Arx Fatalis - Review @ Gamersinfo.net

Gamesinfo.net takes a look at Arkane Studios' 2001 action/adventure/rpg Arx Fatalis, citing it as a "good thing that slipped through the cracks" at time of release:

Summary:

Arx Fatalis is a wonderful game. It’s not the most polished game ever made, but it is fun. There are a lot of details that went into this game, and that really shows how much the developers care about it. Unfortunately, there are those moments of crashing. However, if you can absorbed into the world, it may not matter. Even though I could have bought this game back in college, I think I enjoyed it far more than I did all those years ago. I appreciate the elements of the game much more than did when I was 18. Best of all, the game has aged rather well.
Thus, those who are looking for an intriguing action-adventure RPG will probably be content with it. Even though it forces you down a certain path, it wants you to be the hero. Not only because it’s fun, but also because it is the right thing to do.

The review also notes that the game is available for a $5.99 download for Windows and Vista at Good Old Games. Please feel free to click on our GOG banner if interested as all games purchased in that manner help support the Watch.
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Too bad the developers gave up on this game.

Arx Fatalis was great, and a very underrated game all around. It had a unique story and spell system, and a very immersive atmosphere. I really need to replay it soon.

Arx Fatalis was pretty stupid. The story wasn't that unique (you have amnesia and are the chosen one, to defeat an evil sect which tries to raise an evil demon, or something like that - it even has a mine of the dwarfs which are long dead) and the spell system was a pretty standard rune system, which was worse structured than in the Ultima Underworld games - not very balanced, too.
Atmosphere was good, but that's about it.

I thought the atmosphere easily carried it. I really enjoyed it.

I loved Arx Fatalis. It's one of my all-time favorite action RPG's, up there with Gothic 2 and The Witcher.

Boy was it hard in places, though.

It was simply the wrong game for me. I'm pretty biased against dungeon crawlers and linear games and Arx was both. I also disliked the magic system (I've worked with OCR and the game not recognising my U-shaped runes was pretty annoying)

I think I would have liked it a lot more if they hadn't touted it a spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld - it just didn't quite reach there. And I likewise couldn't arrange myself with the magic system. Still I have some rather fond memories of it, especially the crypt really has a place in my heart - great dungeon experience. PJ - I don't remember it being out of the ordinary regarding difficulty, except for the final boss fight, which I had to do at least 15 times before I succeeded. What were the sections you found hard?

It's been a while since I played it, so I don't even remember exactly which parts. I do still have recurring nightmares of running from some horrible thing chasing me in claustrophobic corridors with lava, and getting turned into shishkebab by something that looks a cross between that nail-faced dude from Hellraiser and the main character from Overlord.

But then it could be that that's just my childhood traumas raising their heads and has nothing to do with Arx whatsoever…

I thought it was OK - but definitely not up to Ultima Underword, or even the preceding generation of great crawlers - like Lands of Lore, Eye of the Beholder, or Anvil of Dawn.

But I guess it's the only 3D dungeon crawler apart from UU? Pretty amazing that there aren't others, and NO I'm not counting that Might and Magic thing the Arx team did.

I liked this game a lot. It might be in my top 25 of all time RPGs. The opening game atmosphere was superior. The rune system was fun once you got the hang of it. The snake ladies were hot. And it didn't have that claustrophobic feeling I normally feel with underground games. The only thing I didn't like was there really wasn't any background music. But those sounds (screams and what not) in the dungeon areas were probably the most intense I've ever experience in a computer game.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
But I guess it's the only 3D dungeon crawler apart from UU?

Lands of Lore was 3D. At least it was from the 2nd one onwards, I never played the first.

I loved Arx though. But I always lost interest as soon as I got the fireball spell. You're basically a god with that thing. Ironic, isn't it XD.

Originally Posted by Chekote
Lands of Lore was 3D. At least it was from the 2nd one onwards, I never played the first.

The first one was a step-by-step engine ala Dungeon Master.

I wouldn't really consider Lands of Lore 2 a dungeon crawler, as such, but I guess it's close enough. But since I included Lands of Lore in the genre myself, which was also a sort of mixture between dungeons and overland maps - I've only myself to blame

LoL2 was quite underrated, by the way, and it was MUCH better than the third game - which was a travesty.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
The first one was a step-by-step engine ala Dungeon Master.

I wouldn't really consider Lands of Lore 2 a dungeon crawler, as such, but I guess it's close enough. But since I included Lands of Lore in the genre myself, which was also a sort of mixture between dungeons and overland maps - I've only myself to blame

LoL2 was quite underrated, by the way, and it was MUCH better than the third game - which was a travesty.

LoL1 was basically what Eye of the Beholder 3 should have been, as you'd expect from the team behind it. Had a refreshing feel and setting though. Really really enjoyed LoL2 as well - it had it's silly moments, but some of the environments and feeling of old lore was amazing.

I didn't get beyond the first forest in LoL3.

I didn't really get into Arx.

Originally Posted by kalniel
LoL1 was basically what Eye of the Beholder 3 should have been, as you'd expect from the team behind it. Had a refreshing feel and setting though. Really really enjoyed LoL2 as well - it had it's silly moments, but some of the environments and feeling of old lore was amazing.

I didn't get beyond the first forest in LoL3.

Agree on all points

Not sure why anyone would want to compare Arx to classic party based dungeon crawlers, it's a completely different type of game.

Originally Posted by Dajjer
The only thing I didn't like was there really wasn't any background music. But those sounds (screams and what not) in the dungeon areas were probably the most intense I've ever experience in a computer game.

I loved the ambient sound effects in the game, they fit the setting/atmosphere perfectly, and I was glad they didn't dilute it with BGM.

It's pretty easy to criticise Arx - it's practically a catalogue of what not to do in an RPG - linear, no real dialogue, limited magic system - so I can understand those that didn't enjoy it.

But I practically wet myself doing the crypt missions and I loved the detail of the functional goblin society, making bread and the like. Plus, some cool quests. Is it Dungeon Hero that is supposed to have a "real" goblin dungeon culture? They should look at Arx as a starting point.

It was a cool game, i mean, for having to pretty much stick to a walk-thru for the entire thing…

I really love it as well - played a bit of the beginning after grabbing it again from GoG.

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
Boy was it hard in places, though.

There was one jump where I swear my success was based on resolution and getting 1 pixel to be big enough for me to make the landing …

I like the beginning (felt a bit like UW) but towards the end it started to bore a bit. Did manage to finish though.

Wasnt there a new "underworld" style dungeon crawl in development? I remember it quite clearly. It was announced atleast a year ago but I cant remember the name. It did look interesting. I read about it from here or codex.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
Is it Dungeon Hero that is supposed to have a "real" goblin dungeon culture? They should look at Arx as a starting point.

Oh yeah that it was. Release this fall? Cant wait.