[youtube _xEr5HBoKhA 700 386]
RPG’s these days seem to fall into three separate categories, whether fantasy, sci-fi or a hybrid of both. While those looking for the latest triple-A sci-fi adventure should look towards March 6th and Mass Effect 3, fantasy fans should be looking forward to this week and the release of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, developed by 38 Studios and published by EA. While some might balk over what could be argued as a conflict of interest with EA publishing both Mass Effect 3 and K.o.A: Reckoning within one month of each other, the truth is that EA is taking full advantage of the situation, making it arguably quite clear that EA is trying to stake their claim as the best American distributor of RPG’s today.
Even with such a situation hanging on its release schedule, Reckoning is looking real good on its own merits. According to a press release, Reckoning is the first game in a “vast new fantasy universe” that will send players off to “discover the secrets of Amalur”. While such details might lead members of the RPG community to write off the story of the game as being derivative, the talent that EA and 38 Games has recruited to make the move into Amalur is nothing short of extraordinary. Central to the development staff is Ken Rolston, lead designer of The Elder Scolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, two of the greatest role-playing games ever. Complementing Rolston is a story written by New York Times Best-Selling Author R.A. Salvatore, whose experience creating past works such as the DemonWars Saga and Forgotten Realms should put to silence any doubt that the story won’t measure up to spec. Finally is the addition of acclaimed artist Todd McFarlane, well known for creating the Spawn series, and whose unique visual approaches will drive the environments found in Reckoning.
Gameplay-wise, Reckoning looks to give recent RPG’s like Skyrim and Final Fantasy XIII-2 a run for their money. Described in the past by 38 Games as being a cross between God of War and Oblivion, Reckoning looks to best its apparent inspiration by giving the player access to a much more expansive arsenal of weaponry than some games would have them used to. Recent demos have shown the use of hammers, swords and up-close melee combat, and since this is an RPG, players can expect ample opportunities for combat upgrades as the game progresses. Also building on God of War’s essences are in-game interactive minigames that require the player to press the right button in order to have a successful outcome.
What makes the gameplay look especially appeasing in Reckoning is the combat system known in the game as the Destiny System. What the Destiny System does that is so unique in an RPG is that it is a variation on the traditional RPG class system. It does this by making the whole environment respond to the character by way of the destiny the player is heading towards. The destinies themselves are especially interesting, each bound to a certain card that will allow the game experience to be quite diverse.
With such talent at work, Skyrim may just find its position challenged come February 7th.