I loved the game. The dungeon design was exquisite and allowed for creative solutions to many problems. I found the story to be well written and compelling. I really hope they do more with this franchise. I would love to see an Arx Fatalis 2.

This game is a little bit old now - afaik it was released in 2003 - but its still FUN to play. (btw, this is what I really miss from most of the recent games...) Because of its age, Arx Fatalis might not appear as *shiny* as the new releases, but it has a gripping story, a great atmosphere and one of the best magic systems I have ever seen. (FYI, it is not like a pressbutton1forafireball stuff... You have to understand the meaning of different runes and the system how to compose a spell from them. So if you want to be a wizard in the game, you must have some brain, and not just select the wizard character at the start. (if you understand the logic, you can invoke a few hidden spells on your own)) In sum: If you are to fully utilize your new video card's directx10 capabilities and/or looking for pointless massacre, this is not for you. If you are looking for a great RPG with unique magic system, great atmosphere and you are looking for gaming experience, this is a must have.… Expand

This game made me think of Ultima Underworld, one of the best RPG ever : everything happens underground, every NPC is *unique*, side quests are also unique, and you have several ways to solve them. Brute force is often a poor choice, be helpful and you will be rewarded ! The spellcasting does not hamper you once you master the system, moreover it isn't a hack'n slash game. You do have a hard time protecting the town against very though enemies once, but this seems to be part of the story, and succeeds in making you tense for the rests of the game. Every puzzle has its solution, if you look for it long enough, and if you need a higher level just come back later. The only really annoying thing is maybe the automap, not very useful because unclear. 10/10 just to make up for all this hate, it is really an engrossing RPG game which deserves your attention, a more suitable note would be 8.5/10. Compared to Morrowind (both 2002) it is shorter and a little bit less gorgeous, it offers less freedom but it has more various environments and places, NPC immediately idenfiable, humorous situations, and always a subtle solution to all the quests.… Expand

Known as a cult classic among CRPG enthusiasts, Arx Fatalis was largely overlooked when it was released back in 2002 to PC and Xbox. Though visually, and in terms of contemporaries, it falls into the same period as the excellent, TES: III Morrowind, Arx Fatalis is a very different game, though solidly great. Sure it has it's faux pas, but on the whole Arx Fatalis has that "je ne sais quoi" that all great games do. The world and environments are intruiging, the storyline fascinating and original, and though the combat could use some work, there's enough going on that you won't mind.… Expand

I don't see what the hate is about. The spellcasting system is awesome, and although the controls are hard to get used to, once you do it's not very hard. There were a few frusterating moments, but overall this isn't a bad game at all. Also, one thing that's hard to find in games made at the time this one was made, was good voice acting, Overall Arx Fatalis is a good game, especially for its price of 10 bucks.… Expand

This game has a really poor interface. Switching between combat, cursor, and mouse-look mode is a poor decision, and really hampers immersion.

Idea for spell interface is great, but not very well executed. It, the rest of the interface, and the levels themselves all feel like they weren't tested enough. I think if Arkane had spent more time polishing this game it could have become one of my favourites. The graphics are also dated, but the game fell (and would have risen) on the basis of the UI.

Let's ignore the graphics as the game is old. I found that the controls were indeed quirky in a very annoying manner. Combat, normal point and click could have been combined into one system, but it wasn't. And managing your inventory? Just as annoying. Space is very limited even if you get two extra bags. The magic system? Terrible. Not only do you have to draw out the spells, you have to deal with a casting time as well. Granted you can memorize up to three spells for quick access, three is certainly not enough. My biggest complaint is that the monsters do not spawn fast enough. You can be litterally stuck waiting for monsters to spawn so you can *try* to gain a level so you can build up your skills just so you can pick a lock to advance in the game. And one of the side quests? Buggy as heck. It won't spawn the notes so I can finish it. The only real redeeming thing about this game is the voice acting. It was done fairly well and it shows. It's too bad that same level of quality wasn't put into the rest of the game.… Expand

