This is a review that's going to make me very sad. A sad tiger is not a sight people should have to witness, but nonetheless, hear the tale of the tigers' lament. Hear the tale of the RPG that once was, and will never be. The tale of Amalur.

Kingdoms of Amalur was pitched as a wide, sprawling, epic world. Written by R. A. Salvatore and artwork by Todd McFarlane, this was a world where big names came together to produce an impressive, colourful vista. One where grand battles were fought, where the history of races was told in rich tapestries and stories of lore. Where gnomes were no longer the comedy option (World of Warcraft, yes, you, stop hiding in the back there, this is you I speak to at this point!). A world where the strings of fate invisibly guided everything and everyone around them, and those who could read the weave could fortell glimpses of the future.

The story revolves around the antagonist, one who has managed to unpick the very threads of fate, and the protaganist, you, similarly freed from fate, and your journey from the rags on your back (and the start which sees you unceremoniously dumped in a pile or corpses), to eventual confrontation with the evil that threatens to consume the world. The story has been told many times in many other games, but it is presented with a style and sheen that carries itself well here, the core plot quests keep a coherency and pace that maintain your interest through the rather lengthy world. Not to mention the absolute *ton* of side quests and factions you can involve yourself in, and their own stories and backgrounds, all of which are intricately details and have their own little plot twists. This is a game that prides itself on depth.

... Right up until you step into it and realise that this was probably intended as an MMO. It... takes a bit of a mental adjustment to begin with, because the world, and everything in and around it, feels at first -like- an MMO made singleplayer, there's the vendors, the towns, the crafting system, in fact, so little of it feels single player tailored you'd be forgiven for asking "Where are all the other players?". Once you begin the combat however, that slowly fades into the background, combat in the game is intuitive, flashy, and visceral, with a wide variety of weapons, and a constant encouragement to alternate between magic and weapon attacks, this is a game that rewards variety and creative use of your toolset.

Get over that initial mental bump however, and you'll quickly settle into a large, expansive game, with a wide and diverse world, which okay, will oft remind you that it does feel like an MMO minus the other players, but then equally it will take you places and on journeys that a lot of Roleplaying games have almost forgotten how to manage these days. It's a wonderful thing.

This unfortunately is why I am a sad tiger. The company that made this game is now bankrupt, and the assets have been sold off and everything connected to it, scattered to the four winds. There will not be a sequel, or an MMO, or any further patches or adjustments. The final product is what you get here, with a few idiosyncracies and all. It is a flawed gem, but a gem nonetheless. If you wish to get lost in a world for a few days and embark on a properly epic journey, visiting Amalur is definitely a place to consider.

This is a review that's going to make me very sad. A sad tiger is not a sight people should have to witness, but nonetheless, hear the tale of the tigers' lament. Hear the tale of the RPG that once was, and will never be. The tale of Amalur. Kingdoms of Amalur was pitched as a wide, sprawling, epic world. Written by R. A. Salvatore and artwork by Todd McFarlane, this was a world where big names came together to produce an impressive, colourful vista. One where grand battles were fought, where the history of races was told in rich tapestries and stories of lore. Where gnomes were no longer the comedy option (World of Warcraft, yes, you, stop hiding in the back there, this is you I speak to at this point!). A world where the strings of fate invisibly guided everything and everyone around them, and those who could read the weave could fortell glimpses of the future. The story revolves around the antagonist, one who has managed to unpick the very threads of fate, and the protaganist, you, similarly freed from fate, and your journey from the rags on your back (and the start which sees you unceremoniously dumped in a pile or corpses), to eventual confrontation with the evil that threatens to consume the world. The story has been told many times in many other games, but it is presented with a style and sheen that carries itself well here, the core plot quests keep a coherency and pace that maintain your interest through the rather lengthy world. Not to mention the absolute *ton* of side quests and factions you can involve yourself in, and their own stories and backgrounds, all of which are intricately details and have their own little plot twists. This is a game that prides itself on depth. ... Right up until you step into it and realise that this was probably intended as an MMO. It... takes a bit of a mental adjustment to begin with, because the world, and everything in and around it, feels at first -like- an MMO made singleplayer, there's the vendors, the towns, the crafting system, in fact, so little of it feels single player tailored you'd be forgiven for asking "Where are all the other players?". Once you begin the combat however, that slowly fades into the background, combat in the game is intuitive, flashy, and visceral, with a wide variety of weapons, and a constant encouragement to alternate between magic and weapon attacks, this is a game that rewards variety and creative use of your toolset. Get over that initial mental bump however, and you'll quickly settle into a large, expansive game, with a wide and diverse world, which okay, will oft remind you that it does feel like an MMO minus the other players, but then equally it will take you places and on journeys that a lot of Roleplaying games have almost forgotten how to manage these days. It's a wonderful thing. This unfortunately is why I am a sad tiger. The company that made this game is now bankrupt, and the assets have been sold off and everything connected to it, scattered to the four winds. There will not be a sequel, or an MMO, or any further patches or adjustments. The final product is what you get here, with a few idiosyncracies and all. It is a flawed gem, but a gem nonetheless. If you wish to get lost in a world for a few days and embark on a properly epic journey, visiting Amalur is definitely a place to consider.