A zeppelin is cruising over mountains. Out of nowhere, two planes appear. Who could have guessed the journey will end in such a horrible manner? Death, fire and destruction fill the sky. The zeppelin crashes, smashing everything on the ground, and even the attackers - two orcs - die in flames... Are you the only survivor? But wait, here is a gnome lying on the ground, dying, deperately trying to tell you something. "The boy... find the boy!" He gives you a ring. The mystery is now in your hands. Who was the mysterious gnome? Who is the owner of the ring? In this moment, seeing the flames violently destroy everything around, you can't even suspect you'll soon be the one who will change the destiny of the entire Arcanum...

This role-playing game is set in a unique world, where magic and technology co-exist, where dwarves carry guns, and where you take a train through a landscape full of ferocious monsters. Arcanum belongs to the end of 19th century - sciences prosper, and new industries develop quickly. But the old world of elves and dwarves won't give up, revealing the eternal conflict between nature and technology.

The gameplay of "Arcanum" is closely related to that of Fallout. You can freely roam in the huge world, exploring it in a totally non-linear fashion, or simply following the main story. Like in Fallout, there are many skills you can upgrade, and unlimited possibilities for character customization. Depending on your charisma, you can recruit many characters to join you on your quest, and choose your own way and style of interacting with the world and its inhabitants.

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Alternate Titles

"奥秘：技术与魔法" -- Chinese Title (Simplified)
"Arcanum: von Dampfmaschinen und Magie" -- German Title
"Arcanum: Przypowieść o Maszynach & Magyi" -- Polish Title
"Arcanum: Hechizos y Engranajes" -- Spanish Title
"Arcanum: Feitiços e Engrenagens" -- Brazilian Title
"Arcanum : Engrenages & Sortilèges" -- French Title
"Aomi: Jishu yu Mofa" -- Chinese Title

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Part of the Following Groups

Merchant	Title
	Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura
	Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura
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User Reviews

A little rant about Arcanum.	Rabbi Guru (1236)
Gnomes with guns and bits with bugs	Anym (204)
It's Kinda Like A Turn Of The Century Shadowrun	MasterMegid (801)
An Enriching Yet Ultimately Flawed Experience	prymusferal (25)
That's the way to show those bast... uhh... I mean... good hit sir!	Unicorn B. Lynx (53164)
An engrossing and impressive rpg that ultimately lives up to it's potential.	Zovni (9114)
Voi ch'entrate lasciate ogni speranza (Dante, but not the one met in Ashbury)	Jacques Guy (55)
Troika is dead, Long Live Troika	aiolos (6)
A fine, fun RPG in an original (at least in games) world.	weregamer (157)
Seems to be mything something.	Terrence Bosky (5239)

[3 more reviews | review game]

The Press Says

Gamezilla	Aug 24, 2001	91 out of 100	91
Game industry News (GiN)	2001		90
ActionTrip	Aug 28, 2001	89 out of 100	89
Jeuxvideo.com	Oct 12, 2001	17 out of 20	85
Peliplaneetta.net	Sep 12, 2001	81 out of 100	81
Game Over Online	Sep 10, 2001	80 out of 100	80
ESC Magazine	Sep 28, 2001	7 out of 10	70
Game Informer Magazine	Oct, 2001	7 out of 10	70
Game Revolution	Sep 01, 2001	B-	67
Yiya	Jun, 2002	C+	58