Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Fatesworn Expansion – Spotlight
Fatesworn’s production, like the original Kingdoms of Amalur, is more interesting to talk about than the content itself. Few video game developers today do what THQ Nordic and Kaiko have done: actively bringing back a franchise non-starter. Grant Kirkhope, the only returning member of the development team, is the only original member of the team. This isn’t even taking into account the fact that the original game’s plans to branch off into an MMO have been effectively quashed.
Fatesworn’s ambitions are hampered, to some extent, by the game’s dated design philosophy when it comes to discussing what happens in the game itself.
Fatesworn’s plot is a little bit like this. As a result of your character’s actions in the main game, The Fateless One, resurrecting and beginning to fundamentally alter the very fabric of destiny, another terrible force has emerged. A dark god known as Telogrus emerged from the grand cosmic chaos left behind by your actions in the main game and two additional DLCs Telogrus has begun building an army and a cult in order to further defy the forces of fate and plunge Amalur into cosmic anarchy after acquiring a human host. Since no one else in the world has the power to match Telogrus’, it’s up to you to put a stop to them.
In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a bad idea for Kingdoms of Amalur content. One of the most notable examples of potential squandered in the main game is the exploration of fate and free will in the context of a fantasy role-playing game. When introduced, they were mainly used as a vehicle for the typical RPG protagonist’s power fantasy. These concepts are taken a step further in Fatesworn. Metatextual jabs like, “hey, don’t you get tired of aimlessly wandering around solving everyone’s problems for shiny new weapons, hero,” are overused. But there is some nuance when it comes to predetermination and whether or not radical freedom is inherently good..
In fact, the threat posed by Telogrus to the world in 2021 will be more severe than it was in 2012. This is a plot in which the leader of a radical group that he brought together solely through his charismatic leadership positions himself as a saviour and promises all those who follow him the ability to ignore any and all rules and regulations that inconvenience them, fully aware that such a movement will bring doom to the world. It’s not subtle in the least, but it works.
This story’s conclusion in gameplay, on the other hand, amounts to the same. Your FedEx RPG quests will still require you to run back and forth between givers of quests. Visit this location, kill X enemies, save Y, collect Z random items, and then return for a reward, then do it all over again. All of which is exacerbated by the fact that there is a lot of legwork involved. Even though fast travel is fantastic, the lack of mounts in this game is depressing.
To their credit, Kaiko has done an excellent job of preserving Todd McFarlene’s original aesthetic in the new land of Mithros. In this type of RPG, having a higher level cap is always a plus. In addition, the main quest can be completed in about seven hours, but there are many optional side missions that will help increase that to about fifteen hours.
Finally, Kingdoms of Amalur’s design flaws are being addressed with new features…. The most significant change is the introduction of weapons from the Chaos realm. Multiple chaos portals have opened up as part of Telogrus’ conquest, spawning new enemies that can only be hurt by these weapons. To make matters worse, weapons of this calibre must be forged by the user. It’s great to see the weapon crafting system take centre stage in Fatesworn, considering how underwhelming and token it was before. There’s only one thing wrong with these new portals: they’re tied to a skill called Chaos Sight, which seems like a superfluous addition. It’s basically a map that shows you where new portals are appearing. That much is obvious.
It’s the feeling that corners were cut that really sullies Fatesworn as an experience. Everything from the game’s cutscenes to its dungeons and setpieces bears this out. Running between multiple NPCs and avoiding death traps are just a few examples of padding in the game. Even in the tiniest details, this can be felt during sidequests. There is a quest early on where you help someone put together a band, and the final part is you attending their performance. The questline ends with me sitting down, but none of the instruments make any sound. I had no idea if there was no music or if there was some sort of audio glitch. Despite Kirkhope’s return in the credits, many of Fatesworn’s cutscenes are played out in complete silence.
Fatesworn delivers on your wish for more Kingdoms of Amalur content. The storey and its characters have some redeeming qualities. There is still a lot of fun to be had in the fights. The foundation, on the other hand, is beginning to show its age.
