If there is one thing that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was not lacking in, it was content. Aside from the main quest line there is a plethora of side quests all the way from faction quest lines to menial tasks for villagers. So having completed the game and a lot of the optional content, I was curious what the latest expansion, The Legend of Dead Kel, would have to offer, especially considering how dull many of the side quests in the main game were.

This DLC offers a whole new story chain to follow off on a totally new island locale. It begins with the player heading off on a ship to Gallow's End, but unfortunately the dread pirate Dead Kel destroys the ship and maroons you and the survivors. Players must work their way around the island, meeting with the native inhabitants, looking for survivors from the crash, and hunting down the mysterious Dead Kel.

Players can access the Dead Kel DLC starting at level ten, and I would recommend doing it as early as manageable. Be careful though, as it will trap you on the island for a few hours. The main reason I recommend doing this is because in my playthough I started the DLC after having completed the main storyline, so hardly any of the equipment I found outclassed what I was already using. And there was a lot of good, unique loot too, so I felt like it was going to waste.

It has the potential to be a fairly challenging piece of DLC, but don't expect it to deviate far from the Reckoning formula of obtain quest and kill lots of enemies to complete the quest. There are some interesting NPCs that can help you out and even fight alongside you, but nothing too deep or different from what the main game offered. One interesting addition is being able to obtain and upgrade a keep. It makes completing some of these side quests a little more useful, since your upgrades will gain you access to your own personal shops and crafting stations. The main story arc of The Legend of Dead Kel is interesting as well, and offers up quite a few boss fights. That said, the DLC is quick, to the point, and allows for gamers to play as much or as little as they want.

When I was finished, I found myself wishing I'd played it earlier during my original playthrough of the main game instead of afterward. There was little challenge for a post-ending character on the default difficulty, but even more problematic was the lack of any new equipment upgrades. It was a fun four hour romp, but I don't think I would have felt bad had I passed on it.