Comparisons to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are inevitable given the latter's recent impact and, it would seem, sought after by Amalur's marketing department at least.

The trailer promises "a vast world," "a rich and varied landscape" filled with "diverse inhabitants," a "rich history" for the player to consider, and "seemingly endless amounts of side-quests" to complete or ignore as desired.

So far, so Skyrim, but despite their commonalities, the two are not separated at birth.

Though now a singleplayer experience, the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game  Reckoning has more than a whiff of MMO about it in both structure and presentation, no doubt traceable to its origins as an online game.

And, despite Amalur's staff's name-checking The Elder Scrolls series in interviews, action-friendly series such as Fable and God of War may well make for more appropriate touchstones.