The Codex's Official Opinion on Arcanum

[Elzair]

Since everyone and their dog is making an official opinion thread, I may as well do one. So, what is the Codex's official opinion on Arcanum? Is it awesome or banal shit boring?


Personally, I did not like the game. I do not hate it, per se; I just find it so bland and non-compelling that I have never finished it (despite trying several times over the years).

 

[Konjad]

Err, but Codex's opinion is well known about this game, especially because it's in the Holy Trinity...

 

[Elzair]

Err, but Codex's opinion is well known about this game, especially because it's in the Holy Trinity...

Last I heard the Holy Trinity was Fallout, Fallout 2, and Planescape: Torment.

 

[Elzair]

Plus, there are some well-known haters.

 

[Tails]

Last I heard the Holy Trinity was Fallout, Fallout 2, and Planescape: Torment.

Not in the last poll made by Jaesun.

 

[Konjad]

Err, but Codex's opinion is well known about this game, especially because it's in the Holy Trinity...

Last I heard the Holy Trinity was Fallout, Fallout 2, and Planescape: Torment.

U might suffer from hearing loss, my friend. It was Fallout, PST and Arcanum.

 

[Konjad]

Plus, there are some well-known haters.

So? Sure, not 100% of people like this game but most of the codexers (surely more than 80%, maybe more than 90%) do like this game, so I don't see a point in this poll

 

[Jack]

One of the top 3 RPGs in the 21st century so far and if the current trend continue it will stay on the top.

 

[empi]

Overrated

 

[Malakal]

Shitty combat, tedious dungeons, strong writing but weak characters, ridiculous variance in quest quality, gimmicky and inconsistent use of features like the Hall of Records, speak to dead and resurrection spells, obviously rushed from about half-way through until the end.

Overall fascinating as a design template but a failure as a game.

The End.

Here.

I dont hate it, even if I always point out the bads in Arcanum. It was a good game with great ideas. Badly executed though.

 

[Jack]

I dont hate it, even if I always point out the bads in Arcanum. It was a good game with great ideas. Badly executed though.

Like all Troika games.
They have grand visions and manage to reach halfway to their very ambitious goals every time they try.
That's good enough for me.

 

[Malakal]

I dont hate it, even if I always point out the bads in Arcanum. It was a good game with great ideas. Badly executed though.

Like all Troika games.
They have grand visions and manage to reach halfway to their very ambitious goals every time they try.
That's good enough for me.

Considering I did play all their games after years of patching modding and fanpatching I do really feel sorry for those poor sods that bought them when they got released. True patriots

 

[Azrael the cat]

Plus, there are some well-known haters.

So? Sure, not 100% of people like this game but most of the codexers (surely more than 80%, maybe more than 90%) do like this game, so I don't see a point in this poll

The point in this poll is that numerous studies have shown that people give very different answers to hidden-ballot style polls than they do if they have to publically declare their vote.

I note with interest that the 'blind poll' results indicate a lessser level of support (or at least a greater level of opposition) re: Arcanum than you might expect from the public polling (where people have to post their votes under their username).

Taking typical polling behaviour into account, however, it's actually exactly what we should expect. Arcanum has a long-established status at the Codex as a crpg that people 'should' hold up amongst their favourite games (I'm not saying it isn't the greatest of all crpgs, for that matter). Add to that: (a) whilst anonymous, the Codex is small enough that people build up e-personas and develop expectations of other folks' e-personas (e.g. we expect that VD will magically appear ready to fight if people start criticising AoD, that Volourn will defend Bioware etc), and (b) the Codex's 'culture' is to treat gaming as a normative issue, such that it is common to imply/assume that people 'should' play great crpgs and that poor taste in crpgs is a sign of personal or intellectual shortcomings.

And what you'd expect is that a considerable number of people would alter their stated preferences when stating them publically, such that they conform more closely to the Codex hivemind's consensus (or more accurately, what they perceive the consensus as being).

Again, none of that necessarily means that Arcanum isn't a great crpg, or that it isn't the Codex's favourite crpg. But I'm liking the hidden-ballot polling we've got going here.

 

[Archibald]

I like it, but often i think that i like not the game itself but what developers tried to do because lets be honest, it`s rather shitty.

 

[JarlFrank]

Best RPG ever in my opinion.

 

[markec]

One of the best RPG-s ever made.

 

[Eyeball]

Well-deserved member of the Holy Trinity. Only discussion possible is whether it's better or worse than FO2, as PST is clearly the best videogame in recorded history.

 

[Jaesun]

I've played Arcanum once when it came out and finished it. I can't really put my finger on why I didn't enjoy it as much as other RPG's. I'll continue to replay my Fallout and Fallout 2 instead.

 

[Black Cat]

It had an interesting premise and setting, but the way all those great ideas were implemented on the game was inconsistent and, at best, merely superficial. And that coupled with awful dungeon crawling, awful combat, awful characters, a very rushed feeling, and a pretty noticeable lack of attention to detail in the way the quests interact with the character. And the bugs, too.

I don't hate it, i just believe it to be way overated. I actually tried hard to love it, but there isn't much game on it at all and in the end you can only shrug, keep a moment of silence for the great game it could have been, and then go back to play games that aren't actively trying to stop you having fun.

 

[Mortmal]

I've played Arcanum once when it came out and finished it. I can't really put my finger on why I didn't enjoy it as much as other RPG's. I'll continue to replay my Fallout and Fallout 2 instead.

Maybe the overall sadness that comes out of it, the music is so sad very fitting the setting , industry taking over a dying magic world.

 

[Volourn]

Good game.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Arcanum is the original 'good for what it is'.

 

[jagged-jimmy]

Very poor combat mechanics and lenghty combat popamole encounters drag the experience down.

 

[pero]

Yes, but I prefer the Fallouts for the same sort of experience.

 

[nFn]

One of the best cRPGs evar

 

[made]

We've already established and proven time and time again beyond the shadow of a doubt that Arcanum is the best RPG of all time, and that everyone who disagrees is a simpleton lacking the refined tastes and erudition necessary to appreciate its sophisticated greatness.

I don't expect any new revelations from this thread.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Arcanum fanboi.

 

[Arem]

By far the worst Troika game.