Of the rare games which are truly invested in. Someone actually put effort here - noticeable effort. Very high quality.
I have just yesterday finished the game after roughly 94 hours joyfully spent. I took my time, saw the world, did 170-180 side quests and stopped to smell the flowers. Yes, digital flowers.
I loved it.
Unlike flashy graphics (which the game has in spade - some places are staggeringly beautiful) which may be found in many recent games, Amalur truly shines in its story telling. I can say that as the game progresses the increments in the story are not large. Through much of the middle of your game play, you will be doing the side quests (which are optional), and exploring. The main storyline start to pick up once you enter the final zone.
But - what a pickup that is. I personally was intrigued by the plot. I was very interested in the things that happened to my character before I started playing it. Why did I die? Who were the people who knew me, and why were they so secretive. As opposed to recent games where the answers turn out to be flat, shallow and simple, I actually found depth here. I loved how the story concludes in a manner I didn't anticipate (and I usually do in almost all recent games). I don't want to ruin the plot to anyone, but I will say that someone here, the developers, had really put an effort in this game and it shows.
This isn't your silly stupid top graphics 0 plot game made to milk money from the masses with a pretty cover. Amalur has amazing graphics, and they were not the first priority, they help immerse you in its world.
On the other hand Amalur isn't perfect. Some of the side quests are tedious, repeating, and feel very unimportant. Once completing them and getting the reward, there is no felt change reflected on the world. While the NPCs do change their texts, it doesn't feel like you actually made a difference.
Also, while the main storyline is intriguing and done to a very high quality, you get to experience it mostly in the game's beginning and end. I wish I had more of it spread through the middle of my 94 hours played.
Overall, I had an amazing time playing this RPG. I loved the level of detail that was put in to the world. I enjoyed the incredible effort that was done by the studios (Big Huge Games, and the now-closed Studio 38). Towards the end of the game (deep in Alabastra) I was literally glued to my screen, wanting to know more and more about my character and her history. The conclusion and its results were delivered with an excellent impression.
I actually consider making another character and restarting the story to experience it again. This alone goes to testify how much I enjoyed the game.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning gets a solid well earned 9.0 from me. I'm glad to have played it, and highly recommend it!