REVIEW: KoA: Reckoning – The Teeth of Naros DLC

Title: KoA: Reckoning — “The Teeth of Naros” DLC
Platform: Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 / PC (Reviewed on X360)
Developer: 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
Publisher: 38 Studios, EA
TL;DR: More magical than pirates.
Family Friendly? Click here for more information.

We raised our voices in mourning upon the passing of 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. While it may have been a story of tragic Shakespearean porportions, we were given just one last gem before the studios went under. That gem is called “The Teeth of Naros,” and it certainly was more awe-inspiring than their last DLC effort, “The Legend of Dead Kel.”

Some might say that Reckoning felt stale in more ways than one. However, with the introduction of the fantastical floating city of Idylla and the Teeth of Naros, the Fateless One is about to be shown some crazy new quests, monsters, and people. While it didn’t personally feel stale to me at all, the addition of “The Teeth of Naros” brought some new life to the game. This is a simple DLC expansion for an already sizeable game, but it carries its own weight well. In comparison to “The Legend of Dead Kel,” this DLC felt like it had more loving care woven into it.

Upon receiving a main questline to pursue the mystery, the Fateless One is instructed to go to an expedition team preparing to leave Ettinmere in Southwestern Dalentarth, and is headed towards a mysterious cavern called the Southern Passage. The team is looking for a strong and able-bodied soldier type who can help protect and defend them as they travel beyond. Of course, the promise of treasure and great discoveries is the best incentive to spur men on, and so you set off with the rag-tag team of anxious treasure hunters and seekers of great fortune.

The body of a mysterious race of people long forgotten to the rest of Amalur, called the Kolossae, is found in the cavern. Predictably, the rest of the expedition (except for you) are either killed or scared off, leaving the Fateless One to his own devices. Moving further into the passage way eventually brings you to the statue of the great goddess Ethene, who charges you with fulfilling the fate and destiny of the Kolossae people.

And then you find Idylla.

Upon entering the Teeth of Naros, so-named after the jagged rocks around the island, one thing is very apparent: rather than the re-skinning of assets and a different color pallette to create another area (as appears to be done with Gallows End), this land is wondrously unique. Reminiscent of ancient Greece, glass mosaics line the roads at your feet, pieces of old aqueducts can be seen in the distance, and a giant floating city will greet you. Even when you’re traveling the sewers beneath Idylla, looking outwards will reward you with a serene landscape of quiet mountain tops, trees, and clouds punctuated with hissing waterfalls.

The scenery is nothing short of breath-taking, certainly more inspired than the lackluster island life of Gallows End. The denizens of the land are no less colorful, as you will quickly learn in encountering some nasty Bolgans and prehistoric birds called Pteryx.

However, scenery and monsters does not make a good DLC. While the environs may as well arrest you on sight, Teeth of Naros has plenty of things to do. With a sweeping main quest that takes you everywhere within the island and takes you a good few hours to complete, there’s also a large amount of side quests that have a story to tell. Unlike Dead Kel’s endless amount of “find me x amount of such material,” Teeth of Naros’ quests have a variety to them. Some involve racing through the sewers, delivering sacred relics to a wayward priest, or hunting down eggs from the dangerous Pteryx. A lot of the quest givers themselves have an interesting story to tell you as they give you a quest, one in particular asking you to check on his wife. Well, I’ll let you see what this quest is all about, but in the end, it’s a nice easter egg to history and mythical buffs. Weighing in at 800MSP (and the equivalents on PSN and Steam), it’s worth the price to learn even more about the lands of Amalur and its stories.

In short, “The Teeth of Naros” DLC pack for KoA: Reckoning is a must have for fans of the game. If you want an excuse to delve back into the Faelands, this would be an opportunity to explore another part of the vast world. Sadly, Big Huge Games isn’t around to give us any more gems, but “Teeth of Naros” was a fitting farewell. Rest in peace, Big Huge Games.

The Good

More inspired than Legend of Dead Kel DLC with a more varied and unique environment.

Hours upon hours of main questing and side questing will keep you occupied.

The Bad

If you didn’t like Reckoning to begin with, you won’t like this DLC. Then again, you shouldn’t have bought it in that case.

“The Teeth of Naros” DLC is currently available on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Steam.

Family Focus
There’s blood and some very scary themes of absolute betrayal. Something that kids probably don’t and shouldn’t be able to understand until later in life. Unless they live in Westeros, in which case I’d be concerned.