So for people wondering what some of these 'hidden' improvements are: - Texture Update - Zones (enemies, drops, chests) now Auto Scale to your Level EVERY time you enter them, in the original they locked to your level the first time you entered them and stayed that way. - New Difficulty Level and Zones adjust per Difficulty. Enemies gain more HP, Damage, Attacks and Speed. Zone Min/Max adjusts per Difficulty as well. - Loot Drops now lean towards your stats/skills. Going a Bow Finesse Build you will see more Medium Armor, Bows, etc. Going Champion you will see more Heavy/Light and such. - Camera Options, in that you can change the cameras location, how far it is, etc. - New Resolutions and Ultra Wide support. - New UI sizes. - FoV Slider - Controller Ability Mapping. In the original you could map 4 abilities on a Controller, 10 on a Keyboard. Now you can do 8 on the Controller, not equal to Keyboard but still great. - DLCs. While minor all DLCs are in the game, with one on the way, and no more of that EA account and key number crap. - Data Structure. While they are not putting out Modding Tools for the game, they did make it easier for modders to access and alter data in the game. I think there is more, these are the ones I personally know out from research and also Dev Notes given to some Streamers. Also while we do not have confirmation yet, as Steam has not updated, it was said those who owned the original on Steam will get 50% off the Remaster. Still waiting to verify this.
Thanks for taking the time to post this! I’m pinning it so people can see it! I did see that the devs posted a full FAQ today (also dated today), so it would’ve been nice to have these around during the review!
@@BacklogBattle Yes I fully agree on that. I know they sent the list to their Sponsored Streamers, but yeah everyone should have gotten this info before today.
I’m so excited to jump in for the first time!! All I ever used to know was Skyrim.. still play it to this day.. but I have always wanted to play this!! And for only $40?! That’s amazing. I will be purchasing this & supporting the devs
Kingdoms of Amalur took quite a chunk of my time back in the day, glad to see it ressurrected, but given how little it changed I am going to wait until the remake exclusive expansion comes out and we can get good deal on the full package.
Thanks for sharing. Admittedly, I never really noticed it when I played the original version, and even with the scaling you mentioned in the new game, the enemies were still relatively easy to defeat - save for a few exceptions. I should also point out that the FAQ they posted was not available during the review process, and I reviewed the game as is with very little shared by the publishers. I stand by my review.
It's a shame this game never took off. Not only was it great, but it had a lot of potential to build up some interesting lore. And the story behind this game is just tragic. The people who made the original really wanted to make something gamers would love, but their ambitions got the better of them and they spent way too much money.
@@BacklogBattle God I hope so. The people they had helping construct the lore would have made for one of the most incredible game worlds in existence. There's a video I highly recommend watching related to its development. It gives a lot of details on what went on and how, despite being a critical success with critics and gamers, it failed to make its money back and what that meant for a single state that helped fund it. ua-cam.com/video/MH-BeACmvd4/v-deo.html
I've actually seen documentaries like this before! 38 Studios' story is definitely quite strange - and it's too bad they pulled Big Huge Games down with them. I loved that studio.
Sweet review! I had completely forgotten that this was coming out 😅 I played the original when it came out way back when but never got around to beating it. I'll definitely pick this up in the near future! Love your reviews man, one of the few people on UA-cam that I really trust, keep it up!
omfg you reviewed one of my favourite games of all time! I am so glad I caught this on time! I am super excited to see this remaster, I can't wait to buy it today! Also I hope you're doing well Alex!
I would never have expected this to make a return like this. Back in the day the developers had really big plans with the franchise which never came to be. It's really nice to see that the game gets a second chance like this. Can't wait to get my copy tomorrow.
Even if we get a sequel and not a MMO, I’d be happy as a clam! Just as long as they keep the combat and improve on it! I’ll be keeping an eye out on the expansion too!
Great video man. The effort and professionalism was top notch. Earned my sub, and I look forward to more of your videos. Also can't wait to play this game in just a few hours! Always loved the original!
