Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Preview
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Defeating an enemy will of course allow for the opportunity to collect loot, and Amalur has a very familiar loot system. It's similar to Diablo, with randomization creating over 2 million different kinds of items, in addition to over 1,000 uniques and armor sets. The area that Amalur improves on this system is in the interface. For example, equipping items can be done from the loot screen itself. Another feature that got a big cheer was how players have a "Junk Pile" that players fill with the loot they don't want. At a merchant, this pile is sold with a single button press.
After finishing up in the cave, 38 brought us above ground to what they hope will be a "world worth saving." 38's design philosophy is to create a gorgeous world that players will want to protect, and judging by the demo they're already succeeding. Imagine World of Warcraft, but with a major upgrade. The use of color, particularly within the lighting system, makes everything look vibrant and attractive to the eyes. It'll be worth it to explore the world too, because a path in the forest could lead to a hidden cache of treasure, a special gathering point, or even unique foes that you won't find anywhere else.
While above ground, we got to see more of the combat system's depth. Amalur's story revolves around magic returning to the world, so all characters use magic, not just the frail wizards of other games. The warrior that was demoed used a shout that stopped enemies in their tracks, moved up for some melee attacks, and combined them with a spell that brought rock spikes up from the ground. During battle, the spell effects and sparks resulting from parries even made combat pretty darn good looking. 38 also divulged that players will always have two weapons at the ready that can be used in the same combo chain. Want to open with a single hammer strike, slash with a sword, and then bash your foe's skull in with the hammer again to complete the combo? Go ahead. 38 appears to be implementing gameplay that makes sense in a context of a game, not necessarily the real world, which is more fun.
