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    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    Kingdoms of Amalur is a much loved game among RPG fans, and precisely because of this, the announcement of Re-Reckoning it was so celebrated. This new version is a remaster of the acclaimed game released in 2022, which is now back with optimized visuals, refined gameplay and all content released by DLC.

    This return of the series was somewhat unexpected, as the original developer, 38 Studios, closed shortly after the game's release. THQ Nordic bought the IP (intellectual property), and is bringing the original game back, perhaps as a way to test the public's interest in the classic and cult universe of Amalur.



    The RPG is the brainchild of brilliant minds like New York Times bestselling author RA Salvatore; Spawn creator Todd McFarlane; and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston.

    The quality of the original game is undeniable, but was the remaster a good format choice to bring the series back? Does he honor Amalur's legacy? Let's talk about all this during the review.

    An epic story through the realms of Amalur

    the plot of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning It has a very basic, and even predictable, premise. The protagonist who wakes up without remembering anything, and who, while walking this path of rediscovery, discovers that he is the chosen one to save the world. In this new reality, every choice he makes will impact not only his life, but everyone around him. Is it a story we've seen a bunch of times? Yes! But what makes the difference in Amalur is how this narrative is developed.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    As we begin our adventure, we discover that the kingdoms of Amalur are at war, but there is still a greater evil acting to make matters worse, and that is the nefarious sect of the Tuatha immortals, and their dark leader Gadflow. Despite the realms' onslaught against this threat, it seems that nothing and no one has the power to destroy these beings, who are determined to exterminate all mortals.



    It seems that the world is lost, until the protagonist appears. Until you come. We are a successful experiment, as we die and are reborn through the mysterious Well of Souls, a powerful mechanism where experiments take place to make people fight the Tuatha immortals. We are the first successful experiment and this totally changes the fate of the world.

    Even with all this mysterious power, we need allies to help us on this journey, and we travel through the realms of Amalur in search of help, while getting to know more of those people, as well as discovering more about our own character.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    The main mission is very interesting, and makes us interested all the time to know what will happen in that plot full of mysteries. The coolest thing is that as our character doesn't remember anything, we discover everything along with him. There are also several factions, which we can help to be our allies, and the history of each of them was very well built, showing their customs well.

    Some missions, especially the secondary ones, lack quality, being stuck to killing something, collecting some resources or exploring some dungeon. Their quantity is enormous, but there was a lack of greater care in their quality. The main plot, and the factions, have a wonderful development, which leaves us stuck in their narratives. It's a pity that when we're going to make sidekicks to improve the character's level, we lose some of that immersion in the main story.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning offers a complete package, and in addition to the base game, it also adds the DLCs The Legend of Dead Kel e Teeth of Naros, bringing even more hours of adventure. The Legend of Dead Kel adds the new Gallows End region, an island full of dark stories, with a threat that has haunted its inhabitants for centuries. Already Teeth of Naros brings a forgotten land, and with a hostile environment. In this new journey, players will meet the Kollosae, a race of devout giants, and discover the mysteries of their faith. In addition to all this content, Re-Reckoning will still get the expansion Fatesworn in 2022, which promises another five hours of history.



    Even if the rhythm breaks a little with somewhat uninteresting side stories, the central plot and the factions are extremely rich, making us curious about what will happen next and the fate of all those people and their kingdoms. These main stories alone guarantee you good hours of gameplay, ranging from 20 to 40 hours long, which can even double if you want to do everything that comes your way.

    You in control of the fun

    Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning follows the tradition of a good RPG, with a robust progression system and character improvements, and with important choices, which really make us feel in control of our destiny. The world of Amalur offers a vast map to explore, full of interesting characters to meet, challenging enemies to challenge us with, and all this is important for the protagonist's growth, like a well-oiled machine.

    The customization of our character is not very extensive, but it offers decent resources for creating our avatar. In addition to this aesthetic characterization, we can choose between four races, divided between types of humans and elves, where each one offers exclusive bonuses that are important for the creation of your class, with improvements to some skills, such as stealth, for example, more efficiency with some professions, or even more mastery in persuasion techniques. The other initial choice is focused on the choice of class that here is divided between three different paths: Might, which is the characteristic warrior, who uses heavy weapons and armor; Finesse, who is closest to a rogue, specializing in lighter weapons and the use of poisons and bleeds; and finally there is Sorcery, which is the closest to a mage, being an expert in spells.



    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    Despite the initial choice, the game offers several ways to customize your character, and this transformation happens through the skill trees. Whenever you level up, you receive points to distribute, and with them you can improve your skills in professions, improve your breaking and stealth techniques, for example, and you can even invest your points in any of the class trees. Did it start with Finesse? But did you enjoy using the heavy weapons? Just start investing your points in the Might tree. Want to create a mage, with good poison skills? Just invest your points in Sorcery and Finesse, and create a hybrid character. Everything is in the player's hands.

