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Tour the varied ecological landscape of Amalur
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's world seems to take its cues from Costa Rica when it comes to both ecological diversity and variety of environments. The latest trailer shows off just that as is, but we urge you to turn the volume down low and play this YouTube video in the background for the full effect.
Creating a new world: 38 Studios discusses the formation of Amalur's IP
As MMO fans, we're keeping a close eye on 38 Studios for its development of Project Copernicus, the MMO that will serve as the follow-up to next month's Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The risk factor of not only developing two major intertwined projects in parallel but to have the additional task of creating a brand-new IP in which to put them must be a pressing one, which is why CVG sat down with Reckoning Lead Designer Ian Frazier to talk about challenges the studio has been tackling. Frazier outlines the balance the studio's struck between its three big-name creators -- Todd McFarlane (art), R.A. Salvatore (story), and Ken Rolston (design) -- not to mention the ideas that pour in from founder Curt Schilling. Fortunately, Frazier says that these larger-than-life personalities mesh well together: "The nice thing that's worked out is, I think if we'd got three famous game designers, it would have been a disaster: big egos, they're all on the same plane, it wouldn't have worked out. What makes this work is they're all different." Even though Rolston previously worked on The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Frazier said the designer wanted to try his hand at something fresh with a better combat system. "They're all great games," Frazier said of the Elder Scrolls series, "and I think they're progressively better, but they're all the same game. It's not like they're radically changing with time." Frazier said Reckoning has been compared to a "single-player WoW" as well as Dragon Age and Fable, but he insists that the world and ideas the team's been creating will take it far past those basic comparisons. You can take your first peek into the world of Amalur with the Reckoning demo -- and let us know what you think in the comments!
Big Huge Games strongly recommends Reckoning install on Xbox 360
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's lead designer, Ian Frazier, calls upon the deities for Xbox 360 owners to install the game if they have the space. Speaking to OXM, Frazier stated quite plainly, "If you have a hard drive, for the love of God, please install."Installed copies will have "much, much smaller" load times, according to Frazier, which will allow players to get back to the "enemy-pounding funfest" as quickly as possible. Those looking to get a taste of Reckoning can try out the demo, downloadable now on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 -- install required.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning trailer ventures into art design
The latest trailer for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning adds color commentary to the artistic choices its design team made during development, delving into the thought process of world creation and character design. To see some of that work in action, check out the Reckoning demo, which is available now.
The world (wide web) of Amalur grows as 38 Studios works on its MMO
With Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning just around the corner and Project Copernicus waiting in the wings, 38 Studios is fattening its golden website for the upcoming feast. The studio has expanded the site devoted to the world that both of these games inhabit, and those looking for hints and portents of the studio's upcoming MMO would do well to seek lore within its pages. Describing the website expansion as a "treasure trove" of new info, 38 Studios has added new landing pages, navigation features, and information about one of the game's races: the Gnomes. The Gnomes are described as "an enigmatic people. They bestow wondrous gifts of knowledge, medicine, and magic to befriend the other kingdoms, yet seldom reveal their plans or intentions to outsiders." It's interesting to note that the Gnomes are divided up into three casts, which does tempt the mind into thinking the word "classes." Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the single-player RPG that's meant to fill the role of a prologue -- in both real-world and in-game time -- to the much larger Copernicus MMO. [Thanks to Sketchit for the tip!]
