Let me start this off by pointing out I put at least 600 hours into KOA:R on the Xbox 360 and an additional 300 hours into KOA:R on steam. I have no ill-will against the original game or the original developers. KOA:R was an amazing game and is my favorite game as is showcased on my profile. I have nothing but respect for the original employees of Big Huge Games and was sad to see them unfortunately get the standard EA treatment.

As a game, KOA:RR is just as amazing of a game as KOA:R was. The combat is excellent and objectively the most fluid and nice feeling combat out of any RPG I've ever played, the fate system is still amazing essentially making a system in which your skills determine your class, not the other way around. The twists of fate are a very interesting system that give you different permanent bonuses for completing certain questlines or objectives. The story is interesting, the crafting system while far simpler than other games still works well.

However, as a remake, KOA:RR is not a very good one. Very little is changed from the original game. The "new and improved" graphics are barely distinguishable from the original ones, a lot of the bugs that existed in the original version still exist in this one (and even some new bugs that weren't in the original). Despite the seeming lack of difference between the graphics of the original and re-reckoning, re-reckoning somehow manages to run worse than the original, still no ability to rebind keys since the option they put in to finally rebind keys doesn't even work. They added some new camera options which is much appreciated but that's about all that was added in the remaster.

If you already own the original you get 60% off so if you want to buy it either for the new DLC coming out next year or in the hope it get's better, by all means do so. Worst part is, they delisted the original from steam so if you want to play it, instead of paying the $30 to get the original, you HAVE to buy the full price "Remaster." Top-tier scumbag move from THQ Nordic.

The problems better get fixed and the new DLC better be good otherwise, as much as a fan of KOA I am, I'm done with THQ Nordic and their crap.

EDIT As of 12/23/20: It's been 3 months and there has not been a single update to this game. Not a single one of the dozens of glitches that it launched with have been fixed. You STILL can't rebind keys despite that being one of the key selling points of the remaster because the key rebind menu was broken at launch and hasn't been fixed. And to top it all off, THQ is actively deleting any criticism of their game off of the discussions and had THE GALL to ask people to nominate KOA:RR for the "outstanding story rich game" award for the 2020 steam awards, despite not having anything to do with the story of this game and essentially abandoning it post launch. ♥♥♥♥ THQ. To say that I'm pissed at their treatment of my favorite game is an understatement.

EDIT: LOL, the THQ Nordic global community manager, Zyddie, responded to my comment on the forums calling them out for deleting criticism by saying that my comment criticizing their begging to be nominated for an award was removed for, and I quote "being insulting which goes against the guidelines of steam forums."

So apparently lobbying valid criticism in a respectful manner is considered being insulting and violates guidelines according to the bigwigs at THQ. My god THQ is a joke.

Further edit on the Zyddie situation: Got back from work, he deleted all of my comments from the forums and gave me a warning for being "disrespectful" for simply calling out his lie that i was insulting people and asking a couple uncomfortable questions for him to answer.

So there you go, coming directly from the head global community manager at THQ Nordic, lobbying any kind of criticism their way or asking them uncomfortable questions are to be considered "disrespectful" and will be removed and get you banned. Gotta love it.

Final edit on the Zyddie situation: And now I've been permanently banned from the steam forums by Zyddie for no stated reason after I made a post on the KOA reddit detailing the whole situation. Crap like that might be the reason why KOA:RR has lost 97% of it's day one player base and only has a marginally higher concurrent player base than the original game that game out 8 years ago.

I have absolutely no faith that this remaster will ever be good or that THQ Nordic will ever make a decent game.