    Armor and weapons are varied and respect the amount of points we use in classes. Heavier armor and weapons demand more Might points, while the finer magic robes are geared towards those who have invested more in Sorcery. In addition to these fixed choices, we still have potions that can expand combat possibilities, increasing damage and resistance, for example. Some armor can be upgraded with gems, adding complexity to optimize your character.

    But on top of all that, there's the interesting system of Destinies, which are cards received as we progress through the story and complete certain challenges. Each card offers fixed upgrades, and they can be changed whenever we level up, or by encountering a Fateweaver, which is an npc that can make this change.

    Vast possibilities to transform combat according to your style.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    Combat is very fast and dynamic, with easy controls for you to switch between two weapons, and also use the eight skills that are possible to equip. For the possibilities of the combat itself, we can use heavy and light attacks for each type of weapon. Weapon styles are quite varied, with daggers, swords, bows, axes, bows, and so on. There is also the Reckoning mechanic, where time slows down and our damage increases considerably. We can't use this mode all the time, as we need to fill a bar, which fills up as we damage enemies.

    Going into battle is a real delight in Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, because with so many options to make the character to your liking, it's like you're entering combat yourself. The commands respond well, leaving the control really in your hands. Always offering fun battles, whether against common enemies, or against the challenging bosses, where each one has its own abilities and unique arenas.

    The major weakness of the gameplay is its camera, which was complicated in the original game, and continued without improvements in this new version. She often takes on weird angles that take the immersion out of battles.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    Despite the few changes, the combat and the possibilities of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning offer an amazing experience for RPG lovers where you really feel like you are in control of your character's destiny.

    The return to Amalur deserved greater care

    The visual part is, without a doubt, the most controversial point of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. The 2022 game was beautiful, but we can already see the marks of time on it, and even though it has aged well, we can clearly see that this is a last-gen game. With the arrival of the remaster version, many, myself included, were hoping for a good graphical upgrade, but it didn't quite turn out that way.

    The graphics update is practically nil, and even though the characters and some scenarios look well polished, the difference to the original version is very small, which is disappointing for a version that promised improved graphics. The performance is good in general, but framerate drops still happen, even on Xbox One X. Also, at several times my game closed by itself, and almost made me lose a good time of progress. At least the title has manual save, so we can save at any time avoiding unnecessary progression losses.

    I didn't play the original game so it was all new to me, but I still never felt like I was playing a current-gen game, or anything close to it, but just a raw re-release of an old title. Seeing the gameplays of the original game, I was sure that this remaster deserved greater care.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    As for the visuals themselves, regardless of the quality of the remaster, they are beautiful and with strong colors, with a characteristic touch that recalls the graphic style of the Fable franchise, and it is clear that the Lionhead series was a great reference. The environments are very detailed and diverse, with each area bringing the particularities of its climate and people. Even though it carries the weight of eight years of its release, its visuals perform well, but it's really a shame that it hasn't received a more careful remaster, to further highlight this unique beauty of Amalur.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

    As for the sound, it fulfills its role well in keeping the player immersed in every moment of the game, packaging the events well. The voices match the characters well, but it's a shame that our protagonist goes without his own dubbing, being silent all the time.

    Another disappointment with Re-Reckoning is the lack of Portuguese subtitles in our country. In 2022, this could even be tolerated, but in the middle of 2022, with our country being one of the biggest gaming markets in the world, it is unacceptable that they have not localized the game.

    Opinion

    Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one of the best RPGs in gaming history, with an interesting world to explore, charismatic characters, and a nice story to follow. Added to the dynamic and fun combat, we have a complete experience that will hold us for several hours. the great sin of Re-Reckoning it is the lack of a decent treatment that justifies this new version, as the improvements are almost nil, with the big news being the addition of all the DLCs together for the players, offering a complete adventure. The addition of a first-of-its-kind expansion next year is also good news.

    Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning brings the 2022 experience into 2022 without considerable improvements, which may not attract new players. Those who have played it don't have much incentive to play again, unless they have missed the DLCs in the past, as they are content that is really worth it. It is worth remembering that the base title is also available through backwards compatibility, which can keep those who already own the game from venturing into a remaster without much improvement.

    For those who have never played, like me, it is a unique opportunity, with a complete package of experiences, inside the rich world of Amalur. The biggest positive point is having the franchise back, and even if it wasn't the return everyone expected, it can be a beautiful gateway for THQ Nordic to revive the series once and for all.

    Análise – Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

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