Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura for Windows

Pros: Best character creation system in a CRPG, involving gameplay.
Cons: Art's not so hot, some little gameplay quirks.

*Once again, Epinions titling has gone all screwy. This is a review of Troika Games' "Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura" and not "Havas Interactive, Inc. Havas Interactive Arcanum (PC,Mac)"*

For some reason, PC RPGs have...

Pros: Rich character development, variety, interesting world and premise
Cons: Slowdowns, poor interface

Are you tired of the old fantasy stereotypes? Are you sick of seeing elves frollicking in the forests? Maybe you prefer the image of a dwarf trading in his trusty axe for a nice, shiny shotgun. Maybe you should check out Arcanum: Of Steamworks and...

Pros: Great concept, intricate plot, detailed 2D graphics
Cons: Broken AI, repetitive tunes, combat gets boring after a while

The lands of Arcanum, the latest RPG from Sierra, are no different from those in Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale or the upcoming Neverwinter Nights, where humans, elves, dwarves and gnomes gather in huge and powerful but yet criminal-intensive cities.
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Pros: Highly original, great character development.
Cons: Low replay value, unbalanced.

Arcanum has been receiving lots of coverage even before it was released. It offers a whole new way to look at the role-playing world. Instead of a fantasy or science-fiction environment, the player is thrown into a world where technology and magic...

Pros: Interesting and original ideas. detailed character stats. Character "background" options.
Cons: Bugs, Interface. Scrolling method. Tedious, un-original gameplay and more.

It was with some disappointment that I discovered a few weeks ago that the Australian release of Pool of Radiance - Ruins of Myth Drannor had been put back until late October. So disappointed was I, that Arcanum found it's way into my...

Pros: Original. Huge open ended world.
Cons: Out dated graphics. Horrible learning curve.

Online RPG fans have been waiting for something new for a few years now. Getting bored of Diablo, Everquest and Ultima; the RPG world was getting restless.

From the makers of Fallout , the creators introduce us to a huge new world....

Pros: Immersive world, open-ended gameplay, great story
Cons: Mediocre graphics, repetetive combat, a bit buggy

Troika Games' Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is fairly traditional turn-based roleplaying game with enough substance and flavour to carry it to the top of the heap. Though it may have a few shortcomings, this is one game whose whole is ...

Pros: Fun, original, elaborate, well thought out, nice range of characters.
Cons: Weird title? ... ok, leveling needs a lot of pre-thought.

One of the great games that you may have never seen or heard anything about is a jewel that needs to be played. This game is Arcanum. It is a great role playing game that most will like, even those who are not typically RPG buffs. This game is ...

Pros: Engaging background, richly-detailed setting, character generation
Cons: Learning curve, graphics, manual

Regardless of what the Epinions title says, the correct title of this game is Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura by Troika Games.

Updated: 20 June 2002, after more extensive playtesting.

Arcanum: Of...

Pros: stable, compatible, character creation
Cons: in depth game.

In Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura your battle not only lies with those armed with pistols, swords, and magic, but with the closed thoughts of those too narrow-minded to see past the color of your skin or shape of your face.

Troika...

Pros: RPG, where most people like them.
Cons: Interface, where most people hate them.

Yes yes, I'm a little slack nowadays, but here is my full blown review of Arcanum

I’ve come to fondly like RPGs when I was very young, but there were times when games sat on the borderline of absolutely achievement and...

Pros: Very detailed character creation, excellent magic/tech mix in gameplay/environment.
Cons: Some interface/control issues.

I’ve been watching Arcanum since ads started showing up in all the usual places. I was trying to decide if I would really be interested in it or not, as it throws a big twist into the standard fantasy RPG – that twist being technology.

As...

Pros: Deep character system, flexible to various play-styles, unusual background world.
Cons: Horrible combat system, steep learning curve, illogical weapon specs.

As RPG's go, the team that produced Arcanum has a history of attempting to be innovative. In their previous games "Fallout" and "Fallout 2", they did this by introducing a truly different kind of character generation and character ability modeling...

Pros: Awesome Graphics, Great Imagination, Fantastic Storyline, Endless play!
Cons: Slow, sometimes buggy, if you make a wrong choice your stuck.

When I fisrt went to Wal-Mart I wanted a game with mystical wonder, good battles, great graphics and a game that would hold me on edge for hours at a time. What I got is what I wanted when I bought Arcanum:Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura. The book...

Pros: Engrossing atmosphere, beautiful soundtrack, intuitive controls, great story and side-quests, just a great game.
Cons: Difficulty at some points, dated (but beautiful) graphics, on-line play, a few bugs.

Arcanum, by the now-defunct Troika Games (Fallout, Greyhawk: TToEE, Vampire: TmB) is by far my favorite computer role-playing experience of all time. I first played the unfinished demo version of Arcanum obtained from a Computer Gaming World demo disk, ...