With the release of Kingdoms of Amalur, many comparisons are being drawn between that game and Skyrim. These comparisons are inherently unfair to both games. While both are large, expansive RPGs, they are extraordinarily different.
Skyrim is the latest in a long line of open world, sandbox, first-person RPGs from Bethesda. You can go through the game without touching the main quest. You can level up doing nothing but crafting. You can even play the game without killing anything.
Kingdoms of Amalur is a prototypical, linear Action-RPG. It is, in fact, what Dungeon Siege III should have been. (Are you paying attention, Obsidian?) It's a gorgeous game, but it isn't trying to be the realistic window into an alternate universe that Skyrim attempts (and mostly succeeds).
The biggest comment I'm continually seeing, in reviews, in opinion pieces, and in forum threads, is that Amalur's combat is "better" than Skyrim's. I disagree. Wholeheartedly.
Let's get one thing out of the way. The oft-repeated refrain that KoA's combat is "deeper" than Skyrim's is like saying Street Fighter's combat is "deeper" than Halo's. The combat systems aren't comparable and are not intended to be comparable. KoA is a typical action game with targeting, button-combos for special attacks and unlocks for the combat system. Skyrim is a first-person combat game. You aim and pull the trigger. That's pretty much it. But, of the two, I like Skyrim's better.
When playing KoA, you never forget you're playing a game. The graphics are beautiful, but they're beautiful cartoons. The combat is deep and varied, but its interface to the player is button combos—Attack + Attack does this, Parry + Attack + Attack does that, etc. In addition, all attacks are targeted by the game. This is most evident when using ranged weapons, where you lock on to the target and then fire. Doesn't matter if the target is moving or not, you still lock on. That's all there is to KoA combat. It's good! But it's no more "real" than the rest of the game.
In Skyrim, combat is simple—you put a weapon or spell in one hand, you put a weapon, spell, or shield in the other hand. Then you use them. The game does not aim for you. It does give you attack combos. Yes, you can use a power attack that's stronger than a regular attack, but that's just like taking a bigger swing. (In fact, that's what it is, taking a bigger swing.)
Combat like this is much more visceral. Lining up a perfect shot with an arrow only to watch the enemy dodge it right after you release is irritating. It's also real. Because you can do it right back to them. There's no dodge button. Want to get out of the way? Move! Is the enemy dodging your attacks? Move! You're forced to use your hands and feet together to move and attack and dodge and block.
Is it a mess? Yes. But, so is real life—a jumbled mess of flailing arms and weapons and wildly exploding spells going off and arrows flying every which way. It increases the immersion immensely. KoA, as great as it is, never takes me out of my recliner and into the game. Their carefully staged set-piece battles never make me tense up. I'm never nervous about going around the next corner. I know I have my pockets full of attack combos and dodge rolls and auto-targeted ranged attacks. Etc.
The other day I walked out of the Sleeping Giant Inn into the peaceful little town of Riverwood and the first thing that struck me was the people screaming. Then I heard the roar. Then I got hit by the flame breath. While I'm frantically running for cover and pulling out my bow and worrying about how I'm going to get the dragon to stay still long enough to aim I thought to myself, I want to see Kingdoms of Amalur do this.
