Arx Fatalis

About

"Arx Fatalis" is a single-player Fantasy RPG with a good story and unique game mechanics. As the potential hero, players must prevent the return of the god of devastation and chaos by destroying his cult, fighting enemies using weapons and an innovative on-screen gesture-based magic system. Despite some bugs and grinding, the game offers a dense and immersive atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,071 reviews

story109 positive mentions

stability38 negative mentions

Unique and innovative magic system that requires players to draw runes to cast spells, adding a tactile element to gameplay.
Engaging atmosphere and world-building, with a dark fantasy setting that immerses players in an underground civilization.
Rich exploration opportunities with numerous secrets, puzzles, and side quests that reward curiosity and attention to detail.

Clunky controls and user interface that can be frustrating, especially for modern players accustomed to more streamlined mechanics.
Vague quest directions and lack of hand-holding can lead to confusion and excessive backtracking, often requiring the use of guides.
Combat can feel unbalanced, particularly for non-magic builds, making certain encounters overly difficult and tedious.

story
411 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
67%
7%
The story of Arx Fatalis is a blend of amnesia-driven memory recovery and dark fantasy, set in a vast underground world where players navigate through a series of quests and puzzles. While the narrative is often described as straightforward and occasionally predictable, it is complemented by engaging world-building, interesting characters, and a variety of side quests that enhance the overall experience. However, some players find the quest design cryptic and the lack of clear direction can lead to confusion, necessitating the use of guides to progress effectively.
- “The story stands the test, never feeling like it is dragging on and always keeping the puzzles interesting.”
- “The characters are genuine and the story really captivates.”
- “The story of Arx Fatalis is really good, combining mystery, magic, and a post-apocalypse setting.”
- “The idea of the sun simply going out one day, forcing the survivors to retreat underground is an interesting concept, but unfortunately it isn't used as anything more than a plot device to drive the antagonist forward; it isn't really explored, at least not in a mainstream way, as I didn't read every single lore tome in the game and I shouldn't have to for me to understand more about such an important fact of the universe.”
- “The story is mediocre, the combat is mediocre, the spell system is stupid.”
- “The story and quests in Arx's overarching tale are pretty weak, and not particularly well tracked.”
gameplay
235 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The gameplay of "Arx Fatalis" is characterized by its innovative magic system, which allows players to cast spells by drawing runes, adding a unique layer of interaction. While the game features engaging exploration, a rich world, and complex mechanics, many players note that the controls and combat feel clunky and dated, often requiring patience to navigate its intricacies. Despite its flaws, the immersive atmosphere and depth of gameplay mechanics make it a memorable experience for fans of classic RPGs.
- “The world was incredibly interesting, the gameplay is phenomenal, exploration is engaging, and the magic system has got to be one of the most ingenious implementations of magic I have ever seen in a game before.”
- “The gameplay is very interactive, from puzzle solving and combining objects together along with an enjoyable alchemy system and even crafting as well as cooking, but the combat is especially clunky but not the worst I've played.”
- “The magic system is the single most idiotic piece of game mechanics ever created.”
- “The game seems nice but the controls haven't aged very well, especially not the spell mechanic.”
- “It's bugged, movement and collisions are really rough, and character development quickly funnels you into one of three viable careers you will stick until the end.”
- “The controls are very clunky, and some would say the mechanics are dated if not bland at best.”
atmosphere
133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
29%
2%
The atmosphere of Arx Fatalis is widely praised for its immersive dark fantasy setting, characterized by claustrophobic underground environments and rich sound design that enhances the eerie ambiance. Reviewers highlight the game's unique spellcasting mechanics and detailed world-building, which contribute to a captivating experience reminiscent of classic RPGs. Despite some gameplay flaws, the overall atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it a memorable title for fans of atmospheric role-playing games.
- “The atmosphere is worth the price of admission alone.”
- “The game has a similar vibe to Morrowind, which was released the same year, but it’s a smaller-scale project. The entire environment is set underground in a cave system, and the atmosphere is crazy, very well-crafted. The feel of being isolated in a dark cave is extremely well done here.”
- “The game's atmosphere is rich and detailed, with interactive environments that make you feel like you’re truly a part of the world.”