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo available now on XBL; PSN and PC coming today
The demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is available now on Xbox Live, with the PC and PSN versions coming later today. The first reason to check out the demo is to finally get some hands-on time with this new RPG from Big Huge Games. We've had some good experiences with it in our demo sessions. Another reason to try out the game is to unlock two items for use in BioWare's Mass Effect 3. Playing the demo will unlock the close-combat focused Reckoner Knight Armor and Chakram Launcher with explosive ammunition discs.%Gallery-144145%
Play Mass Effect 3 and Reckoning demos, unlock in-game items for both
The demos for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3 will each unlock in-game items for the other game. Playing the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo, available January 17, will unlock two items in Mass Effect 3 when the galactic space opera launches March 6. Shepard will be able to don the close-quarters combat focused Reckoner Knight Armor (pictured below) and wield the Chakram Launcher, which features explosive ammunition discs. The Mass Effect 3 demo, which should be available sometime this month, will also unlock a piece of armor and a weapon for Reckoning on February 7. The ME items include Shepard's N7 Armor, with all the trimmings (helm, cuirass, gauntlets, chausses and greaves), and omniblade daggers for stabbing. No word yet if Reckoning will feature the ability to sleazily declare multiple shops in Amalur as your favorite for deep discounts. %Gallery-144145%
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo on Xbox Live Jan. 17, new trailer now
According to Major Nelson, a Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo is slated to appear on Xbox Live January 17. We've contacted EA to find out if the demo is also headed to PC and PSN, but history indicates it's likely headed that way as well. In the meantime, enjoy this new trailer, which outlines many of the systems in Reckoning. Let's just say that the influence of Ken Rolston -- ho also designed Morrowind and Oblivion -- is quite apparent.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sets modest PC specs
The average hero lives their life day-to-day, most of the time only holding enough coin to fund their next expedition into a haunted mine or dark forest. The true hero is a frugal hero, not one seeking financial gain or notoriety. A post in the official forums for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning reveals some PC specs sure to surprise and delight those heroes who have stayed the course -- broke heroes, basically. If you haven't updated your equipment in some time, fret not. The only thing that may steer you off the course of adventure in 38 Studios' upcoming game is the graphics card: the minimum needed is a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB or ATI Radeon HD3650 512MB or better; the recommended is a NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 1GB RAM or ATI Radeon HD4850 1GB RAM or better. Head past the break for the full list of minimum and recommended specs.
ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond
Rock, Paper, Shotgun collaborated in obtaining responses. The Entertainment Software Association's support of the "Stop Online Piracy Act" has led us to ask every member of the video game industry's lobbying and political group to publicly declare its stance on the bill. The ESA's continued support means every member, by proxy, is a supporter of the bill. Some companies have pulled their logos from supporting SOPA documentation to dodge ire, while others are hiding behind rhetoric, as you'll see below. Joystiq contacted every member of the ESA and requested a declarative statement on SOPA. After the break we've listed the responses we've received, along with others we found. We continue to seek clarity on this issue from every member of the ESA. This will become the page we update as we receive responses and clear declarative statements, so feel free to bookmark. (Joystiq does not support SOPA, nor does our parent company.)
The many faces of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's main character
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning isn't just about retreading fantasy tropes in an action-RPG setting for the trillionth time, as the latest trailer demonstrates. It's also about stabbing dudes. And setting traps. And shooting fireballs. You know, important stuff.
Searching for Reckoning in the Kingdoms of Amalur
EA and 38 Studios have been showing Reckoning (Kingdoms of Amalur) for more than nine months now, and I still don't think they've figured out how to explain what it is. We've heard comparisons to God of War and character action games because of its combat system. We've heard comparisons to the Fable series by virtue of its character customization and imagery, and I've even heard Skyrim and Oblivion comparisons thrown in there for good measure because of the size of the world, and because of Ken Rolston's involvement. But Reckoning (Kingdoms of Amalur – hey, EA, 38, can we talk about that naming convention some time?) isn't any of those things at all. There are comparisons to be made, though, namely to Secret of Mana and Diablo II.%Gallery-141585%
EA literally trolls fans with Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning special editions
No, really. You get a troll. Specifically, a 12.5" tall "Prismere Troll" statuette designed by McFarlane Toys, with the purchase of two of the newly announced Special Editions of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. In all, there are three levels of specialness. For $80, you get a parchment map, a seven-piece dice set, replicas of the 40 "Destiny Cards" found in the game, a soundtrack, and DLC weapons that increase XP gained from "Fate Shift Kills." The $200 "Collector's Edition" adds the aforementioned troll and a concept art lithograph signed by Ken Rolston. This edition is limited to 700 units. For the person who is really sure Reckoning is his or her jam (despite never having played it), there's the $275 Signature Edition. That has all the other stuff, but the troll is "signed by Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore or Curt Schilling," and you get a custom sketch by Todd McFarlane. There are only 300 of these to hand out. All three are available for pre-order here. If you're a really true fan, of course, you'll buy one of each. Just saying.
