Arcanum - Review

Well time to repeat myself… wish someone would remake or remaster the game in a new engine. As the game needs a facelift instead of the HD mod available to download.
 
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It doesn't really compare to games like BG2 or PS:T. It's apples and oranges.

Great game though. The setting Troika created was amazing. I just wish the combat had been better. I'd love to see some kind of official enhanced edition with improved combat and balancing.
 
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Troika didn't make bad games, full stop. Sure, they might have had few bugs, what game doesn't, yet they were awesome when released and most are just as good today as they were back then. Put me on the list to snag any and all of these, especially Arcanum, if a real remaster ever comes along!
 
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Well time to repeat myself… wish someone would remake or remaster the game in a new engine. As the game needs a facelift instead of the HD mod available to download.

I 100% agree. I've written beamdog (as I think they've done a good job on the BG enhanced editions) suggesting they pickup Arcanum and also ToEE, but never received a response.
 
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Last I heard, the IP is owned by Activision who acquired it when Sierra went defunct. With that being the case, we probably shouldn't hold our breath for a rerelease anytime soon.
 
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It's all in the records, indeed. Game & documents, then when Sierra changed name, and later when it was revived by Activision.

That's the drawback of IP protection.

Type of Work: Computer File

Registration Number / Date:
PA0001013931 / 2001-09-19

Title: Arcanum : of steamworks & magick obscura.

Imprint: Bellevue, WA : Sierra On-Line, Inc., c2001.

Description: 2 CD-ROMs + user's guide.

Notes: Printout also deposited.

Copyright Claimant:
Sierra-On-Line, Inc.

Date of Creation: 2001

Date of Publication:
2001-09-05

Variant title: Arcanum : of steamworks & magick obscura

Names: Sierra-On-Line, Inc.

================================================================================

Type of Work: Recorded Document

Document Number: V9907D915

Date of Recordation:
2013-12-18

Entire Copyright Document:
V9907 D915 P1-7

Registration Number Not Verified:
PA1013931

Title: Arcanum : of steamworks & magick obscura; Reg. PA1013931.

================================================================================

Type of Work: Recorded Document

Document Number: V9907D915

Date of Recordation:
2013-12-18

Entire Copyright Document:
V9907 D915 P1-7

Date of Execution: 07Nov01

Date of Certification:
12/17/2013

Title: 3d Ultra Cool Pool & 163 other titles.

Notes: Name change recordal request.

Party 1: Sierra Entertainment, Inc.

Names: Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Sierra Entertainment, Inc.

================================================================================

Type of Work: Recorded Document

Document Number: V9908D362

Date of Recordation:
2013-12-18

Entire Copyright Document:
V9908 D362 P1-6

Date of Execution: 16Dec13

Title: 3d Ultra Cool Pool & 178 other titles.

062 Arcanum : of steamworks & magick obscura; Reg. PA1013931.


Notes: Copyright assignment.

Party 1: Sierra Entertainment, Inc.

Party 2: Activision Publishing, Inc.

Names: Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Activision Publishing, Inc.

================================================================================

 
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I wish I lived in a parallel dimension where Troika (instead of going bankrupt) acquired the Fallout IP instead of Bethesda and proceeded to release (good) Fallout 3 and 4, Arcanum 2: Journey to the Center of Arcanum, and perhaps another D&D game with ToEE combat but better quests & story...

In this dimension, I'd settle for a decent Arcanum spiritual successor.
 
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Yeah those so called High resolution patches just stretch the screen. They don't update the engine, graphics, and font size. So don't settle when you can have better.

I'm not belittling the mod or the mod maker but it feels like putting lipstick on a pig.
 
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I wish I lived in a parallel dimension where Troika (instead of going bankrupt) acquired the Fallout IP instead of Bethesda and proceeded to release (good) Fallout 3 and 4, Arcanum 2: Journey to the Center of Arcanum, and perhaps another D&D game with ToEE combat but better quests & story…

In this dimension, I'd settle for a decent Arcanum spiritual successor.
Amen to that. To bad Bloodlines flopped also, as that was the game that bankrupted the developer in the end. If I recall ToEE didn't sell well either. Only Arcanum sold well.

Anyway rumor is Inexile is working on a Steampunk RPG but it's not TB or isometric.
 
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If you use the widescreen patch, which I think is included in the Unofficial Arcanum Patch, you can play at any resolution, and it looks fine.

The only problem is that everything gets really tiny if you go too high. When I played through it a few years back, I ended up just staying at 1024x768 or maybe even 800x600 because I got tired of straining my eyes at higher resolutions.
 
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If you use the widescreen patch, which I think is included in the Unofficial Arcanum Patch, you can play at any resolution, and it looks fine.

The only problem is that everything gets really tiny if you go too high. When I played through it a few years back, I ended up just staying at 1024x768 or maybe even 800x600 because I got tired of straining my eyes at higher resolutions.

It's been too long since I last played Arcanum to remember what resolution I played at, but the screenshots on this page seem to me to look good and readable up through at least 1680x1050.

https://terra-arcanum.com/drog/highres.html#1680x1050
 
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It's been too long since I last played Arcanum to remember what resolution I played at, but the screenshots on this page seem to me to look good and readable up through at least 1680x1050.

https://terra-arcanum.com/drog/highres.html#1680x1050

I can't access that link. Malwarebytes is blocking it and telling me there's a trojan there.

Anyways, I play on a 24" monitor and found anything higher than 1024x768 too zoomed out for my taste. It's a common issue with those older 2D games where the aspect ratio doesn't scale when you up the resolution.
 
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