Thank you for this review. I loved Kingdoms of Amalur on PS3 and have been waiting so long for this remaster. The combat was so addictive. I never played the dlc, so that will be new to me. :)
Wow you are now the second person I know who has reviewed this game. I have not heard about this game for years since another reviewer mentioned the original game years ago so that was a long time ago. That said, I did remember that the reviewer also had the same complaints about the story as well as some issues with combat. This version seems to address some of those issues, but not fully explained what they fixed or improved. At least the combat looks fun and you don't get blamed for acting like a jerk so a win win. Great review and woot elf avatar!
Imagine what this franchise could become if the remaster is successful. It's a fantastic game that was ahead of its time and still holds up to current MMOs due to all the thought put into it. The only real issues with it are MINOR bugs and some mechanics that didn't age well, like very limited cosmetic character customization and (albeit short) loading screens. Though, you only really notice those in cities. Overall it's no surprise they didn't improve the game drastically. There wasn't very much to improve on to begin with!
@@BacklogBattle But isn't inventory management part of almost all MMOs? Plus, you can increase the inventory size and it automatically gets sorted into categories, which is more than most games do.
L-E. This ain’t a MMO, and even if it is, I can hardly call inventory management a fun thing to do. I spend hours cleaning up my inventory in FFXIV and it’s never fun. The last thing I need is another game to do that with, especially with so many other RPGs having better solutions. I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel here though - defaulting it to 100 slots and expanding it to 200 with the backpack would truly be a quality of life change for the better.
@@BacklogBattle Right, RPG not MMO. If potions didn't count towards the inventory limit, that'd honestly be enough. At least we get an extra inventory for crafting items. It's still not an outdated system and I think it's miles better than ones that go by individual weight or slow your movespeed down at max capacity.
Listen, I’m not trying to take away from anything the game does right. This minor quip is nothing compared to the unique experience anyone can have just by simply playing the game. I merely wanted to illustrate that there are things that could be improved and, should the developer use this as a pattern to make a potential sequel, I’d love for them to start on the right track than basing it on an old design. That said, that’s putting the cart before the horse - the real kicker’s going to be the upcoming expansion!
@@BacklogBattle would love to check how much it is in South Africa yet it has yet to be put on the PlayStation Store... Rather be saving money for Black Friday... Eyeing out Divinity original sin 2 or Yakuza kiwami 2
I usually gauge whether or not I get a game based on my current situation, so if you’ve got a ton you wanna play now, you might want to wait! Whenever you do decide to get it, I’m certain that you’ll enjoy the combat! It’s so much fun!
I remember playing the demo back in the day and really enjoying it, but then I never got around to play the full game because... Skyrim happened ;) maybe I’ll find this year the time to look into it.
I was just revisiting my Safecraft char a few hours ago and while it was still entertaining I'm considering due the noticeable the low effort put on this remaster to just wait for a sale, so I'll grab it on holiday.
@@BacklogBattle just finished it! It was great, loved the style. Well thought and the point addressed have made me think I might wait for either the new expansion or a sale. Great work bro!
Oh yes Kingdoms of Amalur, a game that I never finished, the fighting system and fate system is very good and it's fun to combine everything, but personally I think the Dungons are really very boring, and there aren't really many types of opponents. but I hope everyone has fun playing it again Thanks for the Review
It was definitely a trip down memory lane! Still got some fun combat in there, but I do agree with you on the dungeon designs! Hope to see you in my first ever stream today!
I've been playing the crap out of this game I got very limited play because my disc stopped working back in the day ( got it given to me by a friend) ... the remaster is a godsend with the camera adjustment options I'm loving this "re master" regardless if people think they didnt change anything it feels much better to play in my opinion
Been playing for about 24 hours now (not consecutively) but I just hit a huge game breaking bug, was exploring a huge cave in teeth of naros, after solving a door/lever puzzle I went down the ramp and the game crashes :( and with the jump down mechanics of exploring.. I'm stuck. ;( Are there any updates coming to ps4?
