Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
- August 21, 2001
- Troika Games
- 17h median play time
"Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura" is a single-player or multi-player open world fantasy game with a stellar story and spectacular gameplay that combines magic and technology. The game allows for character customization and has a fabulous soundtrack, but can be very buggy and requires grinding. The world is immersive and unique, filled with diverse races and industrial cities, creating a compelling and replayable experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and deep story with rich world-building that immerses players in a unique steampunk fantasy setting.
- Highly customizable character creation with a classless system that allows for diverse playstyles and approaches to quests.
- Multiple ways to solve quests and interact with NPCs, leading to high replayability and varied experiences.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, especially on modern systems, requiring unofficial patches to run smoothly.
- Combat mechanics are clunky and unbalanced, with real-time combat often leading to frustrating experiences.
- The user interface is outdated and can be cumbersome, making navigation and inventory management tedious.
- story346 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of Arcanum is widely praised for its rich world-building, engaging narrative, and the significant impact of player choices on character development and quest outcomes. Players appreciate the unique blend of magic and technology, as well as the depth of the lore and character interactions, although some note that the quest tracking can be unclear and the gameplay mechanics feel dated. Overall, the game is considered a classic RPG with a compelling story that offers multiple paths and endings, making it a rewarding experience for those who enjoy intricate storytelling.
“The story and world-building shine in this game.”
“The character development depends upon the choices made, and the storyline is sufficiently engaging to keep one interested.”
“The story is immaculate; your actions have weight and consequences.”
“I found the story to be lackluster and barely there - it felt like I spent more time wandering around compared to the story moving on, and this wasn't even doing side quests - this was actual story areas where just nothing really happened much.”
“What bothers me is that the main story quests are proof that developers are capable of creating interesting scenarios, yet in a world of this size (there's over 80 locations that we can visit) there are not so many side quests that might be interesting.”
“Many quests also suffer from unclear language, making it sometimes very difficult to discern where you're meant to go next to progress.”
- gameplay116 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some praising its unique mechanics and deep character customization, while others criticize its clunky controls, outdated systems, and numerous bugs. Many players appreciate the rich world-building and engaging story, but find the gameplay experience hampered by its age and complexity, often requiring unofficial patches for a smoother experience. Overall, it offers a nostalgic charm for fans of classic RPGs, but may frustrate newcomers with its steep learning curve and mechanical shortcomings.
“The mechanics allowed a wide variety of character builds and allowed a few ways of completing many quests.”
“It's got an absolutely amazing story, and fun game mechanics (especially the magic vs. technology angle).”
“Incredibly varied gameplay, lots of interesting choices, an epic story, amazing writing, and fantastic endings.”
“Clunkfest of a CRPG with atrocious gameplay, controls, UI, and combat.”
“That incredibly small field of view, empty open world, and broken mechanics successfully ruin the game.”
“Inventory is cumbersome and finicky, travel is unintuitive in several regards, combat feels often very binary (you wreck the opponent or the opponent wrecks you, no in between), the tech/crafting piece of the game is utterly unclear and unapproachable without reading extensively outside of the game on how it actually works.”
- graphics99 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and reminiscent of early titles like Fallout 1 and 2, often described as "bad" or "sub-par." While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and unique aesthetic, many find the visuals to be a significant drawback, with issues such as graphical glitches and limited resolution options on modern systems. Despite these shortcomings, the game's compelling story and gameplay can overshadow the graphical limitations for those willing to overlook them.
“I absolutely love the concept of the game, the story, the lore, and its aesthetics.”
“In a beautiful steampunk/fantasy world with great artwork and amazing violin music, that is melancholic and fits the mood well.”
“One of the all-time greatest RPGs out there, the graphics are charming in a picture book way and the gameplay is fantastic, so much choice.”
“The graphics are old and dated.”
“The graphics are low standard, even for the time period - it's not the quality itself, it's the design - the game looks not even half-baked, more like 20% baked.”
“The game is plagued with graphics issues on Windows 10, making it pretty much unplayable.”
- music81 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and immersive quality, particularly its melancholic string compositions that perfectly complement the steampunk setting. While some players noted a lack of variety and occasional repetitiveness, many found the soundtrack unforgettable and integral to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, enhancing the storytelling and emotional depth of the experience.
“The music is unforgettable.”
“The soundtrack is phenomenal, the character design is fun, and the gameplay is top notch.”
“The soundtrack has a nice violin melancholic feel to it, made fitting in a world consumed by an industrial and technological revolution that is hellbent on suppressing magic users.”
“Only the soundtrack was a letdown, very bland; I ended up muting the music and playing the 'Twister' soundtrack in the background instead.”
“The game desperately needed more music.”
“Musical background and sounds are repetitive.”
- stability44 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that render it nearly unplayable without unofficial patches. While some players find enjoyment in the experience after troubleshooting and applying fixes, the overall consensus is that the game requires significant modding to run smoothly, especially on newer systems. Despite its charm and engaging content, the persistent technical issues detract from the overall experience.
“Yes, it runs great on newer Windows systems.”
“After performing a fix found in the Steam guides, the game runs great on Windows 10 and is incredible.”
“With the recommended add-ons, it runs great!”
“Doesn't work even with the unofficial patch and hours of troubleshooting; the game refuses to launch.”
“The game is buggy and requires a bunch of patches in order to be playable, but once you've installed them and started playing, it becomes an incredibly satisfying role-playing experience you definitely won't forget.”
“This game is buggy to the point that it is unplayable.”
