Review GameBanshee reviews Arcanum

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura; Troika Games

<a href=http://www.gamebanshee.com>GameBanshee</a> has posted a <a href=http://www.gamebanshee.com/reviews/software/arcanum1.php>3-page review</a> of Troika's ticket to the Hall of Fame, <a href=http://www.troikagames.com/arcanum.htm>Arcanum</a>. Although gameplay and value scored 8/10, graphics and sound got only 6/10, and thus dragged the final score down to 7.2/10.
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<blockquote>By most accounts, Arcanum is a true RPG, with lots of room for character development, along either technological or magical lines. Your character choices affect the gameplay in this large and nonlinear world.
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On the upside, you can really make and play a unique character – the very epitome of role-playing. On the downside, you have so many choices to choose from that you may feel somewhat intimidated by the vast array of choices before you – and no matter what you choose, there will be something that you later wish you had chosen instead. Although, not-for-nothing, this adds greatly to the replay value of the game.
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Arcanum is creative and clever, fun and immersing. You will love creating and developing your character, as well as collecting schematics, assembling items, and exploring the world. There are many NPCs and quests and items to keep you busy. The game is not going to be on par with the current standards of graphics, AI, or combat. Take this as a given. Look instead to the plot, the style, and the settings.</blockquote>
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Can't argue with that
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>
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[Fez]

GameBanshee: at the bleeding edge of RPGs. :D

A decent review, I'm surprised you can still buy Arcanum anywhere. Perhaps a few more will be taken into the fold of RPGdom after trying it.

 

[jiujitsu]

Way to stay on top of recent games, GameBanshee!

 

[NeverwinterKnight]

is arcanum as buggy as troikas other two games? or did they do a pretty good job technically with it?

 

[Volourn]

WTF? This was news...... years ago...

 

[Sol Invictus]

Good to see that they're managing to keep up with the times.

 

[Trash]

Still neat to see one of my fav rpg's in the "news". Maybe it will peek someone's curiosity.

 

[jiujitsu]

is arcanum as buggy as troikas other two games? or did they do a pretty good job technically with it?

Ahahahaha. It's barely playable at times.

Still fun though.

 

[Fez]

With all the patches, the only bug I had was the odd rare slowdown.

 

[foneco]

Well finnaly I give it a try and I must say Im enjoying it very much.
Running on a comp build mainly for Oblivion (Amd dual core, 2giga ram, Xp pro sp2, nvidea 7800 gtx sli) the only tweek I neded to do was to lower AA to 0, ottherwise a few gliches would show on screen.
Note that I installed the game + patches and non cd.
Graphics are abnoxious to say the least, interface is a bit confusing and I still didnt figure how to combine ingrients to summon artifacts.
However the plot is good enough to stay in touch and want to play more then a few hours.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

I didn't patch Arcanum until after I'd finished it. I didn't have any issues with it either before or after.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Oh my GOD! Fez has returned. ALso, Arcanum is really good. And I never had any problems other than a slowdown here or there in Tarant, which may have been understandable as I had 7 charcters in my group, plus ten automations.

 

[Eclecticist]

I am playing through it again at the moment.

Sexy gunslingin' smooth-talker all the way.

 

[sheek]

Arcanum is great up to the point you reach the gay Elf city. Man I felt like I was playing NWN or TES all of a sudden. So I've started a new character (a really ugly half-orc).

The only criticism I'd make of Arcanum is the world map. It's ugly, it's stupid (how come at the beginning of the game you don't even know where Tarant is? Where was your zeppelin coming from?) and it's really empty. Most of the dungeons are not that great but the towns are cool.

 

[Volourn]

The best thing about Arcanum is the music.

 

[LlamaGod]

Arcanum is great up to the point you reach the gay Elf city. Man I felt like I was playing NWN or TES all of a sudden.

what

explain

 

[Linedog]

Graphics are abnoxious to say the least, interface is a bit confusing and I still didnt figure how to combine ingrients to summon artifacts.
However the plot is good enough to stay in touch and want to play more then a few hours.

I love the graphics. They are like reading an old book or looking at photos from late 18th and early 19th centuries. They help create an atmosphere appropriate for the dawn of technology.

 

[Slylandro]

It's a coin toss how buggy Arcanum will be, patch or no patch.. On my old computer, it was near unplayable in certain areas, like occasionally in Tarant or the Isle of Despair. I experienced horrible slow downs consistently. There was a weird corruption problem that forced me to run the game without 3d acceleration, further compounding the problem. On my new computer though, it works just fine and never has any crashes or slow downs. I think the newer your computer the better your chance is.

 

[foneco]

All I anc add to My previous post is that Im starting to get used to the interface and also to the odd graphics (Note, since Spectrum 48b I stoped playing Rpg until Morrowind, being a Flight sim/fps player mostly, therefore My remarks about the graphics only justifies when comparing it with newer games).
In fact I found Terrant really well done.
The only apect of the game I couldnt figure if exists is the possibility of zooming over a caracter or rotating the screen in order to change point of view.
If not possible then is the only thing I think it lacks when comparing to the other Rpg's I know.
But nevertheless a feature that doesnt distract form the obvious.
Arcanum is a winner.
A game from 2001 that can reveal itself as the best of 2006.
(need to figure is Fallout/2 can be played on Win Xp, if so I need to get them also).

 

[Vault Dweller]

(need to figure is Fallout/2 can be played on Win Xp, if so I need to get them also).

Yes, it can.

 

[foneco]

 

[Linedog]

(need to figure is Fallout/2 can be played on Win Xp, if so I need to get them also).

Yes they can and you are in for a real treat. Only problem is that once you play these you will realise what crap the newer consoly crpg's are.

 

[ad hominem]

(need to figure is Fallout/2 can be played on Win Xp, if so I need to get them also).

If you're in the states, try checking the local megamarts...I just got lucky a few weeks ago and found the fallout 1/2 dual jewel-case version for $9.99 at Target....loaded and ran in XP no problem, no patches or hacks needed. [shameless] If you're curious, check out the n00b's review I just posted earlier today[/shameless].

 

[foneco]

Yesterday I instaled a 2nd Arcanum with Car arcanum platinium edtion module and I must say so far Im having a real blast with it.
Finnaly figured how to use the interface and several keys (Like the 1 for head shots and so on) and Im enjoying being a firearms user, the combat is much more fun when using them then with melee weapons.
This is not a eye candy game compared with the ones I'm used to but nevertheless i'm having a lot of fun, forgetting to play the game i was thinking it would addict Me as morrowind did for more then 3 years (Dont need to say it's name, lol) and I even didnt start playing it seriously.
Now the real problem is that tonight Im gonna install Fallout2 and then I must decide wich one choose as I cant manage to get involved in more then a game at a time.