Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

It's all the fun I remember. Unfortunately about 3/4 through the game it starts corrupting saves so quickly and crashing to windows that I haven't finished it yet

This has to be one of the most under-rated games of all time. It has so much to offer, a great story, great game play, a huge immersive world with so much freedom. I played this back when it came out and it was my first experience in open world RPG's. Yet, almost every one I talk to has never heard of it. It's a shame really, I feel this is a game that suffered partly for being a bit ahead of its time. I've played it 4 times and each time had a very different experience. Some may disagree, but this seems like one you either love or hate.

This game is a mess. Even with the latest patch and community fixes this game still has plenty of bugs and glitches. The game balance is horrible with certain builds being exponentially more powerful than others. The combat is horribly clunky combining turn-based and real-time into a mess that takes the worst of both worlds. At this point you may be wondering how in the world I gave this 4 out of 5 stars? I mean, I just spent a paragraph trashing the game, and rightfully so. Well, despite these glaring problems the game is quite fun and engaging. Why? Because the writing is very good, the characters are interesting and fleshed out, and the setting and atmosphere are fantastic. The game takes place in a Victorian Era-esque fantasy world where magic has started to fade and technology is starting to take over. There is a conflict between magic and technology and those clinging to the old ways and those welcoming the new world. It's a really interesting setting that strays from familiar tropes and really pulls you in and immerses you in its charm and intrigue. This game is a case of story and setting over gameplay. If gameplay is what matters the most to you then this is likely not the game for you because the gameplay is, quite frankly, not very good. However, if you feel story and setting is king, then you will likely love this game.

I'm not sure if it's some sort of compatibility issue, but this game lags quite often even though my windows 8 computer far exceeds the system requirements. That and the fact that the game itself is very slow paced at first makes for an almost unbearable experience. I had very high hopes for this game and I heard many good things but it's just so slow. Sorry. I'm sure it's a great game, but it's just unplayable for me at the moment.

Arcanum is the pinnacle of 2D gaming. It occurred on the cusp of a technological revolution where gaming would go three-dimensional and in the process, ironically, lose a great deal of depth. I bought it when it was new for $60, I'd certainly recommend buying it now for six dollars or less. With an incredibly detailed and fleshed out world to explore, non-linear progression, complex character creation with an engaged and interesting population that responds to your character's uniqueness and deep mythos, Arcanum hits all the right marks. Reaction to your character's moral choices, race and gender, appearance, dialogue choices, magical or technological bias, prior actions, abilities and more are all well integrated. There are many paths to a goal: direct combat, stealth and cunning, perceptive qualities, intellect or flattery, and often many more. The game is highly playable and replayable upon completion. It's biggest fault by today's standard is its dated technology. The game engine isn't dated, gameplay-wise, and 2D isometric games continue to be made today which look more or less the same. The issue is in getting a modern machine to run the game smoothly and in widescreen. It is possible with some work and once successful will run butter smooth and look fantastic. It's also worth taking the time to learn how to add portraits and character back-stories so you can further customize the game and add replayability. What RPG allows me to fully flesh out a gnome gunslinger with a gem-cutting background who looks like Tony Soprano? Only Arcanum. If you played Fallout 2 and thought it was one of the best games you've ever played, the next game you play should be Arcanum.