Arx Fatalis

aka: Arx Fatalis: Return to the Underground
Moby ID: 7189
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

Arx was a once a prosperous place. However, after one night the sun of the world of Exosta never rose again, and the blistering cold forced their inhabitants into the dwarf mines. There, a new city was built, and humans, trolls, goblins, dwarves, and other races lived along peacefully, until the scarce resources proved to be too few for everyone. The animosity started to build up, and conflict between races ensued. The protagonist starts the game dazed out, being dragged into a cell by a goblin. Where is he? Why did he end up there? Who is he? With only that in mind, the adventure starts...

Inspired by the Ultima Underworld series, Arx Fatalis is a first-person role-playing game taking place in a vast underground world. All the locations and interconnected by passages, tunnels, and stairs, with eight levels altogether. Despite their dungeon-like appearance, locations also include populated settlements such as the city of Arx, where the player character can buy and store supplies, as well as other non-hostile areas. The player, however, is free to attack and possibly kill any non-player character encountered. While several main quests must be completed in a specific order to unlock a new area, the player can access and explore certain locations freely at some points in the game. There are no dialogue options, but some missions can be completed in different ways, and there are also a few side quests.

The player generates and builds up the main character by customizing his main attributes (strength, intelligence, dexterity, and constitution) as well as various skills, which include close or ranged combat proficiencies, technical skill for lockpicking and disarming traps, and others. Vanquishing enemies and completing quests yields experience points, which are converted to attribute and skill points when the protagonists levels up and can be allocated manually. Much of the combat in the game can be avoided, and the player may opt to develop a stealthy character, a spellcaster, a ranged attacker, as well as the traditional physical type.

Combat in the game is action-based. The player can press down the attack key to build up force in order to strike more efficiently. It is also possible to execute several types of melee attacks by combining them with directional arrows. One of the unique aspects of the game is the spell-casting system, where the player uses the mouse (or the directional pad in the Xbox version) to draw the runes constituting a particular spell. The most complex spells can be performed by combining runes. Spells can also be readied and cast simply by pressing a corresponding key. Casting spells depletes the protagonist's magic points.

As some places lack light sources, players can take advantage of the darkness to stealthily move in the shadows, or use torches to lighten up a room to search for some object or find their way in a path. The game's world offers interactivity by allowing the player to pick up, drag, and place most objects. Food must be collected and eaten periodically to prevent the protagonist from dying of hunger. The player can combine various items to create new ones, as well as modify their properties. For example, it is possible to cook food, bake bread, use tools such as pickaxes and shovels, and brew potions.

Spellings

  • Arx Fatalis. Последний бастион - Russian spelling
  • アークス・ファタリス - Japanese spelling
  • 地城守护者 - Simplified Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

193 People (150 developers, 43 thanks) · View all

Lead Designer
Game Director
Lead Programmer
Lead Artist
Level Design/Level Programming
3D-Animators
Additional 3D-Animations
3D Artist
Additional Game Design
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Sound Programmer
Etranges Libellules SARL graphic coordinator
3D Artists
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 77% (based on 75 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 92 ratings with 7 reviews)

A badly planned and executed "Underworld" game

The Good
The graphics are nicely done, not extraordinary, but alright. The sound is quite good, only there is too little of it and no music at all. I especially liked some of the cutscenes, which are done with sparsely animated stills. Sometimes animation will only consist of moving across several elements of the still, or of a flickering light effect, but all in all it's very effectively done and creates more atmosphere than many state-of-the-art rendered cut-scenes in other games.

Some of the dungeon crawling is sufficiently moody as well, I recall an interesting, lofty ice cavern and the last level of the maze was quite spooky.

What else...oh yeah. You can bake bread in "Arx Fatalis". What is it that people like about baking bread in games, I wonder? A rush of primal satisfaction à la "My digital character can live off the work of his own, digital hands?" I never understood that sensation. Neither do I understand why quite a lot of people liked this game.