I also had trouble finding info on what improvements had been made, which led me to suspect that there wouldn't really be many. Even a communications person from THQ just directed people to a rather vague list on discord. Still, I think new players will get a $40 value. I already have an original copy that I've put 100+ hours into, so I'll hold out and see how the new DLC goes next year. Amalur deserves a future if THQ can deliver quality original content.
Someone in the comments mentioned something about the enemies scaling to your level now, but unless you’ve explicitly read any patch notes (btw, they literally released that info today, as reviews went live), you won’t really notice. That’s the approach I had with my review.
man...i used to play this alot during ps3,best action rpg...even side quest are actually very good!! also female elf in this game are smexy!!! even today alyn shir still my fav female elf character. maybe i get this during price drop.
I loved the original game and played it a tons of hours. The only thing that I didn't like is most of the npc did not recognize the things that you accomplish into this world. Just like after beating the whole game, it seems like Agarth was the only one knows that you beat the tirnoch
I really love the game, for me it has also the best game to explore if you prefer to walk through the place instead of fast traveling. i love skyrim , i love witcher but this game gave me more of a magical experience. as you said the lacking of this game is a sign of times and I am absolutely agree to that.
This poor poor game. Been shafted twice now... didn't get the publicity and renown it should have got on its original release. Then it gets a half-halfed remaster on its re-release. It deserves so much better, as its brilliant.
There have been reports of bugs, yes. There is a thread here in the comments section where someone said that a patch fix is incoming. I hope they get this taken care of soon! Would hate to have these bugs be the game's undoing a second time around!
As someone who played Skyrim more than this due to just having it first. Kingdom of Amalur absolutely is a much more enjoyable game, with sequels the series could easily mudstomp TeS. Unfortunately name brands are a thing with real influence and Skyrim was carried by that
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
So for people wondering what some of these 'hidden' improvements are:
- Texture Update
- Zones (enemies, drops, chests) now Auto Scale to your Level EVERY time you enter them, in the original they locked to your level the first time you entered them and stayed that way.
- New Difficulty Level and Zones adjust per Difficulty. Enemies gain more HP, Damage, Attacks and Speed. Zone Min/Max adjusts per Difficulty as well.
- Loot Drops now lean towards your stats/skills. Going a Bow Finesse Build you will see more Medium Armor, Bows, etc. Going Champion you will see more Heavy/Light and such.
- Camera Options, in that you can change the cameras location, how far it is, etc.
- New Resolutions and Ultra Wide support.
- New UI sizes.
- FoV Slider
- Controller Ability Mapping. In the original you could map 4 abilities on a Controller, 10 on a Keyboard. Now you can do 8 on the Controller, not equal to Keyboard but still great.
- DLCs. While minor all DLCs are in the game, with one on the way, and no more of that EA account and key number crap.
- Data Structure. While they are not putting out Modding Tools for the game, they did make it easier for modders to access and alter data in the game.
I think there is more, these are the ones I personally know out from research and also Dev Notes given to some Streamers. Also while we do not have confirmation yet, as Steam has not updated, it was said those who owned the original on Steam will get 50% off the Remaster. Still waiting to verify this.
Thanks for taking the time to post this! I’m pinning it so people can see it!
I did see that the devs posted a full FAQ today (also dated today), so it would’ve been nice to have these around during the review!
@@BacklogBattle Yes I fully agree on that. I know they sent the list to their Sponsored Streamers, but yeah everyone should have gotten this info before today.
That is very helpful!
Thank you for mentioning it :)
Is there any word on day one patch? Still no fov, higher difficulty or any of the new features for me. I'm on xbox one.
I actually played more of this than Skyrim. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, I just preferred Amalur's combat to ES.
I think that sentiment is warranted! I do feel that Amalur’s combat was better than Skyrim myself!
I’m so excited to jump in for the first time!! All I ever used to know was Skyrim.. still play it to this day.. but I have always wanted to play this!! And for only $40?! That’s amazing. I will be purchasing this & supporting the devs
Same here. I was upset with myself I didnt try the game sooner
To be fair, TES has always had bad combat.
