Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning is the game that should not have been. A remastering of a game that was a legendary flop despite its high quality, the game earned a second life on multiple platforms and now has received an expansion in the form of Fatesworn. Much like Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning, Fatesworn was developed by Kaiko and published by THQ Nordic, so there is a good consistency behind the product.
Fatesworn picks up from the end of Kingdoms of Amalur’s main campaign and so acts as a neat continuation to the main story, and its biggest positive is that it is more of the game we all have come to love. The expansion does not change much but does add a new skill tree option in the form of Chaos Sight, chaos portals to go along with the new skill, and chaos weapons to fight against created from the plane of chaos. Aside from the new additions, the core mechanics of the game are unchanged, so players can get right into the new experience.
Fatesworn does raise the level cap to 50 and manages to feel great as a way to give a continuation to the player’s journey. This also means that players will have to raise their skills in new ways, especially if they are maxed out in one area already. In this way, players can try out one of the other skill trees they may have looked past in the original playthrough
Fatesworn’s story builds on the fallout from the main campaign and will receive a new quest detailing a new threat. Various factions affected by the main quest as well as players will find their way to Mithros, an icy region to face a new nemesis. Mithros is a decent-looking area, and the snowy areas contrast well with the rest of the main game, complete with new characters that fit the established aesthetic.
While Fatesworn’s new campaign is decent, it is rather short and has a major problem. The expansion feels like an endless series of fetch quests, and the side quests available are extremely tedious. The actual combat is still fun, but it feels like Fatesworn is a missed opportunity. The game feels longer than the actual content merits, and yet much of the content does not feel satisfying. The new additions feel more tacked on than anything else and that holds back the expansion from achieving what it could.
Fatesworn starts out with a lot of potential but soon devolves into being just more of what the base game was. Obviously, it is hard to make an expansion for a game that came out almost a decade ago, but the fact that this is postgame content makes it harder to accept. Hardcore fans may like it, but others will be left wanting something more substantial.
While the story is much less memorable than the main game, and it sometimes outstays its welcome, it is still more of the game that fans love. Whether fans will accept it or reject it, it seems the developers walked a fine line to create something that would appeal to everyone as best as they could. It may not be the best that it could be, but Fatesworn does also manage to show off the strengths of Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning, with excellent visuals and highlighting the amazing combat.
In conclusion, Kingdoms of Amalur fans who want more will not be upset, but those wanting something different may want to look elsewhere.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.