The Perfect Ten: The upcoming contenders
While I'm on board the Star Wars: The Old Republic train (at least until SOE's Star Wars: The New Republic comes out in 2014 and forces SWTOR to shut down), I can certainly sympathize with the frustration that non-fans are feeling right about now. There are few things more annoying than not being into the latest craze -- or hating it outright -- and yet being unable to escape it. So I'm here to say to you today that, like World of Warcraft, SWTOR isn't the be-all, end-all of the MMO field. It's a part of it, but just one part, and there are many, many others in the works as we speak. Mama always told me never to put all your eggs in one basket anyway, so I'm spreading my eggcitement across many cyber-nests. This is the bone I'm throwing to all of you this week: a list of 10 Midichlorian-free MMOs that have me -- and should have you -- extremely buzzed about their development. In putting together this list, I realized that there are so many promising prospects that I divided them into two groups. This week I'm presenting the strongest contenders that should make it to launch with a solid product, while next time I'll list promising prospects that may be more of a long shot. I'm 47% confident that I will not forget your most-anticipated title.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning trailer gets combative
Reckoning's combat system has been a stand-out feature of the upcoming RPG. The latest trailer describes the many options available to vanquish pugnacious pests in Amalur.
38 Studios opens a website portal to Project Copernicus' world
While 38 Studios' top-secret Project Copernicus MMO lacks a proper title or most of its details, at least we can now visit the world that it and its single-player RPG brother, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, inhabits. The studio launched a pair of websites devoted to the game world and its first game today. Over on Amalur, 38 Studios has unleashed its loremasters to share with you the stories, features, histories, and settings of this fantasy landscape. And while Reckoning is just a prequel to the eventual MMO, its website contains quite a few lore snippets as well as a world map to pour over while you're planning your future conquests. As part of the twin projects, R.A. Salvatore has created over 10,000 years of fictional history for the world of Amalur, stretching from The Deep Gloam to the Age of Heroes. Reckoning takes place during the Age of Arcana, with Copernicus happening some time thereafter.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning deals fate cards in latest trailer
Reckoning narrator Claudia Black covers fates and destinies in the latest trailer for the upcoming RPG. If she did voiceover work on a car repair series we'd all be mechanics by now. Oh, Claudia, why must you use that sultry voice for nerdy evil?
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning designs narrative with McFarlane, Salvatore, Rolston
Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore and Ken Rolston walk into a bar. Mcfarlane orders a round for everyone and happily begins drinking. Salvatore takes one sip of his and spits it out, exclaiming, "What is this?" McFarlane finishes his gulp, sets down his glass and answers, "I reckon it's the king of beers, Bud Light." Salvatore and Rolston beat up Mcfarlane using their full pint glasses, leave him with the tab and storm out. As they're leaving, McFarlane mumbles through the blood in his mouth, "I always knew you were a mauler!" You're welcome. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has an intriguing cast behind its conception, and the devs that got to work with McFarlane, Salvatore and Rolston certainly have plenty to say. See what the narrative designers thought of the terrific trio in the above video.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning declares its pre-order bonuses
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is looking to sign up adventurers before its February 7 launch with some in-game pre-order trinkets. The retailer specific bonuses come in three varieties, with items that enhance early game armor, weapons or exploration. The "Destinies Choice Pack" is for those who'd like to start with unique armor, and includes the "Twist of Fate" card and Compass of Fate -- your guess is as good as ours as to what those do, but they sound magical and useful. The "Fate-Touched Weapons Pack" includes an arsenal of "rare Fate-Touched" weapons for all classes. Finally, the "Ultimate Treasure Hunter Pack" is for explorers who want to seek out reagents and get a leg up on their alchemy. The specific retailers offering the "Destinies Choice Pack," "Fate-Touched Weapons Pack," and Ultimate Treasure Hunter Pack" should be detailed on the Reckoning website soon.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 22-minute gameplay walkthrough
We were impressed by Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's combat during our hands-on time at Gamescom. The combat is highlighted around the 10:30 mark of this 22-minute walkthrough, which covers a ton of ground for the RPG.
