Arx Fatalis

The interesting thing playing Arx Fatalis long after the ho-hum reception to it's original release is that as a game that has aged terribly, it also remains an interesting and captivating game for reasons that are difficult to state explicitly. This one was released for PC and Xbox, and it doesn't look any better now than it did back then; the textures are harsh and muddy, the models are too simple and feel deformed, and the visual effects are distracting. Gameplay is nothing to crow about either. Combat is extremely tedious; it uses a similar system to Morrowind but lacks the gear customization or in-depth player stats that made that model bearable; the pattern of hit then run backwards never changes. Ranged combat works almost the same way, and for a game set underground you unsurprisingly don't get a lot of changes to refine your marksmanship. Magic uses a 'rune' system with symbol recognition which is a nice feature but the certainty thresholds are too high and I found with some gestures 4 out of 5 were unrecognized. Not good in combat situations. So why is this game recommended? It's hard to say; the world of Arx Fatalis is certainly very cleverly designed, and the relationship between the various kingdoms and the many levels of story intrigue do keep things quite fresh. Arx is a believable place and the difficulties of underground life do come into the story; a setting I found particularly engaging. I also found the dungeon crawling very enjoyable; exploring the old cave systems, mining gems and finding artefacts amidst the varied ruins and lairs is engaging. I suppose like Ultima Underworld (from which this game takes many queues) there's a simple satisfaction in not only making sense of the winding environment but mastering it. Maybe it's the setting, or sense of exploration, or the surprisingly competent puzzles. I can't say why I liked it so much, or that anyone else will to the same extent, but for what it's worth, I found it worth the asking price.

A first person fantasy RPG. Help your protagonist recover his lost memory and uncover the secret of the dastardly plot afoot in the subterranean city of Arx. Plot gets the job done, sidequests aren't fantastically written but give you interesting enough things to do, combat is basic and there is a decent number of combat encounters so it won't become pain. Once you get over slightly tricky magic controls, the system is pretty interesting. Spells are made of runes that are logically combined, have a wide array of uses and are very powerful. Easily the best part of the game. Exploration is useful as always, but also mandatory in some places, clues and critical items can be kinda hard to find if you're not careful. Ditches any kind of soundtrack in favour of ambient sounds, which work as good mood setters and backdrops to your activities. Voice acting can be a mixed bag but is decent overall. It’s a pretty interesting game with some flaws overall, and would definitely recommend it to those into older RPGs, immersive sims, or fantasy games in general.

Good story. Alot like Ultima Underworld. Fun combat. Crafting. Interesting spell casting system. BUYER BEWARE!!! Towards the end of the game are some of the most infuriating puzzles I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing. It has been awile since i have played a game where the puzzles piss me off this much. It was so bad I nearly didn't finish. Even with a walkthrough handy, 90% of the end-game puzzles was just a pain in the @$$. Buy it if it goes on sale. The beginning and middle are great. the end is NOT.

So, Arx Fatalis shows its age not so much in visuals but in its controls. They can seem quite strange for someone unaccustomed to them. While WASD movement and mouse look is friendly, item usage and inventory management are a bit of a change up. Also, the game can be a bit unstable, so the Arx Libertatis mod is a must. However, once that's overcome? You will find Arx Fatalis to be a superbly fun dungeon crawl. It crafts an atmosphere that you soak up like a sponge and you find yourself wholly immersed in its game world. The world, while fantastical, is relatable and its inhabitants feel alive. The star here is the magic system. Casting spells is very enjoyable and I'm usually a fighter in these type of games. I'm using a lot more magic here than I normally would and not like in Skyrim aka just leveling it to get increase my character's level. It's genuinely enjoyable and fun to use. Unloading magic missiles and fireballs on Rat-men never gets old. Ranged and melee combat are simplistic, so be prepared for that. However, they definitely work and they won't enrage you like Morrowind's dice rolling. Expect no handholding; you must read journals, pick up on clues, and explore. The game rewards those who explore, I'm told. In reality, I think the game only progresses for those who explore. It rewards those who think creatively, more accurately. For what's being asked for in price, you cannot go wrong with Arx Fatalis. This is a must for RPG fans, for dungeon crawling fans, and for fans of the immersive sim.

I loved this game back in 2002 and still love it. What's so special about it is it's dense underground atmosphere combined with an UNIQUE spellcasting system that simply rocks! During my first playthrough I spent a major amount of time experimenting with the different spellcasting runes. Some of the possible combinations were noted in your journal but not *all* of them. Playing as a magetype class in this game is simply awesome! ('AAM - YOK - TAAR' - The Fireball spell. Still it instantly comes to my head whenever I remember this great game.) Also, enemydesign is sooo detailled, so loveable. I've never seen cuter goblins :D Especially the questline around the goblin-king was a great, absolutely hilarious experience. ANd the game had really creepy enemies, too: I still recall the fear in my eyes when fighting my first giantspider. And when it comes to undead... Oh dear. I nearly crapped my pants not only one time. o__O'' But there are also flaws. Yes. What i hated about the game was it's map. For some reason, one weren't able to make notes on the strangely blue-colored map and to make things worse: Some corners of the map always stayed in a 'unrevealed state'. Annoying. Cause one visited these spots over and over again in hopes that it might lead to a undetected spot...and then you bumped into a wall... again. But one gets used to it pretty quickly. Anyways. This game is definitely true old skool dungeon crawling fun which should be played if you're into RPG-kind of games. :)