The Bad
First of all, this game goes out there shouting "I'm the 'Ultima Underworld' for a new generation". Since I played both "Ultima Underworld" and "Arx Fatalis" not too long ago, I can clearly say that this new generation is to be pitied. Let's quickly compare gameplay features.

In "Underworld" you have a great sense of exploration due to an enormous amount of non-linearity in its trail of events. Very often there is more than one way to get through a door, an NPC can be killed, lured away, ignored or bargained with in well written multiple-choice dialogue. The element of "life simulation" is very predominant, too, since your character gets exhausted and has to eat and sleep, furthermore, you can always have a look at the time of the day. The story involves the cliché of a kidnapped daughter, but other elements, like for instance the whole "murder of Cabirus"-affair, are original and well executed (these weird dreams!). Moreover, "Underworld" is delved into an extremely rich background (e.g. the whole colony-founding affair) and, ultimately, even carries a message, namely that for all the bickering and war going on between different races, the ultimate evil can only be defeated when all of them lay aside their differences and contribute, symbolized with the respective talismans the Avatar has to get from each race. It may not be much, but hey, for a game of the early 90's it sure is something.

What do you have in "Arx Fatalis"? Level exploration is extremely linear, there are dozens of doors one can only open when they're supposed to be opened and if, by mere chance, one gets into a new place before the story would expect one to be sent there, confusion quickly claims its toll, because linear item A is missing to perform linear task B and there's no other way to get around mentioned B. Dialogue is non-existent, the number of NPCs is little, there are no memorable or even remotely talkative NPCs at all and one simply cannot talk to them - except in generic one liners which the computer conveniently chooses to say for the player (I would have loved to at least have the option of not saying anything and keep my mouth shut). Considering the "life simulation"-element, well, there is no way of measuring time, your character has to eat, but doesn't need sleep. Did they do that to come closer to a roleplayer's life? As for the story of "Arx" - all right, so what if this game is linear, as long as it would come up with a decent story I wouldn't have minded, but truthfully, this is just a perfect example of the most boring "You are the chosen one and have to save earth against evil-evil god" mumbo jumbo. At least they put some fine twists and turns in between, like for instance "find this to get that to wield those against them to destroy said evil-evil god!" As I mentioned, there is no dialogue, so you're not even allowed to protest, neither are you allowed to solve these formidable "quests" in any other (perhaps more intelligent?) way. It's all destiny and prophecy, and this streak of thought is not only still a predominant one in many games, it's also an archaic one, based on the old and wrong assumption that each of us just has to do what we're "chosen" to do and everything will be sugar & spice. Last but not least: as for a background to its abominable tale, "Arx Fatalis" has nothing to little of it. Never does any of the numerous races really go beyond your stereotypical fantasy alphabet: trolls are stupid, goblins are stupid but think they're clever...etc., etc. The initial idea of people having to live underground because of a fading sun might have been a nice one, but "Arx Fatalis" simply fails to fill it with meaning.

However, the trail of mistakes doesn't end there. Worse than the contents of "Arx Fatalis" are its gameplay mechanics and balancing. Some quick facts: there is hardly any light anywhere, torches will last about a minute, and the appropriate spell to see in the dark colours your screen pink (quite psychedelic, that, but obviously destroys any means of "dramatic" lighting). Still worse, the game is haunted by some peculiar sort of "riddles", especially in the crypt levels. These riddles consist mostly of illogical, trial-and-error switching of large numbers of levers, clues as to what one should be doing are either rare or non-existent and - worst of all - these sequences are in no way integrated into the game. They appear to be present merely to stretch the "gaming experience", never is anything explained, leading to questions such as "Why did they put all these levers in a tomb anyway?" popping up, or "If they didn't want anyone to enter that grate, why didn't they just lock it and threw away the key? If they did only want those to enter who knew a certain combination, why can I still solve the riddle and open it, i.e. why is the combination not insolubly complex?" And - the most important question - "Why does the almighty hero-from-another-world player-character not carry a file around to get rid of mentioned grate in a more 'in-yer-face"-way?" You can carry a shovel and a sledgehammer, or wield fiery spells of mass destruction, after all...

