1. TheQuietGamer

   9

   It may not be the most polished RPG, but it is addicting and fun, and as many of the critics have said if you want to get into the open world RPG games then this is a good place to help you get acquainted with these kinds of games as it is simple without being overly simple, easy to figure out, also it's the perfect difficulty for those just starting out, and it's just a lot of fun, it does have some polish issues though, the graphics are bad, and the voice acting is horrible for the most part (you'll be able to find one or two decent voice actors) and the story isn't really all that interesting or well written, but the gameplay is (for the most part) smooth, combat flows very well do to excellent controls, menus are very well done, and leveling up is easy and really makes you feel extremely powerful when you can slaughter hoards of enemies without taking any real damage, it took me about a little over 12 hours to complete, and if you do all the side quests it will probably take you about another 2 to beat, so if your a beginner to the open world RPG and are looking for some practice before you tackle the more challenging and deep RPGs out there, or are a hardcore open world RPG player and are just looking for a good one to play I recommend this game, because even with it's issues it's an addicting and fun RPG, and isn't that why we play games? not because they have the best graphics, but because they're fun, and this game is a lot of fun and that is why I recommend it to RPG fans everywhere.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
2. DanoDB

   8

   I will start by saying that I am enjoying this game. I think that comparing this (or ANY other RPG) to Oblivion isn't a fair comparison. Oblivion was a remarkable game that set THE standard for an open-world RPG, but using it as a benchmark for any game even -remotely- in the RPG genre is misleading. There is far more to the RPG experience than stunning graphics and/or control schemes.
   
   I enjoy RPGs that allow me to explore a fantasy world, be part of an engaging story, and watching my character progress. Arcania does that very well. For some, the graphics may seem unpolished, but the game drew me in...and suspended my disbelief. I guess I don't mind my imagination filling in some gaps that the developers may have left.… Expand

   • Helpful? 4 of 4 users said Yes.
3. RavenWolfx

   6

   Unfortunately, there are more than a few issues with this game that knocked the game down from a higher score. The graphics are about average at best, with the female characters in the game being pretty fugly in the facial area. By design, foliage disappears as it is near you so you can see any items on the ground, but this actually makes the game look worse since you have constant pop-in and fade around you. The enemies are really standard without much variety. The quests are run-of-the-mill affair, with the plot quests having the annoying "do this for this guy, but you can't until you do this other thing for this other guy, but oh wait you have to do this first, etc." There is not any character customization so everyone gets to use the same guy, though different armor and weapons make your character look different. There are several glitches, usually involving the clipping with area walls. There is just too many flaws and not enough good qualities to offset buying this game. I do recommend a rental (my endgame time was less than 12 hours) just not a $60 buy.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
4. Untelo

   4

   First of all Arcania should not be called Gothic, quite simply because it is nothing like the three original Gothic games. This game shouldn't be classed as an RPG either, because frankly the only choice with any impact on the game world the player gets to make, is whether they want sunshine or rain in a certain area. The original Gothic games excelled in their freedom and the impact the players choices had on the game world. In addition Arcania is NOT and open-world game (i refuse to call it an RPG). Once you have visited and done the quests in a certain area you can no longer come back to it. The story in Arcania is very linear and poorly written. The characters are boring and add no depth to the game. Graphics in Arcania are very well done for the most part. One thing that really bothered me about the graphics were the absolutely horrible human faces. The village you start in literally has three people with the exact same face, and the village isn't big. As for the bad graphics on consoles, this game was meant to be played on the PC. The combat system is mediocre at best, it's better than Gothic 3, but much worse than Gothic 1, Gothic 2 and Risen, which is the spiritual successor to Gothic 3. Character creation in Arcania is very linear and boring, with no depth to it, unlike in the original Gothic games. All in all Arcania is extremely dumbed down. If you like this kind of games and need to waste twenty hours of your life, go ahead and get Arcania. But if you want to play a deep, engaging RPG, go with either Gothic 2, Gothic 3 or Risen.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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