Kingdoms of Amalur took quite a chunk of my time back in the day, glad to see it ressurrected, but given how little it changed I am going to wait until the remake exclusive expansion comes out and we can get good deal on the full package.
I tried to ask the publisher if the expansion is priced with the game itself but never got an answer
They made the world scale with you instead of locking to our level on first entry... kinda of a major point.
Thanks for sharing. Admittedly, I never really noticed it when I played the original version, and even with the scaling you mentioned in the new game, the enemies were still relatively easy to defeat - save for a few exceptions.
I should also point out that the FAQ they posted was not available during the review process, and I reviewed the game as is with very little shared by the publishers. I stand by my review.
It's a shame this game never took off. Not only was it great, but it had a lot of potential to build up some interesting lore. And the story behind this game is just tragic. The people who made the original really wanted to make something gamers would love, but their ambitions got the better of them and they spent way too much money.
Here’s hoping with this rerelease that it can start over! It’s probably why it’s come back!
@@BacklogBattle God I hope so. The people they had helping construct the lore would have made for one of the most incredible game worlds in existence. There's a video I highly recommend watching related to its development. It gives a lot of details on what went on and how, despite being a critical success with critics and gamers, it failed to make its money back and what that meant for a single state that helped fund it.
ua-cam.com/video/MH-BeACmvd4/v-deo.html
I've actually seen documentaries like this before! 38 Studios' story is definitely quite strange - and it's too bad they pulled Big Huge Games down with them. I loved that studio.
Sweet review! I had completely forgotten that this was coming out 😅 I played the original when it came out way back when but never got around to beating it. I'll definitely pick this up in the near future! Love your reviews man, one of the few people on UA-cam that I really trust, keep it up!
Thank you so much! There’s a few more reviews I got coming, so stay tuned!
omfg you reviewed one of my favourite games of all time! I am so glad I caught this on time! I am super excited to see this remaster, I can't wait to buy it today! Also I hope you're doing well Alex!
Thanks! I hope you are too!
I would never have expected this to make a return like this. Back in the day the developers had really big plans with the franchise which never came to be. It's really nice to see that the game gets a second chance like this. Can't wait to get my copy tomorrow.
Even if we get a sequel and not a MMO, I’d be happy as a clam! Just as long as they keep the combat and improve on it! I’ll be keeping an eye out on the expansion too!
Very in-depth and professionally done review.
Insta subbed
Thank you so much!
Great video man. The effort and professionalism was top notch. Earned my sub, and I look forward to more of your videos. Also can't wait to play this game in just a few hours! Always loved the original!
Thank you so much! Amalur is one of those series that definitely deserves a second chance! I do hope more people play it!
Thank you for this review. I loved Kingdoms of Amalur on PS3 and have been waiting so long for this remaster. The combat was so addictive. I never played the dlc, so that will be new to me. :)
That’s awesome! Then when the dust settles, I’m hoping the expansion arrives and that it’d blow us away! I’m really looking forward to it!
Wow you are now the second person I know who has reviewed this game. I have not heard about this game for years since another reviewer mentioned the original game years ago so that was a long time ago. That said, I did remember that the reviewer also had the same complaints about the story as well as some issues with combat. This version seems to address some of those issues, but not fully explained what they fixed or improved. At least the combat looks fun and you don't get blamed for acting like a jerk so a win win. Great review and woot elf avatar!
It’s not that the story is bad. The presentation of it is dated, given when it came out. It’s why I focused on things that I felt aged well.
@@BacklogBattle Thank god the combat aged well.
Imagine what this franchise could become if the remaster is successful.
It's a fantastic game that was ahead of its time and still holds up to current MMOs due to all the thought put into it.
The only real issues with it are MINOR bugs and some mechanics that didn't age well, like very limited cosmetic character customization and (albeit short) loading screens.
Though, you only really notice those in cities.
Overall it's no surprise they didn't improve the game drastically.
There wasn't very much to improve on to begin with!
I think there’s plenty they could improve! Making inventory not feel so limited would be a huge one!
@@BacklogBattle
But isn't inventory management part of almost all MMOs?