Finishing off this rather bleak review, the "Arx Fatalis"-interface is clumsy and reacts outright strangely from time to time. Jumping is imprecise at best, fighting can be quite tricky to manage, which is not helped by the game's absolutely horrible balancing. I know that everybody who played this game has said it already, but here it goes: the battles against these tough-looking, bald-headed Ylsides are laughable. I didn't need a single healing potion for five huge levels of "Arx", I pondered selling them because I thought they might be obsolete after all...and then - I used twenty of 'em during one fight which lasted ten seconds max. Whoever came up with such a weird "twist" really has to re-enter game-school, or rather fun-school - because that simply isn't fun.

The Bottom Line
I know this has been a long review, but I felt that someone had to say something negative about this game because, although it wasn't hyped, it nevertheless acquired some "cool indie stuff"-status. Well, here's the short of it: "Arx Fatalis" is mediocre in presentation, generic and boring in content, boasts a whole lot of horribly executed, "original" gameplay features while not even being able to implement standard stuff such as jumping and fighting well. In the end, it's not a step ahead but a large leap backwards compared to a classic such as "Ultima Underworld" (which also had its faults, but more than enough virtues to redeem itself).

Windows · by worldwideweird (29) · 2011

Remake of Ultima Underworld?

The Good
This game reminds me of one of the games that made me switch from C64 to the trusty PC (386 at the time): Ultima Underworld. It's a heavy RPG that plays out entirely underground and is filled with treasures, problems and difficult quests. It has a complicated real time magic system where you have to draw runes in the air using your mouse pointer! It sounds kinky but it's actually working really well. There's lots of original equipment, boss fights and well written dialogue in there too, plus a great deal of character development. And food. And more!

The Bad
I didn't like the weapon deterioration, the fact that you have to eat continously and since I am bad at drawing things, the magic system got on my nerves. Other than that, this is a high quality game.

The Bottom Line
If you liked the Ultima Underworld-series, then you're almost bound to love this. It's a great homeage to those old classics, yet it contains a lot of original ideas and implementations, enough to make it stand on its own proud feet. A hard core 3D RPG with a real time fighitng system and a real time magic system that isn't the best game to choose if you're claustrophobic.

Windows · by Mattias Kreku (413) · 2003

Arx brevis, vita longa

The Good
Long time ago, Ultima Underworld games revolutionized the RPG industry by showing how well meticulous character management and exploration can be combined with atmospheric immersion into a true 3D world. Strangely, very few games followed their brilliant design philosophy. Confining ourselves to first-person 3D games, we find that King's Field had simplified interaction and focused mostly on the actual challenges of survival; Arena opted for a gigantic expansion of the game world at the expense of detail; System Shock and its followers reduced the RPG elements.

It is therefore surprising that a game like Arx Fatalis was actually released. Made by a little-known (at the time) French developer, the game was conceived as a tribute to Ultima Underworld, a deeply respectful homage to the genius classic. However, thanks to the passion and the talent of its designers, it ended up being more than just a fan remake. Notwithstanding its flaws, the biggest of which is its modesty, it is a worthy follower of the great legacy.

What catches the eye immediately in Arx Fatalis is something I treasure so much in games: attention to detail. On the most plain level, there is stuff everywhere, and much of it can be interacted with. The seemingly innocent, harmless features such as the ability to grill fish or put a chair on a dead goblin's body actually betray a much more lofty purpose and harbor a much deeper meaning: they serve to immerse us into the game's world. The world of Arx Fatalis feels alive. It feels like something we, the players, accidentally discovered - something that has existed before we were allowed to enter it. If you have ever experienced such a sensation with a video game you'll understand what I'm talking about. It may be a curiously misplaced pillow concealing a mysterious unidentified ring or stunning art decorating a church you casually pass by - the point is that everything that constitutes the world here was created with love and dedication. So many games pay little attention to details, and their worlds end up being bleak, hollow, devoid of true colors no matter the amount of polygons and fancy special effects. Arx Fatalis is different - it's one of those games with a soul.

