Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

So I've got this game on pre-order for game day release and am pretty excited about it. I downloaded the demo on my PS3 the other day, but unfortunately haven't had the time to play it yet! I just saw this article from Penny Arcade and their reviews on it. Calling it better than Skyrim!

What do you think? Have you played the demo yet? Are you planning on buying it? What game(s) are you most looking forward to playing this year? For me: I'm also looking forward to ME3 like a lot of others, but I love me some good high fantasy RPGs!

 

[theT0rmented]

Yeah, I've played the demo twice. Really like it. It's fairly open world, less than Skyrim, but with a better combat system, IMO. It's definitely a different art direction to the world; Skyrim went for a more realistic color palette and style, while Kingdoms of Amalur is definitely more classic RPG style (bright colors, art style more "fantasy", etc.). I will buy this went it comes out; I found the story interesting, and the character development seems a lot of fun.

Also looking forward to ME3... those two are the only ones on my radar right now.

 

[Agamon]

I tried the demo even though I didn't like what I was seeing in the trailers. The art and combat are lot more cartoon-y than Skyrim. I don't really like the whole smash-inanimate-objects-for-loot idea, either. The demo also froze my 360 part way through it.

I'll probably end up trying it if the reviews are decent, as this year is looking like a pretty lame duck compared to last year, aside from ME3.

 

[GreenLantern]

It looks promising from the trailers. I'll have to check out the demo.

 

[fba827]

The demo also froze my 360 part way through it.

Yeah, the demo froze my 360 too.

but prior that it was okay. mind you, i'm a very casual console gamer so i don't know if i'm a good measuring stick on how good/bad it would be for other people.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I wasn't quite sure how I had never heard of this game but I saw the ad on the XBOX LIVE front page and tried the demo.

I really enjoyed the gameplay and the openness of the world, allowing me to range about wherever I chose. I planned on buying it when it comes out.

Then I read this article...

Kingdoms of Amalur's "Online Pass" continues a slippery slope for used games

...and I am debating making a moral stand against the game and passing on it.

DS

 

[Super Pony]

I played the demo and it felt like a demo. I am saving any concrete opinions for the actual release, but it seems like it could be a decent single player wow-clone to me. I do like the art style, but the interface didnt feel very polished on the demo.

The whole "used game players cost us extra money" defense of pay-to-play content IS totally assinine though. Since...the person that bought the game originally should have paid for it? Perhaps it is just a PC server thing? Ah well...

 

[Banshee16]

I wasn't quite sure how I had never heard of this game but I saw the ad on the XBOX LIVE front page and tried the demo.

I really enjoyed the gameplay and the openness of the world, allowing me to range about wherever I chose. I planned on buying it when it comes out.

Then I read this article...

Kingdoms of Amalur's "Online Pass" continues a slippery slope for used games

...and I am debating making a moral stand against the game and passing on it.

DS

Same here. Game looks good.....but I may have to vote with my wallet by not purchasing it.

I'm not a huge purchaser of used games...but I have several friends who are.

Frankly, I don't appreciate this level of control being exerted over consumers.

Banshee

 

[Agamon]

I'm kinda on the other side of the fence. From the video game company's point of view, used games aren't any different than piracy, well except that someone else is getting paid for it. I've stopped buying from GameStop and other retailers that sell used. I'd rather give money to the guys that made the game over seeing all go to the retailer.

As long as I don't have to pay anything extra to play a new game, I don't have a problem with this.

Edit: I agree with the article though. Don't retroactively make used games already bought unusable without a pass. That isn't fair to those that have the games. But to announce it ahead of time?

I look forward to games being published in a direct-to-download method (much like XBL games now), where the creators can self-publish, with a fee to the console company and leave the blood-sucking middlemen out of it completely.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

I'm kinda on the other side of the fence. From the video game company's point of view, used games aren't any different than piracy, well except that someone else is getting paid for it. I've stopped buying from GameStop and other retailers that sell used. I'd rather give money to the guys that made the game over seeing all go to the retailer.

As long as I don't have to pay anything extra to play a new game, I don't have a problem with this.

I feel the same way with paying the guys who made the game for the content they made and not the secondary market like GameStop, though I don't think of it as piracy.

Why not support 38 studios (in this case) by buying new games instead of the GameStops of the world for ripping you off on both ends (selling to them and buying from them)? I like to get the free stuff when pre-ordering a game I know I will like (such as ME3). Why should some schmuck who waited a year down the line still get the stuff for free that I had to pre-order to get when he buys it for pennies on the dollar for a used copy? Hell yeah the company should be able to put that stuff on the DLC stores to try to get some kind of money off the secondary market because the aren't getting anything else out of the cheapskates who wait to play the game(s).

Now if there isn't any bonus stuff that comes with the game that's fine too, DLC is another way that companies can keep making a little extra cash to fund other projects and other DLC for the current game on the market. People don't have to buy it, but a lot of times the DLCs are just as much fun as the core games or they add some cool stuff to them without being "needed" for the core game.

EDIT: I also agree w/ the article that games shouldn't be made unplayable in the secondary market, just charge for the "free" stuff or "dlc" that you'd get when buying the game new, don't make that stuff unplayable.