Kingdoms of Amalur hits different. I don't really know how to describe it, so let me paraphrase some of the things I've heard others say that have stuck with me. I've heard numerous people who say they don't like RPGs say they love this game--and some of these people can't even place exactly why they love it, which is a testament to how much this game has to offer. On the same token, I've heard plenty of people that say they normally hate fantasy say they love this game and the world it's set in. Someone described the combination of open world, breathtaking environments, spectacular, epic combat, and unique setting as "a formula no game had ever done before." I don't know if that's 100% true, but I've never played another RPG that hits like Amalur. And considering I'm writing this for the remaster that was made so many years later, that's really saying something.

Amalur isn't for everyone, I will readily admit that. Some RPG fans might be turned off by the solo adventure aspect. To those people, I say: give Amalur a chance. The characters are wonderful, the story is great, and the setting is amazing. No, you don't get to have campfire dialogues or have followers, but Amalur is all the better because of that, and I say that as someone who thinks Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect one are among the greatest RPGs ever made. The best way I can describe it is this: Amalur created an awesome, winning formula and they stuck to it. Everything they did, they did extremely well--especially the world building!

In an effort to keep this review short, I will conclude by asking the question that might be on a buyer's mind: is the remaster worth it? Yes, it absolutely is. Compared to the original, you get the awesome DLCs included, some quality of life improvements, additional content, and some nice graphical changes. I'll admit, a few of the graphics changes I was hoping for didn't make it into the remaster, but overall the remaster improves upon Amalur's iconic environments and style without ruining the original feel, which is always a tough task for remasters. Plus, supporting interest in Amalur is a really good thing to do. This is one of my favorite worlds ever, and it's an absolute travesty that it was abandoned until recently.

This "new" version of Kingdoms of Amalur definitely does enhance many things that the Xbox 360 version lacked. Looks and feels far better than its older self and combat is okay for the most part. The game kinda nudges you into trying different or mix up your builds as sticking with one build can get a bit boring since there is a lot of content to work with. Granted there are many bugs including audio bugs but it almost feels nostalgic for when this game came out back then. However, if you love some generic RPG with different twists in combat, art style, and storytelling, then this game is for you.

i really wanted to be able to recommend this, but i can't.
it has a bunch of game-breaking bugs, and if you manage to avoid one, the next one will probably get you.

eventually you'll get tired of re-loading old saves and playing the same areas over and over, trying to get past them.

what a shame. oh well, off you go. there's no point hanging around here.