Kingdoms of Amalur Demo Conjures Mass Effect 3 Extras

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Kingdoms of Amalur Demo Conjures Mass Effect 3 Extras


Play the upcoming Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo and you'll unlock a pair of unique, Todd McFarlane-designed items in Mass Effect 3.

Coming January 17, the demo for 38 Studios' Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will allow players to customize their heroes and play through the game's tutorial mode, and then drop them into the game world for 45 minutes of exploration. But there's more than just a taste of a new RPG setting on offer, as playing through the entire demo will also unlock a bunch of unique items for use in the full game - of Mass Effect 3.

The demo will unlock three Kingdoms of Amalur items too - the Twist of Fate card, the Twinned Souls Chakram and The Infernal Helm - but what I find interesting is the connection with the new Mass Effect. Which is absolutely zero, aside from the fact that both games are being published by Electronic Arts, but here we are anyway. Players of the demo who then take to space aboard the Normandy will find themselves equipped with the Reckoner Knight armor, which improves both close-quarters and ranged damage, and the Chakram Launcher, which uses a built-in fabricator to manufacture lightweight, explosive discs, and presumably fires them as well.

The crossover promotion works both ways: playing the Mass Effect 3 demo will unlock a pair of items in the full version of Kingdoms of Amalur: the N7 Armor, a set of helm, cuirass, gauntlets, chausses and greaves inspired by Commander Shepard's space duds, and the Omniblade Daggers, which I imagine are punch daggers reminiscent of those silly holographic blades that poke out of Omnitools.

I suppose there are worse ways to drum up interest in a new franchise than by hitching it one that's already well-established and massively popular, but it all feels very awkwardly forced to me. Pseudo-medieval spacesuits look a little ridiculous too, although I suppose that's largely a matter of taste. In any case, the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo will show up on January 17, so you might as well give it a go; the full version of the game comes out on February 7, while Mass Effect 3 launches on March 6.

Source: BusinessWire [http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120111005456/en/38-Studios-Summons-Demo-Kingdoms-Amalur-Reckoning]


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shado_temple

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Oct 20, 2010
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I was kind of looking forward to checking out that game anyway; the ME 3 items are just icing on the cake.

Also: I support these kind of promotions, over the "retailer exclusive" deals where ordering from one place effectively shoots you in the foot if you wanted what the other guy offered. This way, anyone with a bit of time on their hands can try out a game with a decent bit of potential, and get a free reward for giving it a shot.
 

Baresark

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I would very much like to know on what platform/s the demo will be available on. It was missing from the article. I mean, I'll check out the demo on a console, but I would prefer a PC demo.
 

Ciler

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shado_temple said:
I was kind of looking forward to checking out that game anyway; the ME 3 items are just icing on the cake.

Also: I support these kind of promotions, over the "retailer exclusive" deals where ordering from one place effectively shoots you in the foot if you wanted what the other guy offered. This way, anyone with a bit of time on their hands can try out a game with a decent bit of potential, and get a free reward for giving it a shot.
Agreed. I'd rather get an in-game bonus for playing game demos than all the pre-order bonuses and retailer exclusives that are just so annoying these days. (Especially since I'm already interested in both of these games).
 

Ilikemilkshake

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shado_temple said:
I support these kind of promotions, over the "retailer exclusive" deals where ordering from one place effectively shoots you in the foot if you wanted what the other guy offered.
This this this.

I still dont really know what the deal his on pre order items here in the UK. But i know in NA if you order from anywhere but Gamestop you're getting a worse deal... I dont really understand the logic behind it.

Anyway free stuff is always good, yes they could just put it in the game without making you do something but considering all you have to do is play a demo im not going to moan.
 

CM156_v1legacy

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Mar 23, 2011
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This sounds like a good idea. I'll have to try out this demo. And if I like it, I may buy the game.

...

Crafty bastards, aren't you?
 

