There was a lot of jibber-jabber in the press surrounding the original release of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning back in 2012. Swirling scandal surrounded the finances of developer 38 Studios, and the fact that Amalur was down-scaled from its original scope as an MMORPG only served to distract the gaming press and public from what was ultimately a very solid and enjoyable open-world fantasy game.
I played Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning on Xbox 360 when it released (a gift from my brother-in-law, who knew that I adored open-world RPGs), and it quickly became one of my favorite games of that generation. I was delighted to learn that remake/remaster factory THQ Nordic had snatched up the rights to the franchise last year, as I thought I would never see the shores of Amalur again.
But it's 2020, and anything can happen. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning will be releasing on September 8, 2020 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC - complete with every piece of DLC released for the original title. Crazier still - a new DLC add-on (Fatesworn) will be released in 2020. Could this be the precursor to a full sequel? For a certain sub-section of gaming fans, that would be one of the biggest gaming stories of the year.
For the uninitiated, Kingdoms of Amalur was a world/game created by some major fantasy heavyweights - bestselling author R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion creator Ken Rolston.
According to a recent press release,"the game is best known for an unmatched level of player choice, including countless character customization combinations, as well as a rich story filled with a myriad of side quests that layer romance, magic, whimsy and political intrigue into the player’s primary mission. Ultimately delivering hundreds of hours of gameplay, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning will take players from the vibrant city of Rathir through the vast region of Dalentarth to the grim dungeons of the Brigand Hall Caverns as they uncover the secrets of Amalur!"
That sounds about right. Amalur is huge - with the player working their way though a very large selection of MMO-like zones, each with its own storylines, characters, and secrets.
The fact that this game became a weird footnote in gaming history is a total injustice, and the fact that this franchise is being dusted off delights me beyond reason.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning will release in several editions. The standard edition will retail for $39.99, while the Fate Edition (which will include the upcoming DLC) will run $54.99. Superfans may opt for the Collectors' Edition ($109.99), which will include:
