Game review
Kingdoms of Amalur - Re-Reckoning
6.5 / 10
- Developer
- KAIKO, Big Huge Games, 38 Studios
- Publisher
- THQ Nordic
- Released
- 8 September 2020
- Platforms
- Windows
- Genre
- Action RPG
- Monetisation
- One-time purchase plus 2 DLC packs; no in-app purchases
- Players
- Single-player only
The short version
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning carries two distinct stories, and this game's reviewers are fluent in both. The first is the underlying 2012 action RPG itself, built by Big Huge Games and 38 Studios — the latter founded by former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling and infamous for collapsing into Chapter 7 bankruptcy weeks after this game's original launch, after defaulting on a $75 million loan guarantee from the state of Rhode Island. Reviewers consistently rate the combat and world design highly regardless of that history. The second story is this specific "Re-Reckoning" package, which a large share of returning fans describe as barely a remaster at all: 35 of the 100 most-helpful negative reviews use the word "remaster" specifically to say too little was actually done, and 23 report bugs — many the same ones present in the 2012 original, including at least one game-breaking quest-blocking bug reported years apart. "If you read this page about the game and what it offers you will notice this line: Improved graphical fidelity in Re-Reckoning. That is all that was changed," reads one detailed, 550-vote review. Recent sentiment (80%) sits close to the 78.4% lifetime score, suggesting the underlying game's quality has kept reception stable even as the remaster-specific complaints persist.
Biggest strengths
- Combat and world design in the underlying game draw consistent, genuine praise even from reviewers frustrated with this specific remaster's execution
- A distinctive "Fate" magic and destiny system that reviewers credit as a genuinely original idea for an action RPG of its era
- Includes the previously Xbox-exclusive Fatesworn story DLC, giving PC players their first access to a proper conclusion for the game's overarching plot
Biggest weaknesses
- 35 of the 100 most-helpful negative reviews specifically criticise how little was actually remastered — reviewers who owned the 2012 original describe the changes as amounting to little more than a resolution and lighting bump
- 23 of the 100 most-helpful negative reviews report bugs, including some carried over unfixed from the original release and at least one reported game-breaking quest-blocking issue
- Some players report crashes and save-loading problems specific to this remastered version that weren't present for them in the original
Who it's for: Action RPG fans who haven't played the original — a strong pick, especially at the current discount. Existing owners of the 2012 release should manage expectations carefully.
Our recommendation: Buy if you haven't played the original; skip if you already own 2012's Reckoning and are hoping for a substantial technical overhaul.
6.5 / 10
The pitch
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is THQ Nordic's remaster of 2012's Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, an open-world action RPG built around a "Fate" system letting players rewrite the destinies of those they kill in combat. This edition bundles the previously Xbox-exclusive Fatesworn DLC, finally giving the story a proper conclusion on PC.
A famous real-world collapse behind a well-liked game
This game's original 2012 release carries one of the industry's more dramatic development stories: it was co-developed by 38 Studios, a company founded by former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling and backed by a $75 million loan guarantee from the state of Rhode Island. The studio filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy just weeks after this game shipped, after defaulting on that loan — the game sold roughly 1.3 million copies against a 2 million break-even target, against total company debts exceeding $150 million. None of that history shows up as a complaint in this game's own reviews; if anything, reviewers treat the underlying game as an unusually good one considering the chaos around its creation, with combat and world design praised on their own terms throughout this corpus.
The dominant complaint: "that is all that was changed"
What actually drives this game's negative reviews isn't the 2012 game — it's how little THQ Nordic changed in this specific remaster. "If you read this page about the game and what it offers you will notice this line: Improved graphical fidelity in Re-Reckoning. That is all that was changed," reads a 550-vote review. Another, from a player with 175 hours in the original PS3 version: "Bought the FATE edition at full price on the first day and was appalled. The game was identical to it's 2012 counterpart." Across the 100 most-helpful negative reviews, 35 specifically critique the remaster's scope — a clear majority theme, well ahead of any complaint about the underlying design.
Old bugs, and some new ones
Compounding the "lazy remaster" complaint, 23 of the 100 most-helpful negative reviews report bugs, and several describe them as inherited directly from the 2012 release rather than introduced by this version. "WARNING GAME BREAKING BUG... ive come across a game breaking bug 40+ hours in that permanently makes you stuck in the main story questline (silence falls quest)... this game breaking bug was also in the original release," reads one 137-vote review. A separate cluster reports the opposite problem — new instability not present in the original: "KoA: Reckoning: 251 hours on record, can't remember ever having a crash problem. KoA: Re-Reckoning: 2.6 hours on record, 9 crash dumps in game folder," reads one 153-vote review describing a refund.
What actually did improve
Reviewers who set expectations accordingly describe a more balanced picture. "I feel like people may have had the wrong impression about what this game was. It was a re-master. That's it," reads a 621-vote review listing the specific, real changes: a modernised lighting engine, higher resolution support, and quality-of-life fixes like a quest log that wasn't previously visible on some display configurations. The Fatesworn DLC — previously exclusive to a 2014 Xbox One re-release — gives the story an ending PC players had never had access to before this version.
Where sentiment sits now
Recent English review sentiment — the 100 most recent reviews, spanning June to August 2026 — runs 80% positive, close to the 78.4% lifetime score. Despite the sustained "lazy remaster" criticism, overall reception has held roughly steady rather than declined, suggesting the underlying game's quality continues to carry it for new players even as longtime fans remain disappointed by the technical execution. Achievement data reflects a long RPG with real completion drop-off: the median across 69 achievements is 8.7%.
Value
At its current 75%-off price of NZ$17.47, this is an easy recommendation for anyone who hasn't played the original — a large action RPG with a distinctive magic system and, now, its complete story via the Fatesworn DLC. Existing owners of the 2012 release face a genuinely different calculation, which this corpus addresses directly and consistently.
Verdict
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is, at its core, a well-regarded action RPG with real originality in its Fate system and a genuinely dramatic real-world backstory that doesn't detract from the game itself. The remaster wrapped around it draws sustained, specific criticism from returning fans for doing too little and fixing too few of the original's bugs. New players, especially at the current discount, will likely find a solid RPG; returning owners of the 2012 version should adjust expectations before buying in again.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Combat and world design in the underlying game draw consistent, genuine praise even from reviewers frustrated with this specific remaster's execution
- A distinctive "Fate" magic and destiny system that reviewers credit as a genuinely original idea for an action RPG of its era
- Includes the previously Xbox-exclusive Fatesworn story DLC, giving PC players their first access to a proper conclusion for the game's overarching plot
- Currently 75% off at NZ$17.47, an easy price for newcomers regardless of the remaster debate
Cons
- 35 of the 100 most-helpful negative reviews specifically criticise how little was actually remastered — reviewers who owned the 2012 original describe the changes as amounting to little more than a resolution and lighting bump
- 23 of the 100 most-helpful negative reviews report bugs, including some carried over unfixed from the original release and at least one reported game-breaking quest-blocking issue
- Some players report crashes and save-loading problems specific to this remastered version that weren't present for them in the original
- A steep achievement completion curve (median 8.7% across 69 achievements) reflects a long, somewhat grind-heavy RPG that a meaningful share of buyers don't finish
Screenshots
-
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-ReckoningImage: THQ Nordic via Steam -
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-ReckoningImage: THQ Nordic via Steam -
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-ReckoningImage: THQ Nordic via Steam -
How the review scores each part of the gameWanderer Editorial -
The game at a glanceWanderer Editorial -
The short versionWanderer Editorial