I bought this game when it came out and have probably spent over a thousand hours playing and replaying it every few years. Obviously, it has huge nostalgia value for me. It is definitely a flawed game (less so with bug fixes) but one that I still found to be very enjoyable. The atmosphere and music are my favourite parts of the game, they are both rather melancholy but beautiful. I love the setting, the open world style, RPG elements and the sheer volume of content this game contains (each playthrough has taken me over 100 hours). As to the character build imbalances, I have played the game through as a tech-based gunslinger many times. It's my favourite build, because it's what I have the most fun roleplaying and to me a gunslinging lady fits the setting perfectly. It might be easier as a magic-based fighter, but playing other builds has never been a big problem for me. So, if you are not put off by the old graphics and turn-based combat and you like the idea of an interesting, open world to explore in a huge game, give Arcanum try. It's truly a GOG, just not for everyone.
I really enjoyed this game! I spent longer playing it than some people (more like 10 hours), but I'm a completionist and wanted to mine, buy, fight and find everything. For me, it hit just the right spot between challenging and relaxing, which is why I would agree with the reviewer who called it a "perfect time waster". The music is also good and held up even after many hours of play, which is really important in a platformer game. I think this game will be added to the list of platformers that I play again and again when the mood strikes me (like Plants vs Zombies or Treasure Adventure Game). Next time my goal is 0 deaths! Or at least less than a dozen...
I really loved this game, but I have to take off a star for the ending which actually made me angry. This game is truly beautiful and I didn't find any of the puzzles particularly illogical (by adventure game standards) as some others have. I thought the dialogue was delightful, I found myself trying out all the options (look, taste etc.) on every interactive item just to see what Sadwick had to say about them. I thought the characters were wonderfully endearing (especially Spot!) and I certainly won't forget this game any time soon.
I certainly don't regret purchasing this game or the evening I spent playing it, but I really can't agree with all the 5-star reviews. Overall I found this game a bit disappointing; the writing wasn't as good as I expected and I thought the ending was unsatisfying and silly. Without going into detail, I can not imagine behaving as the main character does at the end, it made me really dislike him and brought down the rest of the game. The added Last Visit is very short and while it definitely adds to the overall story, I still found the ending unsatisfying.
This is a game people seem to love or hate, and I loved it. The momentum-based movement system felt natural to me and I think the mapping system was a really interesting and challenging addition to the game. If you like the idea of exploring and mapping an island in a more interesting and challenging way than your average game and you are willing to embrace the fact that your character is sick and their movement reflects that (WALK, don't run unless you have to) then you might love this game too. One thing I wish I knew before I started is that you can only carry ONE dose of each type of medicine, so don't waste your time making lots of Basic Medicine etc. as you'll only actually have one dose in your inventory and any additional doses you make and pick up will just disappear. You can also only carry one specimen of a given type of plant at a time (but you can carry specimens of up to 3 different plants), but that's a bit more obvious than the medicine.
Playing Botanicula felt like falling into a childhood dream, the kind where you wake up and feel like you might have really touched another world. It's not a challenging puzzle-driven game (although there are some puzzles), instead it's all about exploring a strange, adorable little world and poking at things - often with random and surprising results. I found it a bizarre and relaxing diversion from reality.
I really enjoyed machinarium, it's a delightful game. I was totally immersed in the world and the evocative storytelling as it unfolded. I found the puzzles to be just the right balance; it took me a while to work them out, but I never became frustrated or wanted to give up. It did only take me a day to play through (without using a walkthrough), so the only thing I would say I was left wanting for was more!
