Click, click, click--Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

The sad news is that I gave up on my "rough" colony in RimWorld.  The chore of trying to build the ship just seemed too great.  Plus, I got bored.  It happens.  I decided that I would move on to something that wasn't management oriented--a big, fat RPG.  Kingdoms of Amalur:  Reckoning is an interesting RPG that seems to have been developed with console players in mind.  It's not the best RPG that I've ever played, but it always seems to have a way of sucking me in and making me want to keep playing.

If you're in the market for a new RPG that could devour 100+ hours of your life, KoA:R could be perfect for you.  One of the particularly attractive features is the price--you can usually get the base game and all the DLC for a super-low price (right now, as part of the Steam Lunar New Year Sale, you can get it all for just $9.99).  Don't let that low-price fool you; you're definitely getting your money's worth.  Part of that low price has to do with the fact that the studio that made the game went bankrupt several years ago and no longer exists.  Sadly, that means no sequels.

Here's what you need to know about Kingdoms of Amalur:  Reckoning:
Pros:
--Big, beautiful world.  I wouldn't necessarily call it open-world, but it's still big.  The aesthetics of the zones vary from heavy forests to rocky, arid deserts.

--Loads of lore.  There's an entire complicated story of the world and the characters that fill it.  The Fae are immortal, magical beings who have a special natural/magical affinity.  The world is also populated by numerous different races--many of which are pretty standard fantasy RPG-fare (elf-like races, gnomes, humans...you know the rest).  One feature that I enjoy are the many lorestones located throughout the game.  If you interact with these stones a short story is told that is tied to a specific part of the game (it could be specific to a certain zone or to one of the races).  Finding and listening to all the lorestones that belong to a set gives you a bonus to certain stats.  The stones are a unique way to let players interact with lore.  They are much better than reading data logs, books, scrolls, or any of the other standard lore-based objects that are inserted into games.

My current rogue.  She slices and dices .

--Class and playstyle choices.  Players can choose from one of three class--warrior, rogue, or mage.  Even though these choices seem pretty bland there is still much leeway in exactly how you want to play your character.  There's an entire system of talent points that is wide open.  You can make your character stay purely focused on one class system or you can branch out.  Want to play a warrior who can also sling spells?  Hybrid classes are completely possible.  Even if you decide to stick to a specific class you still have some flexibility on how you want to play--rogues can choose to wield faeblades (sort of like a glaive), daggers, or a bow.

--Comprehensive RPG elements.  There are experience points, levelling, talent points, crafting systems...all the good stuff that you want to find in an RPG.

--Easy to learn combat system and combo system.  By utilizing specific talents you can unlock combo attacks that are performed by a series of timed clicks.  It's very basic, but it's easy to pick up.  The combat is highly stylized and it's fun to watch your character perform a choreographed series of twists, turns, and deadly flourishes.

--Reckoning system.  As part of the story your character can control fate.  Performing the aforementioned combos and killing enemies fills up your "fate meter."  Once it's completely full you can enter "reckoning" mode and unload on large packs of (or just large) enemies.  This unique mode allows you to perform a really cool finishing move that includes a QTE-like rapid clicking option that can vastly increase the amount of XP you receive from killing enemies.

--Humor sprinkled throughout the game.  It's always nice when fantasy games don't get too heavy handed and try to incorporate less serious options.  I currently have a quest in my log to find a bunch of dirty books for a weird  monk.

--Choice of factions to join.  You can opt to have your character join one of several factions.  Each faction features it's own questline and unique rewards and opportunities.

--Highly replayable.  I'm on my second playthrough and am enjoying making new choices.  You could definitely playthrough the game several times before eliminating all the choices/options that are available.

Cons:
--Facial animation can appear weirdly stiff at times.

--Combat is simple, and some might think it's too simple.  It was clearly designed for controllers.  This could be a turn off for players who want more challenge and aren't into "click" combat.

--At times the controls can feel unresponsive.  If you're in the middle of a series of choreographed attacks and need to suddenly dodge away, it is often impossible.  This can be frustrating and leads to taking unnecessary damage.

--Inventory management can be a bit of a pain.  You can carry quite a bit of stuff (much of it crafting materials) but figuring out what is taking up an inventory slot can be confusing.  Once you unlock a stash for your gear it gets slightly easier.

I would recommend Kingdoms of Amalur:  Reckoning.  It's a decent RPG for a really low price and offers something for different types of gamers.  People who like RPG's will like the systems within the game--people who like action games will like the stylized combat--lore nerds will like the stories and lore systems.