Throwback: Kingdoms of Amalur

Whenever I get bored of today's video games, I jump back to one of my favorites. This time, it's Kingdoms of Amalur, one of the best RPG games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Why this game never got the recognition it deserved is a crime in itself. From the moment I started playing a few years back, I knew I had stumbled on an instant treasure.

The world of Amalur is one of beauty.

What makes Amalur so alluring to me is the fact that it encompasses everything I love in an rpg, but enhances certain aspects to make it a unique experience. The world is vast and lore seemingly endless, leaving much to do outside the already lengthy main storyline. Character leveling works much like the Elder Scrolls and other dungeon series, but combat is more akin to intense action fighters such as God of War. Rather than first-person hack and slash, you command a wealthy array of skills and abilities from a third-person outlook, with knowledge of your surroundings being a key to survival. Combat is fast-paced and depending on your play style, you either evade and strike your way across the battlefield, take command of the elements to fight from afar, or even employ abilities that allow you to bring the fight your way. Weapons are equipped in a primary/secondary manner. With nine different types of weapons available (each providing a different fighting style and moveset), combat allows for a plethora of alternating combos, my favorite of which being staff+chakram.

Combat is quick and reflex-based.

Every game has its downsides, of course (let's not get into facial animations during dialogue), but Amalur's have yet to deter me from favorable thoughts of the experience. I was saddened to hear of the company's fallout, as this could have easily become a great competitor in its genre, with sequels and constantly improving DLC making this great game even better. Now, will there ever be a game as unique as this one? One that creates such a niche for itself among RPGs? Who knows. Dragon Age is a great substitute, but even then it's just not the same. I'd love to play Skyrim as well (and eventually I will), but the combat system is just too lacking for one such as I.

Oh well. C'est la vie.