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Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

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9.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 24 critic reviews
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Based on 24 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sierra

Developer: Troika Games

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: August 21, 2001

Summary

Populated with elves, orcs, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings, Arcanum, a Tolkienesque fantasy world, exists in an unsteady equilibrium between the emergence of industrialized cities and the decline of magic. This debut RPG from the core "Fallout" team finds the player "on vacation" when he becomes responsible for the fate of this world.

Cheat Codes & Hints: Adrenaline Vault Cheat Code Central Game Revolution GameSpot

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Cinescape

Although the characters you meet along the way try to guide you through the game, Arcanum really leaves most of what happens up to the player.

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Electric Playground

Let’s trim it down to a single conclusion: if you like RPGs, get this game. Right now.

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Gamezilla!

A breath of fresh air in the RPG genre, with highly rendered graphics, huge playing fields, and an excellent experience system allowing unprecedented freedom of development, not to mention the interesting storyline.

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PC Gamer

If you can’t find something to love about this game, dump your computer in the garbage right now. Arcanum epitomizes what people like you and me love most about PC gaming.

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Computer Games Magazine

A slowly seductive game, a deep and demanding affair with a steep learning curve and a voracious appetite for your spare time. It's all the more impressive that the more time you devote to the game.

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GameZone

This game just rocks!

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ActionTrip

One of those games that deserve to be played for a long while.

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GameSpy

A fantastic game that will keep you enthralled for hours and hours. There are some annoying bugs, but even those can't derail this exceptional gaming experience.

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IGN

A delightful RPG with plenty to offer to those of you looking for a detailed storyline, rich atmosphere, and one of the best character development systems ever. It's good to see that the RPG tradition is still alive.

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Voodoo Extreme

The type of game that reminds me why I do this job – the game is an absolute pleasure from start to finish.

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Game Over Online

I thought the gameplay was good enough to make up for the deficient engine, and I found Arcanum to be a worthy successor to the Fallout series.

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GamePro

There truly is a deep, rewarding, and splendiferous RPG behind Arcanum’s dated, clunky machina…but only the most intrepid RPG fanatics will have the patience to dig it out.

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Xequted

Underneath the merely decent graphics and a problematic combat system is an adventure capable of sweeping anyone away with its superb quality.

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Quandary

I still rate Arcanum as one of my favourite games. For me, it's the game play that really counts, and Arcanum has bucketloads of that!

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Playboy

Also, while the depth of the game means a richer experience, it can be quite intimidating and overwhelming at first, even for the experienced player. Thankfully, there's a 189-page manual and handy Hot Key menu card and map to keep beside the PC while playing.

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All Game Guide

New features and a solid storyline should keep even the most veteran players busy for quite sometime.

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Media and Games Online Network

The most disappointing facet of the visuals would have to be the character graphics which are lacking in detail, are poorly animated and remind us more of flimsy cardboard cut outs that wobble about than real flesh and blood individuals.

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Gamers' Temple

It's unique setting and departure from more traditional RPG elements will certainly endear it to many players.

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GameSpot

Suffers from a host of rather serious flaws, including an overall lack of polish, which can end up making the game disappointing more often than enjoyable for some players. These problems veil what's an otherwise captivating and immersive role-playing experience.

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Adrenaline Vault

Ultimately an entertaining title, but one with enough quirks to prevent it from attaining true RPG greatness.

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GamePen

Unfortunately, there is one area in Arcanum that truly fails to hold up with the rest of the game—the combat engine. Combat is overly simplified and feels a lot like it was added on as an afterthought.

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Yahoo! Games

What it lacks in polish, it makes up for with that elusive "fun factor" that you can feel even when you can't always pin it down.

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Game Revolution

If you're looking for a long-term relationship with a complicated, temperamental (I have nervous breakdowns all the time), frustratingly smart game, then baby, I'm your man. Otherwise, I'm just trouble.

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Armchair Empire

Between the somewhat overly complicated nature of the game and the slow, dull battles there just wasn't a lot to get excited about in the game.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Feyshan W. gave it a10:
Such a shame they don't seem to make games like this one anymore. It has the required complexity and plethora of choices for each presented problem, that aren't merely fake choices, as presented in titles like the failure that was DA:O. Although this kind of games doesn't suit the majority of players that want simpler games, the kind that were once most commonly found in arcades/console games, but nowadays have taken over even the pc gaming industry. With everything being multi platform and in extreme dumbed down.

Antonio D gave it a10:
Easily the most underrated game out there, and unfortunately it's very unlikely it will ever get a sequel. It has almost everything the ideal RPG should have. Wish other developer teams would push this kind of complexity in their games. The players actions truly shape the character's relations and impacts on the game world. Everyone that doesn't mind dated graphics and and doesn't care that much about the combat all that much should give this one a try!

Scott W. gave it a10:
Outstanding game with one of the best worlds ever conceieved, a deceptively simple combat system, and nearly unlimited customizeability. Truly open-ended, the game not only allows you to be evil, but offers a great set of characters, quests and even weapons which will allow you to actually explore the possibilities of being evil. One of the most underappreciated PC games of all time.

J B gave it a10:
The Best RPG ever. You have to run it with the unofficial patch or its too buggy, but once you can get it to run right it is the best.

Andrew N gave it a10:
One of the four best RPG's I've ever played. It's up there with Planescape Torment and Fallout 1&2. Admittedly the game is flawed and can take quite a while to get into, but there are very few games which copy this level of non-linearity in story and have such a unique atmosphere. Out of Torment and the Fallouts, this game is also probably the most replayable - every game will be different and satisfying, with some very different endings. Also, check out the unofficial patch, it fixes most of the issues in the game.

Eu gave it a10:
A fantastic and immersive RPG,with lots of different options,from the type of character you can make to how to act in the game,definitely one of the better RPG ever done,a truly masterpiece of this genre.

Dan R. gave it a4:
The most accurate critique of this game is on "Angelfire". Clunky, quircky, and so unpolished, you might actually call it "unfinished". A huge disappointment after having played Fallout I and Fallout II. I was intrigued by the story, and tried to force myself to continue just out of curiousity, but finally could not put up with the bugs and the tedious interface, as well as the absolutely pathetic hoax of NPC control.

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Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
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