Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

An ideal adventure in a steam-magic punk world. It's really fun to see discussions on the conflicts between technology and magick in the game.

As many people have said it is very similar to Fallout in the way game play works. However, i think it would be more accurate to say this game is like the Fallout Series and the Baldur's Gate series had a child. The magic and technological aspects blend together very well. However, It is a bit unbalanced. Magic is a bit more powerful than technology when it comes to the PC. That said, whenever i go back to this game i always find myself playing a technological character because they are so much fun. One word of advice though, make sure you have the game fully patched and search and find the mod for the medical arachnid. Its important you install this mod before you start playing the game because it will only apply to a new game. Without this mod medical arachnids may not work, and that sucks because they are an awesome addition if your playing as a techy.

Very few Rpg's have ever gone to unique places, especially those who are set in a fantasy realm, but Arcanum does things differently, this time all of the familiar Orcs, Elfs, Humans, Dwarves, etc are stuck in a jolly old industrial revolution, and with this it brings an amazing abundance of gameplay, and, charecter development, are you a thief that uses magic? A warrior that uses technology? How about a Wizard that uses swords, and technology to help him in, battle? And if you choose to be a wizard well then what kind of spells are you going to use? With so many possiblities, a streamlined RPG system thats easy to learn, but hard to master, combat that can be either turned base for classic RPG fans, or real time if your perfer a more diablo style combat, and once you start your charecter are you gong to be good or evil? Are you going to rob the bank and, skip town or, take out the bandits? Are you going to cave that orcs skull in, or shiv him in the back? Magic or sword? Good or evil? The desicion is your and, with charecters that respond to your actions, a world thats great to explore and, greater to look at, combat thats both chalenging yet fun, and, a story that is quite enjoyable with little hicups, I say that you would be doing yourself a great injustice if you didn't but this game.

This is one of those games where every character you build will have a totally different game experience. If you make a dwarven technologist, a half elven gunslinger, a half ogre...mindless brute...the dialogue, and sometimes the path you have to take is wildly different. Add to that the largest world map I've ever seen. Its ridiculous how much there is to explore. If I wanted to badmouth it, the combat takes all of the worst things from the Fallout 1 and 2 and runs with them. Real time play is totally uncontrolled, turn based is brain bendingly slow (with a lot of creatures on the map, a turn can take 5 minutes) so fast turn based is basically your option. And so it feels a little clunky in combat. However, there are so many combat styles (grenadier, fisticuffs, tesla rifle, drain life, throw a lightning bolt, you name it) that its hard to care. The best thing about the game is the details. Its a victorian world with magic and tech in opposition, and every little thing, from the fantastic music, to the schematic components used for a tech character (combine dr phavis blood pills with a petticoat to make regenerating armor, that kind of stuff) really add to the immersion. Highly recommended. .

What do you get when you mash Fallout with Baldur's Gate? If you liked those games well Arcarnum is the love child when you mix those two great games together. You get an awesome new world to explore. You get to battle beasts and men in a turn based combat system using swords, guns and spells. Creating your character in Arcarnum and leveling them up is already half the fun. Where else can you create a half orc martial artist named Brutus Lee or an magic allergic elf who uses guns instead of the traditional bow or magic. A definite buy for all RPG fans.