- replayability23 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering numerous character customization options, varied gameplay styles, and multiple ways to approach quests. Players appreciate the depth of choices, including moral alignments and unique character interactions, which encourage multiple playthroughs. While some note a degree of repetitiveness after several runs, the overall consensus is that the game remains engaging and rewarding over time.
“A flawed beauty, but one with great depth and great replayability.”
“Arcanum, in my opinion, is the best game in the RPG genre, with an infinite number of options for passing, excellent replayability, the ability to play both turn-based and real-time mode, memorable characters with their own stories and principles, the best techno-fantasy setting of all the games I've ever played, but most importantly the atmosphere and the ability to make any decisions.”
“Immense replay value due to the sheer amount of variety in quests, locations, and followers based on things like your race, gender, abilities, alignment, etc.”
“Decent amount of replayability, a bit repetitive after a few times but it's a good one to keep in the library if you're in the mood for this type of game.”
“There is also a moral alignment as you progress, adding again to the replayability as some companions you can add to your party will only join if you are of certain alignments and offering differing endings to the game depending on if you're good or evil inclined.”
“This brings enormous replayability, and even after years you can find out that some quests could've been completed differently.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurdity and clever dialogue, with many players highlighting hilarious moments and social commentary, particularly involving gnomes. The character creation process and varied playstyles contribute to the comedic experience, allowing for amusing interactions and outcomes, especially when neglecting intelligence. Overall, while the game has its flaws, the humor remains a standout feature that enhances the enjoyment of the gameplay.
“Some messages are hilarious!”
“The social commentary in the game revolving around gnomes is rather hilarious.”
“Neglect your intelligence and fumble through the hilarious dialog as the village idiot.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including drastic frame rate drops and the need for various patches to run smoothly on modern systems. While some players have found success with unofficial patches and specific settings, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for contemporary hardware, detracting from the experience. Despite its engaging content, the lack of proper optimization remains a major complaint among players.
“Note that it's a bit dated and may need some mods installed to run smoothly on newer computers, but that's an easy fix.”
“You'll need to download the unofficial Arcanum high resolution patch to get it to run smoothly, but it is an amazing game nonetheless.”
“Exe in windowed mode (as administrator) seems to run smoothly.”
“My big complaint, and perhaps my only major one, is that this is not optimized for modern machines.”
“As reported, it is badly optimized (and it is my biggest complaint as well).”
“Unfortunately, Arcanum was and still is poorly optimized, which only hinders this experience for me.”
- character development15 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly praised for its depth and versatility, allowing players to shape their characters through meaningful choices and diverse skill sets. The engaging storyline and rich world respond dynamically to character decisions, offering a wide range of options from moral alignment to combat styles. While some players note that the game may struggle to balance its ambitious character development features, the overall consensus highlights it as a standout aspect that enhances the gameplay experience.
“The character development depends upon the choices made, and the storyline is sufficiently engaging to keep one interested.”
“Very few games have ever given you this kind of freedom with character development; want to be a gunslinger battle mage, a flamethrower-wielding thief, or a companion hoarder? Go for it.”
“The character development has tons of different options from how you initially create your character and how you choose to develop them as the game progresses.”
“The freedom and versatility of character development in terms of skills, moral alignment, and magical vs technical aptitude seems promising, but it also looks like this game has bitten off more than it can chew.”
“Very few games have ever given you this kind of freedom with character development; whether you want to be a gunslinger battle mage, a flamethrower-wielding thief, or a companion hoarder, go for it.”
“Considering I'm playing a game ported across about a dozen platform changes, this is a pretty small price to pay to rediscover the little quirks and deep character development that made this a sleeper hit and one of Troika's most beloved last projects.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Arcanum is widely praised for its unique blend of steampunk elements, rich storytelling, and memorable characters, creating an immersive experience that stands out in the RPG genre. Reviewers highlight the game's complex narrative and the significant impact of player choices, contributing to a deep and engaging world. While some note budget constraints, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere and story are exceptional, often surpassing those of larger studio titles.
“The fantasy aspect of it, with its mix of magic and technology, creates a very unique steampunk atmosphere.”
“I absolutely love the story, characters, and the entire atmosphere of the game; it was unbelievably good.”
“The game takes itself pretty seriously, but if you really delve into it, you see the budget constraints in every corner, even in areas of story and atmosphere.”
“Short answer is: no, unless you are an avid reader and the story and atmosphere are at least two to four times more important to you than gameplay, graphics, and a bug-free experience.”
“This game has more story and atmosphere in the first quest than most big studio titles these days have in their whole game.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 78 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive travel and repetitive tasks to progress. While some enjoy the leveling system and feel a sense of improvement with each level, many express frustration with the slow pace and the need for multiple playthroughs to fully experience the game. Overall, grinding is seen as a necessary but unenjoyable part of the gameplay.
“The game can be completed relatively quickly, but doing all the side quests (which requires several playthroughs) is where most of the fun is really at. Leveling in this game is not tedious at all, and with every level, you can feel the difference.”
“Too much open and tedious traveling.”
“This game runs normally for the first 20 minutes, then it slows down to a grinding halt.”
“The limit to what you can do comes down to your skill as a player and the grit you have to suffer through grinding out the low levels before your build becomes anywhere near viable.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of frustration and deep emotional engagement with the game, highlighting its challenging mechanics and complex themes. While technical issues detract from the experience, the narrative's exploration of significant societal questions evokes a strong emotional response, making it a memorable journey akin to that of other emotionally charged games like Mass Effect.
“Arcanum's world is complicated and will constantly test you—physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
“Not sure what's happening, but this game is already a bigger emotional rollercoaster than Mass Effect.”
“What other game throws you into the middle of the industrial revolution, with quests that directly touch on the coexistence of nature and technology?”
