Kingdoms of Amalur Gets Demo Next Week, Mass Effect 3 Cross-Promotion

If you’re a fantasy RPG fan and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning isn’t on your radar, it really should be. The game has a lot going for it: it’s penned by fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, it’s helmed by Morrowind and Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston, and its art is created by Todd McFarlane. That’s quite a pedigree right there.

Even better, soon you’ll be able to check out Kingdoms of Amalur before you buy it, thanks to a demo coming on Jan. 17 to all three platforms. And here’s another reason for RPG fans to take a look: Amalur will have cross-promotional opportunities with Mass Effect 3.

Playing the Amalur demo will open up two pieces of armor in Mass Effect 3 when it’s released in March, as detailed in a press release from Electronic Arts. They are:

1. Reckoner Knight Armor: This armor will maximize damage done in close-quarters combat while a beefed–up power cell feeds energy into weapon systems to increase projectile velocity.
2. The Chakram Launcher: This weapon uses a fabricator to manufacture lightweight, explosive ammunition discs. This weapon is earned after completing the Reckoning demo and watching the trailer at the end.

ME3 also has a demo coming out soon, and if you play that demo, you’ll unlock gear in your full version of Amalur:

1. N7 Armor: Players can unlock special armor inspired by Commander Shepard’s iconic N7 battle armor including Helm, Cuirass, Gauntlets, Chausses and Greaves.
2. Onmiblade Daggers: A holographic blade stemming from Commander Shepard’s Omni-Tool, the Omni-blade allows players to stab enemies in close combat. Once players install and play the Mass Effect 3 demo, they will unlock the daggers.

Guess what else: If you play the Amalur demo, you’ll open up additional cool stuff when you eventually play the full version of Amalur, which will be released on Feb. 7. Those items:

1. Twist of Fate Card: This card boosts the player’s ice resistance and is immediately unlocked when he or she activates the Reckoning demo using his or her Origin account.
2. Twinned Souls Chakram: A unique weapon that damages enemies while boosting player health and mana in Reckoning.
3. The Infernal Helm: Unlocked after completing the Reckoning Tutorial Mode, this protective helmet increases players’ fire damage throughout Amalur.

That’s kind of a lot of in-game goodies just for firing up a couple of demos.

Need some help on your fantasy adventure through Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning? Check out Game Front’s text and video walkthrough right here.