- “The game has its flaws, but it is worth every penny for the atmosphere alone.”
- “While the atmosphere is where Arx Fatalis shines, the game fails to offer a captivating experience to less experienced players, due to the frustrating difficulty.”
- “It's by no means perfect, but may have both the gameplay and atmosphere to appeal to more seasoned RPG players, specifically those who don't mind a few hiccups.”
graphics
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
67%
11%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its early 2000s origins, but many players find a nostalgic charm in their simplicity. While some reviews note graphical inconsistencies and bugs, others appreciate the atmospheric design that enhances the overall experience. Overall, if players can overlook the outdated visuals, they often find a compelling game with engaging gameplay and story elements.
- “The graphics and atmosphere are great.”
- “Overall, superb audio, atmospheric, interesting world, charming graphics if you dig that sort of late 90s early 00s thing.”
- “If you can handle older graphics and a bit of jank, definitely give this game a go.”
- “Many graphical and hitzone areas are inconsistent.”
- “The graphics look very samey by modern standards and it's easy to lose orientation.”
- “Graphics were ugly even back in the day, if I recall correctly.”
stability
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
97%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that can significantly hinder gameplay. While some players find enjoyment in the experience despite these flaws, others describe it as nearly unplayable without community patches like Arx Libertatis, which are essential for improving stability. Overall, the game is seen as a charming but outdated relic that requires patience and tolerance for its many technical shortcomings.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck with the community engine, ARX Libertatis.”
- “The game maintains a solid frame rate, ensuring a smooth experience throughout.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or major bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
- “Nearly unplayable buggy mess.”
- “It's 2021 and this game from 2002 is still a buggy, clunky mess.”
- “This game was remarkably fun for what it offered, it's just a shame it is so buggy that it is practically unbeatable if not unplayable past a certain point.”
humor
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
11%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending intentional and unintentional comedic elements through quirky dialogue, amusing character interactions, and humorous quests. Players appreciate the contrast between the dark fantasy setting and the lightheartedness of characters like goblins and trolls, often leading to genuinely funny moments. Overall, the game is described as entertaining and filled with a variety of humorous experiences that enhance its charm.
- “The quests are not only well-structured but often humorous and surprising.”
- “The game is remarkable for its dark fantasy atmosphere that humorously contrasts the mundane citizenship of Arx.”
- “There is plenty of humor in the game, such as goblin kings with digestive issues and horrible goblin mom jokes.”
- “Not funny!”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
- “I expected more clever humor, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The music in the game is minimal, with a strong emphasis on ambient sound design that enhances the eerie atmosphere of the underground setting. While some players appreciate the originality and immersive quality of the soundscapes, others find the limited musical tracks to be generic and repetitive. Overall, the absence of a traditional soundtrack is seen as a deliberate choice that effectively contributes to the game's unsettling ambiance.
- “The audio quality is of an era still clear though, and the soundtrack with the ambiance is very immersive. I have to say some tracks sound older than the 2000s, but that's fine; I find the tracks to be mostly memorable.”
- “The absence of a soundtrack works in its favor.”
- “Also, the music and sound design are really good and add a lot to the overall atmosphere.”
- “Music is nearly entirely non-existent, and what limited pieces exist are nothing to write home about.”
- “There is barely any music since the game largely relies on its aforementioned ambience, which isn't a problem since said ambience suits the game's world of gloomy caverns perfectly.”
- “>music - is pretty bad to be honest same few chords and sounds played on a loop over and over.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
91%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over backtracking, clunky inventory management, and cumbersome spell-casting mechanics. While some elements, like the story and world-building, are appreciated, they are often overshadowed by the monotonous nature of quests and combat, leading to a less enjoyable experience. Despite attempts to modernize the game, many still feel that the grinding detracts significantly from the overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Some quests can be tedious or feel like filler content.”
- “The inventory handling is just plain terrible, along with the clumsy and tedious crafting.”
