Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Jan 14, 2022

  Deliciously old-school, captivating, and probably my favorite way to interact with the world, inventory, and spells gameplay-wise. If you're thinking of trying this out (and you should), remember these three magic words: 1. Arx Libertatis, 2. casting is OP, 3. look up a walkthrough.
• gamedeal user

  Mar 14, 2022

  Do you like Ultima Underworld? Then you must play Arx Fatalis! A true gem of dungeon crawlers. Also don't forget to enable community update for more enjoyable gameplay and HI-res texture pack. [b]Did you know, you can unlock main gate to the surface in Arx...path to freedom is waiting for you :D [/b] [table] [tr] [th][h1]UNOFFICIAL PATCH: ARX LIBERTATIS[/h1][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Community patch named ARX LIBERTATIS, that modernises game to play on higher (widescren) resolution, enables UI scaling, fixes bugs and much, much more. Check it out on [url=https://arx-libertatis.org]Arx Libertatis webpage[/url][/td] [/tr] [/table] [table] [tr] [th][h1]BETTER GRAPHICS: ARX NEURALIS [/h1][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] 4.5 GB texture pack named ARX NEURALIS, that it's true to the origin by upscaling game textures to higher resolution. So you can play Arx Fatalis with the same textures as in original game, but with more sharper and detailed textures. Check it out on [url=https://www.moddb.com/mods/arx-neuralis]Arx Neuralis ModDB webpage[/url][/td] [/tr] [/table]
• gamedeal user

  Sep 5, 2022

  why can't they make video games like this anymore it can't be that hard surely
• General Mosquito Spray

  Sep 25, 2022

  The game is good but I got locked from finishing it because a required quest item got deleted/lost, I would have to use cheats to finish the game which I just don't want to do. If you play this game, keep every single "Akbaa's Rock" you find in your inventory
• The High Ground

  Oct 25, 2022

  I have many more hours in this game in a couple of profiles. This game is incredibly detailed and full of goodness but you HAVE to download the ARX LIBERTATIS mod. It's easy to get running, and removes the jankiness, fixes a few bugs, and makes the experience 100x better in general. I find it difficult to install mods to ESIII/IV games and this was possible and even easy to do for me. This game is totally worth your time, and I would say deserves a remake, or even a reproduction (like it's done in another city).
• gamedeal user

  Dec 14, 2022

  An incredible gem of its time. I can forgive why players coming to this game in modern times would find it janky and cumbersome, and why new players would drop playing Arx quickly. The nostalgia needs to be strong for you to persevere through Arxs' initial stage of breaking out of the goblin jail, learning the game mechanics while collecting bits of rope, fish and loose rocks. However, the cursor driven inventory and unique spell casting mechanics make Arx almost like a loveable piece of art. The Arx Libertatis mod also brings Arx into the modern age a little too. I find it oddly comforting that people have worked on and improved a 20 year old game like this. Replaying this now, I fondly followed my usual playstyle of stealthy stabby magical man - but, there are not many playstyles you won't use during any playthrough. Arx lets the player play in all styles at different times. If you're not a fighter, you will inevitably have to fight, be it a rat or a goblin. Not a spell caster? You'll need to levitate at least once using a found spell-scroll. Need to pick a lock? Yeah you might have to do that as well... even if you're a hulking armour clad tank. This is not a bad thing - as the game opens up and the story unfolds you realise you're meant to be an absolute unit that can pretty much do most stuff normal people can't. The story and quests in Arxs' overarching tale is pretty weak, and not particularly well tracked. Many of the quests do not make full sense or have great continuity-of-events that lead the player from one area to the next. You will find at times you're going around in circles.... but be patient with it. A real positive is that Arx is fairly open, and you are free to explore beyond what I suppose the player is 'meant to do' at any given time... this means you may end up in really tight places, low on resources, inventory space and health - you may be outmatched, outnumbered and need to use your wits to get out of the pinch. You may have to make mental notes about places you need to return back to. You might end up stashing a load of gear and food somewhere, not really knowing if you'll be back to collect it later. This is a magical part of Arx Fatalis, and an experience that should be treasured, as its not captured by a lot of games these days. Unfortunately though, the side quests are not very well documented / journaled in-game either which can make them hard to follow, but still they can be rewarding to complete. There are subtle quests throughout Arx that never appear in the journal that are still a mystery to me to this day, such as the crypt ladys murder, and there are even more 'secrets' within Arx that I've never, and I've accepted, will never get to the bottom of (without spoiling it all with a guide, I guess) What really makes Arx brilliantly shine, is the world building. It's absolutely dripping with atmosphere. The unplanned, uneven winding tunnels, descending deeper and deeper into this dark underground world, not knowing what was to come in the next level down, not knowing how many levels down this world goes. By far, the most excellent part of the Arx Fatalis story is the crypt section. I'd play an entire game made like this... the traps, the undead keepers, the secrets - it is the jewel in the Arx Fatalis game crown. A triumph of level and sound design, and probably the main part of the game that sticks in my mind. Combat wise, things are very simple - and in melee its a case of hit stuff until it stops moving, unless they're undead - in which case make sure to drive a steak through 'em. You can poison your weapons or arrows, or you can cast spells. Arxs' famous spell casting system is another highlight of the game where the player 'draws' runes on screen using the mouse. This is fun and for me never gets old. It means you must prepare for any fights, and thankfully you can prepare x3 spells at any time. I enjoy this level of prep and thought into what I'm intending to do. Spells themselves are not just for the mage builds either. As well as the lightning arc, fireballs, and incineration spells there are 'practical' spells, like disarm trap, detect secrets, night vision, speed etc meaning my stealthy stabby magical man build has a few tricks up their sleeve. As well as being sneaky, if you see me I'll vanish with a stored invisibility spell, then speed away into the darkness. If I can't reach something, abra-cadabra, telekinisis that shit over here. It's fun to solve problems using different methods. There are some crafting mechanics, and also potion making. It's possible to craft weapons too in certain areas. You can cook food, bake bread, make an apple pie, make an apple pie then drench it in wine - it's great to experiment with this at first but the number of recipes are limited and it's a shame there isn't more to it. By the near end of the game, whatever path you've chosen you'll find that you've become so powerful you can destroy practically anything and I'm pretty sure Arx is one of those games where, if inclined, you can destroy everyone. Women, children, dogs, kings, ratmen, trolls. Yet another beautiful aspect of Arx Fatalis. In all, to anyone interested who never played this back in 2002, I'd say play it, but be patient. Use the Arx Libertatis mod but do not use a guide. Make notes (real ones, on paper) because the game doesn't do it for you, and have fun with it. For anyone returning to Arx and played the original, definitely use the mod to modernise and improve the game and it'll be as good as you remember.
• kazakhmain1

