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Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

The Specs

It's your standard issue fantasy world -- Elves, wizards, swords, yadda, yadda, yadda -- with an Industrial Revolution. Click here for an idea of how that looks. This conceit gives Arcanum's game world a unique balance between magic and technology that affects combat, character development, and storyline. The character development, which might be described as a DIY class system, emphasizes the freedom to spend points however you want. Since this is the newest title from the guys who made the original Fallout, you can also expect freedom to pursue whatever moral choices you make and multiple paths through the storyline.

The Speculation

Tom's Comments: What do Black Isle's Planescape Torment and everything done in the last three years by Origin's Lord British have in common? They ruined RPGs, the former for being so good and the latter for being so bad. So why am I looking forward to Arcanum? Two words: Tim Cain. Cain was the creator of the first Fallout, which arguably rang in the RPG rennaissance we're currently enjoying. Actually, I have another word to explain why I'm looking forward to Arcanum: steampunk. If there's one thing more hackneyed than Blade Runner-esque sci-fi, it's Tolkein-esque fantasy. Arcanum's steampunk milieu sits a million miles away with nary a cliche in sight.

Mark's Comments: Arcanum will be an interesting test of the depth of the RPG market. It looks like it will have everything that hardcore RPG fans want: Good replayability due to the character development system that lets you emphasize magic or technology (but not both), an interesting setting with Victorian steamworks juxtaposed against traditional fantasy elements, and of course the fine RPG pedigree of Tim Cain and Troika Games. But the game also has some elements working against it. It doesn't have that familar Tolkien-esque setting which is arguably a stong selling point — there's a reason why that kind of backdrop is popular. The 2D graphics are pretty, but still look a bit dated. And when I played it at both E3 and Gen Con, the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It was also an exceedingly chatty game, with lots of conversation to read and click through. These are all things that make me wonder if it will appeal to more casual RPG fans, the type who only play one or two RPGs each year.