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.