- “Sword combat is very hack-and-slash and hit-and-run centric, which makes fighting very tedious and repetitive, especially in boss fights where you might be slashing for upwards of ten minutes.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The game's optimization is generally criticized, with many players noting significant performance issues, particularly in menus and on modern systems. While the vanilla version is deemed unplayable without mods, the Arx Libertatis patch is highly recommended as it enhances performance and resolves numerous bugs, making the experience more enjoyable. Overall, the game benefits from community support through mods, which help address its optimization shortcomings.
- “While not completely necessary, the Arx Libertatis patch greatly improves the experience as it allows for the game to run smoothly on modern systems and squashes some bugs.”
- “I played the mod Arx Libertatis and it helped with lots of optimization and gameplay improvements.”
- “The vanilla Steam version is kind of unoptimized and performs poorly even on good machines; if you're going to play this, you should get the Arx Libertatis mod which fixes a ton of the buggy issues with the vanilla version.”
- “This game is old and has some performance issues, in particular when you open the menus.”
- “One can't possibly give a good review to a game that, even with its age, has not been optimized to run on current systems and still left released on Steam under the excuse that it has.”
- “The vanilla Steam version is kind of unoptimized and performs badly even on good machines; if you're going to play this, you should get the Arx Libertatis mod which fixes a ton of the buggy issues with vanilla.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
Overall, the game offers strong replayability due to various build options, hidden areas, and engaging content, making it enjoyable for long-term play. However, some players note its linearity and limited choices may affect the depth of replayability. Despite this, many find the game dense and engaging enough to warrant repeated playthroughs.
- “Fantastic game with great replay value!”
- “There is a lot to do here, and likely tons of replayability, not to mention mods.”
- “In short, great visuals, great story, great characters, great replayability.”
- “The game is very linear, so it doesn't have that kind of replayability.”
- “Game has the illusion of choice and a sort of replayability when it comes to the way it is played.”
- “Game contains lots of hidden areas and items, so it is replayable too.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is generally perceived as weak, with players noting a lack of depth and a limited progression funneling into a few viable careers. While the character and level design are appreciated, the overall narrative and character growth feel generic and underwhelming, overshadowed by the game's exploration and questing elements.
- “Also, character development felt motivating as long as the illusion was intact that all you found mattered in the long run. Well, it didn't, but that's the benefit of not playing with a guide. The game felt very rewarding; I found this ice area just by curiosity quite early in the game, shooting icicles with a bow for them to fall down.”
- “It's bugged, movement and collisions are really rough, and character development quickly funnels you into one of three viable careers you will stick with until the end. However, it's all compensated by stellar level design, varied questing, and the act of actually exploring the game - its rules, interactions, little gameplay and level secrets, guessing hidden spells, and interacting with wacky people.”
- “The only thing I liked was level and character design, but even that was nothing crazy.”
- “Character development is weak.”
- “It doesn't focus on character development; the plot is pretty generic, but the world is interesting and full of potential.”
- “Also, character development felt motivating as long as the illusion was intact that all you found mattered in the long run. Well, it didn't, but that's the benefit of not playing with a guide. The game felt very rewarding.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it offers an immersive experience through its environmental design and lore, players often find the quest mechanics confusing and the character interactions awkward or unsettling. Despite some clunky interface issues, the game successfully evokes feelings of being a genuine magic user, enhancing the overall emotional engagement.
- “Tight spaces, fairly excellent lighting and sound design, terrifying enemies, extreme amounts of environmental interactivity, and quests that require the player to research lore, remember important details, and hoard potentially useful and plot-important items all combine to make Arx Fatalis one of the most immersive, emotionally engaging games I've ever played.”
- “I love this game for the way it actually made me feel like a magic user rather than just some dude with a magic cookbook.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is highlighted by the inclusion of promotional materials, such as an advertisement leaflet for "Arx Fatalis" and a demo version on the original disc, suggesting a strategy to enhance value and encourage further purchases.