compared quite a bit (they're both fantasy-based RPGs released around the same time), it's worth noting that Reckoning's combat is far, far stronger than Skyrim's. The game feels tighter, and you'll no doubt feel more in control.

What I love most about Reckoning's combat has a great deal to do with how easy the game makes it to do more than simply swing a sword. Switching between your primary weapon (such as a blade) and your secondary weapon (whether it be a stave, hammer, bow, or whatever else) can be done on the fly with a simple press of a face button. Casting spells is executed by holding your controller's right trigger with a face button also held. Pulling out a shield is as easy as pressing another trigger. There's even a super-powered mode you can go into when you have the energy to do so, and again, that's easy to execute, too.