If you have played the original FEAR, you will in most likelihood be really disappointed in this game. That being said, I heavily prefer Project Origin over the iconic OG. The story is better, with some really dark subjects that I enjoy. The music is something I adore, shout-out to the Snake-Fist theme. And the visuals, while not having the same harsh shadows, are genuinely impressive. Gameplay is a lot of fun, and the lenght is relatively short, making it a great one-sitter. This is a game I replay every October, and I enjoy it just as much each time! ... shame that FEAR 3 showed this game's story the middle finger...
As a massive fan of the classic NWC games, HoMM and M&M, this game is probably the one that is the most unfinished of the bunch, and it feels! A lot of quality-of-life stuff that you could find in M&M6 even, are not here. There are bugs; visual, audio, and gameplay. And the story is quite frankly as unfinished as the code. That being said, I enjoyed it quite alot! As a lover of the world of Axeoth, exploring these areas was a joy! The dungeons are fantastic, some of them even better than the ones from the beloved 6-8 games. And the music is stellar as always. It hurts knowing that the devs were really trying there best with nothing, but their passion does shine through, and I'm happy that this game exists!
First things first: If you have yet to do so, get the "Unofficial Arcanum Patch by Drog Black Tooth". It has a ton of bug fixes, adds resolution options, with some extra choices that you can access. So the review: Out of all the classic CRPS you might have heard about, or even played, Arcanum is the game that allows for such a VAST ammount of playstyles, that it really is on top when it comes to gameplay options. There is also the fact that this is one of the most "reactive" games I have ever played. Every choice you make, all from your character customization stuff like Gender/Race/Attributes, will have a reaction. The game also leans in on the whole "Technology Vs Magic" system, and it REALLY goes deep into it not only narratively, but also in interactivity. If you are a mage, and try to shoot a gun, you might end up killing yourself by accident. The world itself is completely open. If you know where stuff is, you can go there right after making a character, including LATE-GAME places, to get amazing gear/tech schematics. Some other stuff to consider; Tech-builds are way more challening than playing a mage. So keep that in mind. And if I had to say one negative, as this is more of a gushing review, it is the fact that the game never wants to tell you anything, whether it be damage calculations/why an attribute or STAT may have changed, etc. Expect to be confused every now and then. That being said, this is one of the best RPG experiences I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy, and it saddens me that it truly is one-of-a-kind.
Since they borderline perfected the mechanics in HOMM III, aside from some lacking new ideas like caravans, NWC decided to change up the entire system. And it is a better experience because of it. Now, I have two games I find insanely enjoyable, and I actually prefer the fourth installment, Sadly, it feels a bit unfinished because of the whole 3DO thing, but with the fanmade mods; Equilibris, or Enhancement Mod, it is in my TOP 10 games of all times list.
