Straight off the bat, it's worth nothing that nobody should be comparing this game to Skyrim. It's debatable whether EA timed it's release to compete for a share of the RPG market that Skyrim was bound to monopolise, but regardless, making the comparison will instantly pollute your ability to enjoy what is, in essence, a terrific game. It's an odd game, yes, and in many ways strangely old fashioned, but it's compelling, moreish, and has a lot (and I do mean a lot) of content to wade through.
First off, the creative minds involved need to be given props. Mostly. You see, the game world of Reckoning has been written by R.A. Salvatore, perhaps best known for his Forgotten Realms (the Dungeons and Dragons universe) novels, and his novelisation of Attack of the Clones, which was printed on real, actual paper. Todd McFarlane, the guy behind the unbelievably contrived but understandably nineties-tethered comic series Spawn, worked on the artwork. A whole bunch of gaming luminaries hopped on board.
But none of this really matters; the game world is reasonably generic high-fantasty, and the character design isn't mind-blowing. The game looks, outwardly, vanilla. And then, after a few hours, you realise you're either thoroughly enjoying yourself, or you realise that you'll probably never play the damned thing again.
The plot takes place at the tail end of a long, bloody war; you ostensibly enter the fray on account of a desperate, last-ditch attempt to turn the tables, which leads to probably the most interesting mechanic the game has to offer: fate. Destiny. Whatever you want to call it, you don't have one. This affects everything from your talent trees (which are basically destinies you choose, depending on your evolving playstyle) to combat (you can, by using special moves, gather up the threads of bad guy's fate, having just cut them rather violently, and then store them up to unleash uber-moves), to the storyline itself.
In terms of combat, Reckoning plays more like Fable than Skyrim; you use the mouse to unleash timing-reliant combos, mix those up with an array of special moves, then, as preiously mentioned, dish up a piping hot serving of fate stew. Combat here feels fluid, and more than makes up for the occasionally outdated questing mechanics.
And speaking of quests? There is a LOT of content here. Maybe too much. If you stick to the main story… actually, don't do that. Getting distracted is where Reckoning really opens up; seek a cure for a wounded Fay, and if you stick with the seemingly throwaway series of errands involved, you'll end up spending hours delving into a maelstrom of a events which threatens to unravel centuries of Fay tradition. It's the divergent nature of the gameworld that keeps you in for the long haul, even if that game world is a wee bit walled in, when compared to other sandbox RPGs.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning isn't revolutionary; it's not the high-dining culinary genius that is, say, Skyrim, or anything from Bioware. It's more like fast food done absolutely perfectly. And if you connect with the game world presented within, you're in luck; an MMO is on the way. Lofty plans for the franchise notwithstanding, if you put in the hours and make the effort, Reckoning is a thoroughly enjoyable and generous title.