Plus, you can increase the inventory size and it automatically gets sorted into categories, which is more than most games do.
L-E. This ain’t a MMO, and even if it is, I can hardly call inventory management a fun thing to do. I spend hours cleaning up my inventory in FFXIV and it’s never fun. The last thing I need is another game to do that with, especially with so many other RPGs having better solutions. I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel here though - defaulting it to 100 slots and expanding it to 200 with the backpack would truly be a quality of life change for the better.
@@BacklogBattle
Right, RPG not MMO.
If potions didn't count towards the inventory limit, that'd honestly be enough.
At least we get an extra inventory for crafting items.
It's still not an outdated system and I think it's miles better than ones that go by individual weight or slow your movespeed down at max capacity.
Listen, I’m not trying to take away from anything the game does right. This minor quip is nothing compared to the unique experience anyone can have just by simply playing the game. I merely wanted to illustrate that there are things that could be improved and, should the developer use this as a pattern to make a potential sequel, I’d love for them to start on the right track than basing it on an old design. That said, that’s putting the cart before the horse - the real kicker’s going to be the upcoming expansion!
I need to give this game another try. Like you said, it came out during the same time as Skyrim, and I was mainly on that
So many people were! Now’s Amalur’s time!
Awesome review and super happy to see this review !!!
It seems fun and that... But your review kinda gives me a wait for a sale vibe ...
I don’t think it’s a full price game, so you might want to check out how much it is!
@@BacklogBattle would love to check how much it is in South Africa yet it has yet to be put on the PlayStation Store... Rather be saving money for Black Friday... Eyeing out Divinity original sin 2 or Yakuza kiwami 2
Awesome Video! I'm still pondering if I should pick it up. I liked the original, but there is still so much else to play
I usually gauge whether or not I get a game based on my current situation, so if you’ve got a ton you wanna play now, you might want to wait! Whenever you do decide to get it, I’m certain that you’ll enjoy the combat! It’s so much fun!
I remember playing the demo back in the day and really enjoying it, but then I never got around to play the full game because... Skyrim happened ;) maybe I’ll find this year the time to look into it.
Many people were playing Skyrim at the time, so I can't really fault you for that! That said, it's Amalur's time to shine!
Great review and I am so happy to have this on my PS4 now. Also the new Expansion planned is way more then I could have hoped for.
Amalur lives!!!
I was just revisiting my Safecraft char a few hours ago and while it was still entertaining I'm considering due the noticeable the low effort put on this remaster to just wait for a sale, so I'll grab it on holiday.
Been waiting for this review. Haven't watched the video yet so let's hope kingdoms held up.
I tried some new things in this review, so definitely check it out!
@@BacklogBattle just finished it! It was great, loved the style. Well thought and the point addressed have made me think I might wait for either the new expansion or a sale. Great work bro!
Picking this up tomorrow never played the original
YES! I look forward to what kind of build you’ll be making! It’s so much fun to experiment with the combat in this game!
Oh yes Kingdoms of Amalur, a game that I never finished, the fighting system and fate system is very good and it's fun to combine everything, but personally I think the Dungons are really very boring, and there aren't really many types of opponents. but I hope everyone has fun playing it again
Thanks for the Review
It was definitely a trip down memory lane! Still got some fun combat in there, but I do agree with you on the dungeon designs! Hope to see you in my first ever stream today!
@@BacklogBattle i wa sthere for a few seconds and even write something :D but than you end it ^^
LOL! MISTAKES WERE MADE!
I've been playing the crap out of this game I got very limited play because my disc stopped working back in the day ( got it given to me by a friend) ... the remaster is a godsend with the camera adjustment options I'm loving this "re master" regardless if people think they didnt change anything it feels much better to play in my opinion
That’s kind of the point of my review! Remaster or not, it’s still such a fun game to play! I’m hoping for the best for the expansion!
Been playing for about 24 hours now (not consecutively) but I just hit a huge game breaking bug, was exploring a huge cave in teeth of naros, after solving a door/lever puzzle I went down the ramp and the game crashes :( and with the jump down mechanics of exploring.. I'm stuck. ;( Are there any updates coming to ps4?