  Dec 17, 2022

  UltimaUnderworld-inspired RPG with unique spell mechanics and with legs! First legs in first-person (if we don't consider broken first-person camera in third-person-game OperationFlashpoint)! And the first "real-time" forge in first-person. Gameplay: combat mechanics 7/10 stealth (with powers) 6/10 atmosphere 7/10 Gameplay as RPG & im.sim: 9/10 Story 7/10 Graphics 8/10 Sounds & music 7/10 . R. Colantonio's Underworld 3, if you like it.
• gamedeal user

  Jan 1, 2023

  Arx Fatalis is the first game by Arkane Studios, a fantasy RPG that was planned as the third Ultima Underworld game, but later became a stand-alone title. You play as an amnesiac prisoner named Am Shaegar, that is apparently someone chosen by the gods to guard the realm against a great evil, the god Akbaa. In this world, the humans and other races have retreated underground to a disused Dwarven mine due to the sun dying. The whole game takes place in this mine, with different, well-designed levels such as a Dwarven forge, human city, snake-women temple, etc. Gameplay-wise, I think AF is comparable to Elder Scrolls' 3rd game Morrowind, like both are set in a fantasy setting, similar graphics style, inventory using the cursor's drag-and-drop, etc. Combat is luckily better, relying on position rather than skill. The game is what I would call "interior open-world" like their later title Prey, due to every level taking place indoors, but you can access shortcuts, and no fast-travel, except a lore-friendly one in the form of teleporter. You also develop your character using skill points, but these seem to be very limited as the max level is 10. The gameplay, sadly, is considered clunky by today's standards. Movement, especially in combat seems stiff, your character also walks slow but a console command can remedy that. Another is the spell system, to cast magic you need to draw runes with your cursor. It's a cool mechanic, but it would be better if we only need to cast it once only, like for the first time, rather than every time you want to use a spell. Quests and sidequests are kinda messily listed in the journal, and no quest markers or anything. A guide makes this game a lot easier and fun, but I can't imagine playing without one. To play this game, it is essential to have the Arx Libertatis mod. It makes the game compatible on newer systems, while adding more customization options for the Options menu. And maybe it's just me, but I feel the runes for magic are easier to draw once I installed this mod. Without the mod, the game also crashes frequently, which can be bad since this game has no autosaves, only manual and quicksaves. You can find a guide for that here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=145029789 Overall, I think Arx Fatalis is a pretty great fantasy RPG. Although its dated and might discourage some people from trying it, I urge you to adapt and press on. It's honestly really fun once you get used to it, and a proof that Arkane's games are of good quality, even for their first title. I kinda wished it was longer though, and if only there were more unique items like the usual RPG.
• maverick

  Jan 7, 2023

  Draw shapes with a crayon to cast spells. Look at the "Arx Libertatis" project for fixes and to run better on modern systems
• gamedeal user

  Jan 29, 2023

  I remember fondly the time i spent in this game back 2008 when i played it for the first time. I remember having a hard time with the magic system since i didn't understand it. While i didn't have the patience to pull through the dated game mechanics i do appreciate the magic system. It was revolutionary for that time. The only game that comes close to implementing a good and interesting magic system is Battlemage but that game had other problems. If you have the patience of a saint to get past the dated game mechanics this game is pretty fun.