Fooling around with household items and re-arranging furniture is intricately woven into the fabric of the gameplay. Arx Fatalis masterfully captures the spirit of exploration in confined areas. Yes, it is not as generously open as Underworld games - but for what is essentially a dungeon crawler, the game offers plenty to explore, often within something that may not look like much much at the first sight. Balancing linearity and exploration is very tricky business, but Arx Fatalis almost succeeds in making it perfect. Note I said almost - for my taste, the game could have been larger and do away with artificial obstacles altogether. But even so, each area, in itself, is exquisitely designed. There is always something to look for, optional locations to discover, items to collect, unknown paths to explore. Every dungeon is interesting, and none feels hastily designed or too straightforward.

Arx Fatalis has intense atmosphere. That is perhaps its most valuable asset. Underworld games, with all their greatness, could mostly create immersion only through their impeccably executed gameplay systems. The actual early 3D graphics could do little to convey the dark mood penetrating those games. In Arx Fatalis, technology has caught up with gameplay vision. The game is beautiful in that melancholic, cozy way that I particularly like in games. The environments are not only rich in detail - they are pleasant and soothing without detracting from the romantic appeal of darkness.

I could list more features, such as the original magic system that allows players to draw runes on the screen to cast spells; the variety of weapons, armor, and all sorts of items to experiment with; the interesting quasi-post-apocalyptic setting with different races hiding in a vast underground world; the occasional clever puzzles reminding of adventure games. Most important, though, is the quality rarely found in games of that time period: the desire to experiment. Arx Fatalis is not afraid to let players think outside of the box, adapt to different gameplay styles, display flexibility when it is needed most. Granted, the game could have been braver in following its venerable teachers; but it still does a lot, and for that it should be commended.

The Bad
Now comes this inevitable comparison with Ultima Underworld. It is easy to admit that Arx Fatalis often feels like a diminished, simplified version of the old classic. However, we need to put things into perspective. Ultima Underworld games were and always will be unsurpassed as astonishing pioneers and founders of an entire sub-genre. That doesn't mean that imitating them while making a few concessions to contemporary demands is a bad thing. That said, these concessions are, of course, bound to irritate the unsatiated Underworld fan. Arx Fatalis is indeed smaller and more linear. There are less things to do, less people to talk to, and less exploration possibilities. Disappointment sinks in particularly strong when you feel the developers' talent flowing into fragments, being spent on minor features instead of embracing the whole game and imbuing it with a bolder vision.

That is, ultimately (no pun intended), the game's biggest problem: it is too insecure. It resembles an enthusiastic, but exceedingly modest youth bowing in awe to a statue of a hero he reveres, too shy to try and become hero himself. Humility is not a virtue when applied to video game design. Arx Fatalis is too meek to go all the way, dare and eclipse the master. That's why there is too much caution everywhere. Dialogue feels underdeveloped, areas that could have been explored are conveniently blocked off by contrived plot devices, and lack of balance becomes more and more evident in character-building when you realize that the developers were afraid to be generous enough to let the player experiment more without being punished by all sorts of confinements.

The Bottom Line
While not quite being the third coming of Ultima Underworld, Arx Fatalis is still a unique and important game for its age. It could have been bigger and more daring; but even so, it is a testimony of talent and love for the genre, and certainly one of the more atmospheric, oddly engrossing RPGs I've come across.

Windows · by Unicorn Lynx (181780) · 2014

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

European and German version

In the German PC and the European Xbox version all blood effects and the possibility to cut off limbs (along with limbs used as level decoration) were removed.

Awards

  • Computer Gaming World
    • April 2003 (Issue #225) – Sleeper of the Year

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by POMAH.

Xbox added by rstevenson. Windows Apps added by Koterminus.

Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Jeanne, Apogee IV, jaXen, Stratege, Patrick Bregger, Abhisit Chanmana.

Game added September 4, 2002. Last modified March 14, 2024.