GameSpy: Does the game steer people towards experimenting with this world simulation mechanic? Does it seem like people might skip all that and just play a standard tank character?

Raphael Colantonio: When you take two people who've played Arx Fatalis and ask them to relate their adventure, it seems they've not played the same game. It's fun to see that both had a unique experience and they are often surprised to see that the other players didn't experience the same things at all. For example, in the case of a puzzle or a quest, it is possible that one player solves it one way and another player solves it another way.

Some players like to combine items, try things out, read all the notes, search every corner, take time, or observe and listen to NPCs' conversations. Whereas other players are not very patient and will tend to attack an NPC that seems to have an item they need to move on with the main quest. In both cases, they will obtain the item they need (if they do things correctly), but one player will end up being an enemy of the NPC, whereas the other one will still have him as a friend.​