1. Gameplay
And here we are, at our number one. The Western RPG is a genre that's quietly becoming more and more pronounced as time goes by and, unlike the turn-based combat of the J-RPG, real-time fighting plays a major part in them. As a fan of fighting games in general, where each move can be coupled with another and another to eventually build monstrous combos that are as satisfying to the heart as they are to the eyes, I can say, without the smallest shred of doubt in my mind, that the combat in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, is by far the best of the lot. It's weighty and varied, and it allows you the freedom to fight exactly how you want to, be that going in all heavy and tooled up to the nines, or a light armoured sorcerer who can explode vast swathes of enemies with a plunge of their fire-infused staff. The more you fight, the more powerful you get, so it's just as well that the enemies start off hard and just get stronger, more ferocious, and more blood thirsty with every step you take from the Well of Souls. It's a perfect blend of the thoughtful, take-it-slow approach of another game in this series of articles, Demon's Souls, and the more balls to the wall approach of Bayonetta. Seriously, it's like if Final Fantasy XIII went on a date with Devil may Cry, and they got on so well that they decided to settle down together and have a baby. That baby is Amalur. A place that's alive with history and character, and a place where every swing of your sword counts, and only your wits and armour stand between you and a quick death. So there we have it, the final game in my list of things that you should, and are cheap enough to, buy before Christmas. All of these games are worthy of your time and if you look hard enough you can probably buy them all Spec Ops: The Line, Demon's Souls, Shadows of the Damned, Bayonetta, and finally Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning for under sixty quid. Five great games of that price, with the nights cutting in and the weather outside just a shade north of freezing, how can you afford not to? Anyway, it's been a pleasure, and again, please feel free to drop some science on me below, or hit me up at @CGibsonWrites on Twitter. I'm real interested to know which, if any, of the above games you played, enjoyed, or have recently decided to buy, as well as your thoughts on the series of articles as a whole.