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Tasteless fantasy sundae

Yet another review in the 'not played' category. In fact, I only know Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning because we featured it in an issue of our gaming format 'WohnGameinschaft' - for anyone interested in the game, I'll link the episode below. So unfortunately I can't say anything about the gameplay or even the story, and thus will limit myself to talking about the music by Grant Kirkhope.

The composer, who used to write for the game developer Rare, delivers a well-rounded fantasy variety with the soundtrack, which could also be found in this form in music libraries such as Sonoton. Fully orchestrated, the entire instrumental palette is called upon, strings and drummers compete to see who can sound the most epic. It works really well, but it's not enough to really stand out. Where comparable game soundtracks such as those of Trine or Fable manage to create memorable melodies through targeted accentuation, Kirkhope tends to follow in the footsteps of cinematic greats such as those of The Lord of the Rings-series.

However, in comparison to the genius of Howard Shore, the music of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning pales in comparison, nothing sticks - which is a shame, as I was actually looking forward to the OST because of the trailer music. Well, you can definitely listen to it, less critical listeners will probably enjoy it.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning	Grant Kirkhope	4
02	The Age of Arcana	Grant Kirkhope	4
03	Dead’s Dead	Grant Kirkhope	3
04	Well of Souls	Grant Kirkhope	3
05	Troll	Grant Kirkhope	4
06	Dalentarth	Grant Kirkhope	4
07	House of Ballads	Grant Kirkhope	3
08	Warsworn	Grant Kirkhope	3
09	Mines and Caves	Grant Kirkhope	3
10	Gardens of Ysa	Grant Kirkhope	3
11	Niskaru	Grant Kirkhope	4
12	Titarion	Grant Kirkhope	3
13	The Plains of Erathell	Grant Kirkhope	4
14	Scholia Arcana	Grant Kirkhope	3
15	Rathir	Grant Kirkhope	3
16	Fight!	Grant Kirkhope	4
17	Detyre	Grant Kirkhope	4
18	House of Valour	Grant Kirkhope	3
19	Adessa	Grant Kirkhope	3
20	The Erathi Ruins	Grant Kirkhope	3
21	Conflict	Grant Kirkhope	4
22	The Ships	Grant Kirkhope	3
23	Mel Senshir	Grant Kirkhope	3
24	To War	Grant Kirkhope	4
25	The Strongholds	Grant Kirkhope	3
26	Balor	Grant Kirkhope	4
27	It Ends Here	Grant Kirkhope	3
28	Klurikon	Grant Kirkhope	3
29	House of Sorrows	Grant Kirkhope	4
30	Fae Hollows	Grant Kirkhope	4
31	Alabastra	Grant Kirkhope	3
32	Bhaile	Grant Kirkhope	3
33	Gadflow	Grant Kirkhope	4
34	Heart of Amethyn	Grant Kirkhope	4
35	Tirnoch	Grant Kirkhope	4

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The Legend of Dead Kel

Four years late, for the sake of completeness, I'm following up with the addon The Legend of Dead Kel , which, looking at the cover, seems to revolve around a ghost pirate. The title suggests that the dead man is Dead Kel, which is why I'll stop my journalistic research at this point and concentrate entirely on the music!

As with the main game, Grant Kirkhope is responsible for the nine tracks and remains true to the Kingdoms of Amalur concept. The tracks are of mixed length and are sometimes dealt with in a few seconds, while others last almost six minutes and vary between calm and deliberate (Teeth of Naros) and heroic (Anakatos) - which, along with the great main theme, is the highlight of this album for me.

In general, I think the music, not only of the expansion but also of Reckoning, is quite well done and I have to be a little bit critical of Past Mattis. In retrospect, I doubt that the Lord of the Rings-comparison was so accurate. It's probably true that Kirkhope didn't create his magnum opus with either the score of the main game or The Legend of Dead Kel . However, the OST is definitely worth listening to and should interest fans of the music from Fable or the Dragon Age: Inquisition in particular. A recommendation from me!

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning [Alternative Version]	Grant Kirkhope	4
02	The Keep	Grant Kirkhope	3
03	Secandra	Grant Kirkhope	2
04	Shipwreck	Grant Kirkhope	3
05	The Hanged Men	Grant Kirkhope	4
06	Gallows End	Grant Kirkhope	4
07	Anakatos	Grant Kirkhope	5
08	Teeth of Naros	Grant Kirkhope	4
09	Dead Kell Fight	Grant Kirkhope	4