Been playing solidly since release and I've become totally addicted. Whilst the game doesn't really break much new ground, it does what it does very well.
The combo-oriented combat has been one of the main selling points, and it's a much-needed addition to the RPG genre. Weapon attacks can be strung together and combined with dodging attacks, blocking counters, and even your other weapon's attacks and your abilities.
Tying in to that is the class system, which is incredibly fluid and allows for a lot of experimentation and freedom – at one point I was playing a Might-based character swinging around a greatsword, clad in thick armor, but I'd also invested in the bow skills and roguish Finesse abilities to grant poison and bleeding damage bonuses – you can really bend the system to optimise your preferred playstyle.
The world is absolutely incredible. It's not as open as some RPG games in terms of the lay of the land, but it's as open as it needs to be – 35 or so areas (each usually containing several quests and/or dungeons to crawl), linked together via canyons and paths to highlight their geographical differences. There are 5 different regions in the game, and by the time I was finished up with all the quests I could find in the first I'd already clocked up 20 hours gameplay. Coming up on 50 hours, I'm only up to nearly completing the third. The amount of content, or things there are to see and do, is just massive.
Then there's the stories, the quests and the lore. The whole background to Amalur is quite fascinating, the tales of the diverse peoples and creatures and how everything came to be. It borrows quite heavily from Scottish lore, to the point where even most of the NPCs have a Scottish accent. The developers intend to use the lore of Amalur as a base for the IP to create more game titles, and it's already reached novel-worthy proportions. Even the quests usually have a twist or something interesting to ponder; not just “go here, kill this, take that because I want you to”.
The art style and overall aesthetics have been one of the greatest areas of the game. Not the typical dark, dingy and gritty feel of usual RPGs – think Champions of Norrath, with its surreal, bright and vibrant dream-like worlds. Everything is so colorful, detailed and full of life, and simply a joy to behold. The UI and menus are a bit oldschool, but not to the point of being detracting.
Certainly one of the best RPGs this gen, a game I'm going to hold with fondness in my gaming memories, and an IP and franchise that hopefully will go on to keep creating incredible titles and work.