Hal10k

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Oh good, I was worried that there wasn't even going to be a demo. Those "Can you run it?" sites don't really work for my PC because I've got some sort of funky graphics card; so they tell me that I'm incapable of running World of Warcraft while I've got Space Marine running in 3 other windows at the same time just because I can. It'll be useful to know in advance how well I can run it; I've really been looking forward to this one.

I wonder if this deal will work across platforms. I started Mass Effect on my Xbox, and I'd like to be able to finish my character's story, especially if I can turn him into a Space Knight.
 

Omnific One

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Sounds like Dragon Age II's system, too; however the demos are free (unlike DS2) so... maybe it won't turn out the same way.

And before anyone says anything, I actually have preordered ME3.
 

uguito-93

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Jul 16, 2009
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Baresark said:
I would very much like to know on what platform/s the demo will be available on. It was missing from the article. I mean, I'll check out the demo on a console, but I would prefer a PC demo.
I just hope that if we have to play the demo on a console that we can unlock the bonus content on a PC.

Omnific One said:
Sounds like Dragon Age II's system, too; however the demos are free (unlike DS2)
Wait wait wait, you had to pay for the demo? Isn't that the completely missing the point of it?
 

VoidWanderer

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Sep 17, 2011
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Intriguing idea, but remember the did the old pseudo-medieval was done with the Blood Armor from DAO in ME2.

But I was going to get both of those games anyway.
 

tobi the good boy

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This seems as good a thread as any to raise my query regarding KoA: R. How open world is it? From the video's it seems pretty deceiving, just various zones connected to one another like fable.

OT: This seems alright I guess, I'll likely never end up using the armour though.
 

shado_temple

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uguito-93 said:
Baresark said:
I would very much like to know on what platform/s the demo will be available on. It was missing from the article. I mean, I'll check out the demo on a console, but I would prefer a PC demo.
I just hope that if we have to play the demo on a console that we can unlock the bonus content on a PC.

Omnific One said:
Sounds like Dragon Age II's system, too; however the demos are free (unlike DS2)
Wait wait wait, you had to pay for the demo? Isn't that the completely missing the point of it?
1) The demo is coming out for both PC and console. I think you can pick it up from their website on the 17th.

2) He's talking about how you had to pay for Dead Space 2 in order to receive the bonuses for Dragon Age 2; don't worry, demos are still free.
 

koroem

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Jul 12, 2010
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So it is confirmed that this promotion is available to the PC platform as well? Best I could find from the linked source was that the game would be released on all 3 major platforms, but didn't specify any limitations, leading one to assume PC is included. However from past experiences I'm not holding my breath that they will be forth coming with any lack of attention to PC because of the negative press it would bring.

However Bioware has been kind to PC gamers in the past, and I don't think 38 Studios wants to start off on the wrong foot but who knows.
 

Thespian

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I am ridiculously excited for both of these games. Oddly, despite being a die-hard Bioware fan, Mass Effect especially, I think I'm looking forward to Kingdoms of Amalur more. It seems to have a highly satisfying loot system, a class system with as many options as Skyrim (only better fleshed out)and a Fable-like story-focused interactive world. That is all a complete recipe for orgasmic success if you ask me.

Anywho, I'm gonna get free toys for both games if I play the demos for both games, that I'd totally play anyway?

*ahem*

SUH-weeeeet
 

otakon17

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Jun 21, 2010
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Well, I was interested in trying it out before, but I am DEFINITELY going to try out the demo now. I am planning on getting Mass Effect 3 even if I have to sell a organ to do so, this is just NICE!
 

ecoho

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Hal10k said:
Oh good, I was worried that there wasn't even going to be a demo. Those "Can you run it?" sites don't really work for my PC because I've got some sort of funky graphics card; so they tell me that I'm incapable of running World of Warcraft while I've got Space Marine running in 3 other windows at the same time just because I can. It'll be useful to know in advance how well I can run it; I've really been looking forward to this one.

I wonder if this deal will work across platforms. I started Mass Effect on my Xbox, and I'd like to be able to finish my character's story, especially if I can turn him into a Space Knight.
you have to down load it on the 360 to get the unlocks on the 360, which is bullshit seeing as the demo is gold exclusive for 360.