I haven't heard of anything lately. I highly recommend checking their Twitter or their Steam page!
According to their discord a BIG patch is coming next week, so sadly we have to wait :/
Thank you for the update!
Very interesting review. Do want to pick this game up but i don't know when will be best
It’s not a full price game, so there’s at least that going for it!
@@BacklogBattle cool :)
If by that you're meaning if there will be a complete edition with next year dlc, who knows. But i think it's unlikely.
@@TamizPerdiz nah. Just time got a lot to play and trails of cold steel 4 comes out end of october
I also had trouble finding info on what improvements had been made, which led me to suspect that there wouldn't really be many. Even a communications person from THQ just directed people to a rather vague list on discord. Still, I think new players will get a $40 value. I already have an original copy that I've put 100+ hours into, so I'll hold out and see how the new DLC goes next year. Amalur deserves a future if THQ can deliver quality original content.
Funny you mentioned the Discord! I actually came across that link a few days ago and really didn’t find it as helpful either!
I am excited but also very disappointed to see how few improvements that could be identified in this remaster version.
Someone in the comments mentioned something about the enemies scaling to your level now, but unless you’ve explicitly read any patch notes (btw, they literally released that info today, as reviews went live), you won’t really notice. That’s the approach I had with my review.
@@BacklogBattle I‘ll take it anyway just slightly let down. Hope the new DLC wont be another letdown
man...i used to play this alot during ps3,best action rpg...even side quest are actually very good!!
also female elf in this game are smexy!!! even today alyn shir still my fav female elf character.
maybe i get this during price drop.
It’s not full price, so there’s that!
@@BacklogBattle too many game come out,im broked 😂😂😂😂
Akira Hisyam Gamingz I understand!
I loved the original game and played it a tons of hours. The only thing that I didn't like is most of the npc did not recognize the things that you accomplish into this world. Just like after beating the whole game, it seems like Agarth was the only one knows that you beat the tirnoch
Signs of the times! All the more reason for a sequel to be made that does just that! 😉
I really love the game, for me it has also the best game to explore if you prefer to walk through the place instead of fast traveling. i love skyrim , i love witcher but this game gave me more of a magical experience.
as you said the lacking of this game is a sign of times and I am absolutely agree to that.
This poor poor game. Been shafted twice now... didn't get the publicity and renown it should have got on its original release. Then it gets a half-halfed remaster on its re-release. It deserves so much better, as its brilliant.
I'm still looking forward to the expansion to see how it turns out! Fingers crossed!
I have the original,, would you say it’s worth a repurchase?
I'm sure the answer is no but will it use an old save of the game if you get it on Xbox One?
Nope :( Same with the PlayStation version. The PC one, however, might have an unsupported way, though I've yet to really research this.
Where is the Ps4 digital version i can't find it on psn
It’s not available for digital preorder it looks like
It will be up tomorrow on release day.
I have heard its pretty buggy on PS4
There have been reports of bugs, yes. There is a thread here in the comments section where someone said that a patch fix is incoming. I hope they get this taken care of soon! Would hate to have these bugs be the game's undoing a second time around!
Backlog Battle thats good to hear. Im thinking of buying it if things get fixed. I played it on pc 2 years or so ago and loved it
Forget all the improvements ..... play this game!!! it’s fun, it’s gigantic big and has a great combat flow....
Now the zone rework has been done are we still locked at level 40 for the characters maximum level?
Yes. It’s still at 40
@@BacklogBattle Not going to lie, that's disappointing. Hopefully the fatesworn expansion increases it.
Thanks for the reply.
I hope so too! I really want to spend more points on my character!
As someone who played Skyrim more than this due to just having it first. Kingdom of Amalur absolutely is a much more enjoyable game, with sequels the series could easily mudstomp TeS. Unfortunately name brands are a thing with real influence and Skyrim was carried by that
I believe Skyrim carried itself because of the great game itself not just it's name sake.