"Go big or go home" is a phrase typically used by professional athletes, and I imagine former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling has used it often during the development of 38 Studios' debut title,Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Schilling's start-up studio and its subsidiary, Big Huge Games, are throwing everything and the kitchen sink into Reckoning, and the result is a unique game with RPG elements as deep as The Elder Scrolls and combat as electrifying as The God of War.

I set the bar high for Reckoning when I learned the trio of best-selling fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, artist and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and Morrowind and Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston were attached to the project. But before going hands-on with the game at EA's Vegas Showcase event last week, I had no idea just how ambitious it would be. From its library full of lore to its robust character creation and skill tree options to its arsenal of weaponry and multi-faceted combat system, Reckoning is absolutely brimming with RPG andaction game features.




A Vast Living, Breathing World
The area of Amalur that Reckoning is set in is known as The Faelands, and it's a sprawling, RPG nerd's dream come true. EA and Big Huge Games allowed us to play through the game's opening level, which acts as a story primer and cleverly disguised tutorial on playing as each of the game's three classes: Mage, Warrior, and Rogue. After that, we were welcome to run wild in Reckoning's world.

(Before going into detail, it's worth pointing out that this type of unrestricted, "have at it!" access to a game, particularly a pre-alpha build, is almost unheard of in the industry. Publishers typically only give press hands-on time with small, relatively polished sections of a game that highlight marketing bullet point features that will eventually be used to sell the title. That wasn't the case at the Vegas Showcase, and it was a breath of fresh air that allowed me to truly get a good feel for what Reckoning has to offer. Now then, back to the game.)

During my patient, explorative two hours of playtime, I discovered a hidden cave behind a waterfall that was full of monster rats guarding loot, gathered samples of exotic plants, accidentally awoke a massive bear from its slumber and fought for my life, battled a horde of enemies, and met with a number of diverse people in the game's small town starting area of Allestar Glade – people anxious to find a hero willing to fulfill quests big and small.


You'll find plenty of places to explore in Reckoning.

I managed to get through a grand total of two quests and begin a third during my playtime, and according to the EA, there are hundreds of such missions up for grabs. If you're the type of gamer that just has to do everything in a game (OCD gamers unite!), EA said completing each and every one of the game's main and side quests will take hundreds of hours. That's hundreds with an "s." Calling Reckoning's world big is an understatement on par with calling the Pope "some Catholic guy."

Each and every nook and cranny of this vast world bears R.A. Salvatore's touch, complete with easily mispronounced names, back stories galore, and enough lore-filled books to start your own public library. It all adds up to Amalur feeling like a living, breathing fantasy world that existed long before my character ever set foot in it.

The only glaring drawback to Reckoning's impressive world is it's look. While this is strictly a matter of taste, the Fable-meets-World of Warcraft visual style of the game is a turn off for me. And as a proud owner of The Amazing Spider-Man No. 298, it pains me to say so. While Salvatore's distinct fantasy stamp is clearly on Reckoning's world, McFarlane's artistic flourish should be posted on the back of a carton of milk.

Action Meets RPG


Unleash a powerful Fate attack on your foes.

As stated earlier, combat in Reckoning is closer to that of the God of War series than Ken Rolston's previous efforts in The Elder Scrolls. You'll not only have a wide array of ranged, magic, and melee attacks and combos readily available, you'll be able to freely switch between the mage, rogue, and warrior weapons and equipment on the fly, enabling you to sneak up on two unsuspecting enemies with the dual daggers of the rogue and pull off a one hit assassination before switching over to the staff of the mage to set your remaining target ablaze, and then finishing things off with a crushing blow from the warrior's warhammer.

And those are just the beginning of the options available in Reckoning's combat system. Blocking with shields and stunning/knocking back opponents is a must when swarmed by enemies, bows and magic add a wide array of ranged options, and the game's Fate meter mechanic allows you to absorb foes' mystical energy until you have enough to unleash a time slowing, uber powerful Fate attack – which typically concludes with a gratifyingly gory quick time event finishing move.

With kills come experience and eventually coveted experience points that can be spent in the game's robust character development system. And that's where Reckoning seamlessly melds its hardcore RPG and action-game elements into one. The Warrior, Mage, and Rogue classes each have their own multi-faceted skill trees, and players can spend experience points in them as they please – developing a single distinct class or a hybrid of two or even all three classes. And when you do spend those points, you'll see real changes in how your character performs during combat. For example, funnel your points into the Warrior's Warhammer skill, as I did during my time with the game, and you'll unlock various stun, area, combo, and weapon-linked magic attacks that create all new ways to approach combat.

For each class and every major weapon type there are similar options, allowing players to patiently mold a customized character that actually performs in the game like their own unique creation. It's the perfect example of why Reckoning is quite possibly the first true hardcore RPG/action game hybrid and, combined with the vast, lore-filled world of Amalur, evidence that 38 Studios has decided to go big or go home with its debut title.