A lot of people have compared this game to Morrowind (and even Oblivion, god only know why?) and you really shouldn’t. This game is more like Thief: the Dark Project with a System Shock 2 interface. I think it even has the same voice actors as Thief. I purchased this game very recently and i see a lot of reviews are also newish. One thing people MUST realise is this game came out in 2002. So don’t expect any DirectX11 dynamic lighting effects. It has a few polygons and poor shadows etc. But this did come out at the time it is the same as Thief or even Morrowind. The game story concept is also rather good. I don’t think i’ve played a game like it, other than the Ultima Underworld, where you and the whole world have been banished underground because of the dying sun. Here all the peoples of the world: Humans, Goblins, Trolls, Dwarves, Snake Women all live side by side or rather above and below each other in relative peace. The game interface is a bit odd at first, it is a bit like System Shock 2, and takes no time to get used to. Casting spells is also very odd. You move the mouse just in the same way the runes are drawn. Just like Black and White spell system. It can be hard when in combat but you get used to it, but it does take a lot of time and a lot of practice. Melee combat is just like Thief. Move right and click has a swing, stand still and click causes a hack, and run forward and click causes a stab. On more than one occasion I was able to one-hit-kill a Goblin with a well placed swing and removing his head. This game is more restricted, compared to something like Morrowind, in where and when you can go but it has more depth in what you can do, just like System Shock. There is more than go here kill this guy come back. This game also has a really good story and you feel part of it. The world also changes with you. You also get to see the politics involved in the different nations. Also it has the claustrophobic feel System Shock 2 had. It even has some out right creepy moments with sacrificed chickens and impaled corpses on the walls. Anyone complaining this is not like or as good as Oblivion should really go and play a real RPG and not that watered down rubbish. This is actually just like the old Ultima Underworld days of good in-depth quality gaming with a well thought out, consistent, and well paced story.… Expand

Unique game. I like the spell casting system, and currently there is nothing like it. It is a bit slow though, but instead of one button spells, it actually feels you are doing the casting and even some skill is required. I am waiting for Arx Fatalis 2 with same spell casting system.

IS the best game in the world, maibe more. I live for this game.

Those who gave this game a higher rating then 5 have obviously not played oblivion.

Ultima Underworld update anybody? Well this is it (but not from Lord British(!) It's all underground, the AI, graphics, story and character building are excellent and its got that "thing" that keeps you coming back for more, going "ooh!" and "ahh!" and whatever you say when you jump at a surprise!. The game can change from play to play (and with so few full on RPG's being released - that is great!) The graphics, sharp and very lifelike in the gloom, the speech (everything is spoken not typed, like MW) is excellent with fine acting and correct Orc grunting(!) The story is v.good with lots of twists and turns and the puzzle elements in dealing with problems are spot on and keep the world quite real. As this game can be bought quite cheaply now, you should go out and get it straight away. It will easily keep you going until Oblivian comes along next year (yes, I do think it will be delayed!) - an easy 9/10 for me!… Expand

The poor play control alone makes this game cumbersome to say the least. The graphics aren't much to write home about either.

The casting was cool but you have the most fuck up control step up ever attack targeting was bad pots where hard to use looting was time consuming no double click fast action when adding items to bag using pots but like i said i though the casting part was really cool thats why i gave it a 5 it was just that cool everything else seemed weak story was engaging but for the love of god why is it always a prison.… Expand

It is along involved came, however the pay off is sooooo worth it.

Game is great, if you know how to enjoy real RPG.

Lame! Game play is long and slow moving. While it has ok graphics, the play experiance is by far the worst I have ever had.

The interface was very awkward at first, but after a while I grew to like the game.

Really liked the game. The continuous fatal memory error was the only annoyance.

One of the best RPG. The spell system is very powerful if you learn the runes. The ambient give the game horror atmosphere. Graphics are very good too.

I have replayed this alongside DarkMessiah in order to prepare myself for Dishonored. This is a great RPG with dark fantasy atmosphere and an interesting magic system. I love the dungeon design, creepy and non linear. The prison atmosphere in the beginninggis probably the best prison atmosphere in all games I played. 10/10

I loved the idea of spell-system. Carving runes with your mouse is fun. But that's all good what I can about this game. Well, maybe a humour and voice acting is well performed. But the gameplay itself is so schematic, stiff and simply not interesting, I stopped playing. The levels are poorly designed, the UI is HELL. The characters are uninteresting, not original, let's say we forget about them few minutes after a conversation with them. Non-magic fighting is incredibly poor. The story is mediocre at best.… Expand

For an old school game, this was pretty good. It's better than the majority of games made in the last decade. It still will hold interest. Plenty of challenge, stylish (if dated) sound and graphics, good story to hold it together and keep you investigating.