Many fans weren't expecting another chance for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning to get another shot, and THQ Nordic impressed a lot of people both old and new to the franchise with a series of Re-Reckoning trailers that show off new features coming to the game. Whether people played the original game eight years ago or are just hearing about it now, fans will get a chance to experience Amalur for themselves tomorrow.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is bringing fans a new experience with better graphics and some other exciting updates like the Finesse branch for characters that enables more efficient stealth builds. And although some people think the release is coming out of the blue, the remastered Re-Reckoning is exciting a lot of fans who thought the original 2012 game didn't get a fair chance to make a good impression. The real question is how the game stacks up in reviews, both in relation to the original game and as a 2020 release in its own right.

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A bunch of online publications have an opinion on if playing the remastered game is worth it, and whether THQ Nordic spent enough time improving the graphics, UI, and other user experiences that players take for granted will be better now in 2020 than in 2012.

re-reckoning

Screen Rant (Rob Gordon)

"Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is still a good game, and fans of the original will be tempted by that 50% off deal. However, it's hard to see what it will gain from this remaster, as much as it would be interesting to see the property live up to its promise. At the very least, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning stands as a testament to how far games have come in one generation that this underrated gem cannot quite recreate its old impact."

Score: 3/5

Video Games Chronicle (Ellen Rose)

"It can be a little repetitive for some, but I love getting sidetracked, which is easy thanks to colourful visuals, interesting lore and exciting combat. It’s like someone took Fable 2’s combat and dialed it up to 11: while never being particularly tricky on normal difficulty, it’s always fast and fun."

Score: 3/5

IGN (John Ryan)

"Its fast-paced action still entertains, for the most part, and there’s plenty to see and do in its big world – but after almost a decade of innovation and improvements, it no longer feels particularly extraordinary, and the technical issues it does have are far less excusable. Re-Reckoning is a good reminder of what made the original so great for its time but, more importantly, it’s a testament to how far we've come in the decade since."

Score: 6/10

DualShockers (Scott White)

"With so many other remastered and enhanced ports on the market offering new features, content, and more, the offerings presented to fans with Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning are disappointing. This port comes across less as the best way to play the game and more just the most convenient way to play it in 2020. Luckily though, Kingdoms of Amalur is still a damn fun game to play in 2020, jankiness, and all."

Score: 8/10

Inverse (Corey Plante)

"Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was once a game too big to fail, with lofty ambitions of expanding the world into a full-on action MMORPG (codenamed "Project Copernicus") that might rival World of Warcraft. And while the original game was a modest and persisting success, the studio that made it was a total failure. Now, more than eight years later, Amalur has a second chance to resurrect lofty ambitions for an ongoing universe that, in our wildest dreams, could one day include that action MMORPG."

Score: 8/10

CGMagazine (Joel Couture)

"It’s not terribly challenging or filled with complex political intrigue, but rather offers you a straightforward, but very busy, journey to save the world from evil. It lets you become a champion of good however you see fit, and right now, a game about good completely annihilating evil forces is pretty welcome."

Score: 8/10

Helped by its cult following and hindered by the legal issues surrounding the franchise, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning was one of the most anticipated games of the fall and the reviews seem to place it at about "meets most expectations." Most of the critical response was not floored by the gameplay or new features, but judge Re-Reckoning to be a pretty good addition to the franchise and worth the time and effort it took to reboot and remaster it. However, with all the time since the original game, many people simply expected more effort and features.

For people who own the original version, Re-Reckoning is highly discounted on Steam; mostly good reviews and a 50% price cut are pretty tempting for people who played and enjoyed the 2012 version. The game doesn't bring really anything exciting or new to the table, and it most likely wouldn't have made such a splash if it wasn't a remaster of a cult classic. Still, reviewers seem to agree that it's a fun way to spend one's time, especially for players nostalgic about the original.

Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning releases September 8 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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