I don't understand why this game isn't popular?

[X-542]

Despite all the unique and innovative mechanics this game brought to the table it still wasn't regarded highly and still isn't today. Features like:

*It's unique cooking mechanics
*It's smithing mechanics
*it's spell casting system (clunky as it might be)
*it's puzzles and mysteries
*it's interesting inventory and UI design
*it's unique skills (unrefined and unbalanced though)
*it's interactive environment - simple things being able to break down doors and certain walls or place objects to solve puzzles like the rope to fix the lift. The ability to ignite fire sources or douse them.
*Actually being able to see your body
*Dismemberment
*Basic physics
*Proper blood effects - unlike Morrowind
*AI where certain npcs actually flee and go to call back-up when injured
*Quest design - Like having to figure out the goblin king is allergic to wine and then having to place it in the dough mixture to get him out of his throne room.
*Voice acting
*Basic but fun melee combat - Timing and position were important factors. Hits felt like they had impact. Morrowind's combat was frustrating in comparison. Only thing it added was the random chance to block with a shield.

I don't really know of any other games that combine all these features with the atmosphere and sound design Arx has. I remember thinking back in the day that a game like this would set the standard, but we're 15 years down the line and I couldn't be more wrong. Something that seems to doom this game for many is it's poor class implementation where playing anything aside from a mage is pretty damn difficult. Bugs before Arx Libertatis were also a massive headache, especially game breaking ones.

I guess I'm just upset that I won't see something like this game again. Since Bethesda moved it's forums, they didn't even bother to create a new one for Arx again which basically tells you what Bethesda thinks of it and what the odds are of seeing a sequel.

[I r i d i s]

Same feelings here....buddy... imo gaming Era ended in 2010..... Since video games are 90% indie trash nowadays it's just awfull.... i wish i could turn back time and stuck in it forever just for this case.

[X-542]

Originally posted by TotalBarracuda:

Same feelings here....buddy... imo gaming Era ended in 2010..... Since video games are 90% indie trash nowadays it's just awfull.... i wish i could turn back time and stuck in it forever just for this case.

My sentiments exactly. All my favorite games were actually published between 1998 and 2010. The only games that excite me these days are sequels to those games that build and improve upon them without destroying what made them great. Like the upcoming Mount and Blade 2.

The greatest innovation we've had post 2010 is the emergence of voxel-based games pioneered by minecraft. Most of it runs like crap unfortunately(I'm looking at you 7DTD and Space Engineers) and in my opinion adds little value at this stage. We haven't had games like Doom 3 or Half Life 2 to even push graphics forward the way they did. This video made my jaw drop when I first saw it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ddJ1OKV63Q

Coincidentally my dislike for modern games started with the flooding emergence of "open-world" titles that give you vast areas to explore at the cost of everything else. I'd take pretty sky-boxes any day.

There might be hidden gems like Arx somewhere, but like you said it's buried under tons of seemingly identical indie crap. I'm in my mid 20s and I feel like a nostalgic old geezer reminiscing about the good 'ol days.

[I r i d i s]

Originally posted by X-542:

Originally posted by TotalBarracuda:

Same feelings here....buddy... imo gaming Era ended in 2010..... Since video games are 90% indie trash nowadays it's just awfull.... i wish i could turn back time and stuck in it forever just for this case.

My sentiments exactly. All my favorite games were actually published between 1998 and 2010. The only games that excite me these days are sequels to those games that build and improve upon them without destroying what made them great. Like the upcoming Mount and Blade 2.

The greatest innovation we've had post 2010 is the emergence of voxel-based games pioneered by minecraft. Most of it runs like crap unfortunately(I'm looking at you 7DTD and Space Engineers) and in my opinion adds little value at this stage. We haven't had games like Doom 3 or Half Life 2 to even push graphics forward the way they did. This video made my jaw drop when I first saw it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ddJ1OKV63Q

Coincidentally my dislike for modern games started with the flooding emergence of "open-world" titles that give you vast areas to explore at the cost of everything else. I'd take pretty sky-boxes any day.

There might be hidden gems like Arx somewhere, but like you said it's buried under tons of seemingly identical indie crap. I'm in my mid 20s and I feel like a nostalgic old geezer reminiscing about the good 'ol days.

3 Deadly Sins = Open World / Survival / Indie nuff Said.
But Srsly. There is a gem on A survival Game you Could try out. It's still in Early Access but more Polished and has mor depth then any i know Today. Frozen State is the game called. It's Top down but with Fully Explorable Map. Weather treats. Crafting and more. Haven't played it for a long time. But it's Awesum.

If you Rather play RPG's. There is always the Might and magic I-X wich is Brilliant. (not talking about the black sheep M&M IX)
:D

[Lord Tony]

Don't forget you can kill children unlike Fallout 3 and 4.

You can even use one of the daggars on the child to complete the sacrifice before the cultists do.

[X-542]

Originally posted by CupCupBaconBox:

The possessive form of it does not have an apostrophe (e.g., "its", not "it's").

I just don't care. I'm not a native English speaker. You should go and see a therapist because your debilitating obsession with grammar is clearly disrupting your life.

[NemesisLeon44]

The same reasons as always. Underappreciated games ALWAYS share the same properties. They are complicated, cover VERY different ideas from what people are use to and expect (at the time the game is originally released), and lack of effective advertising campaign. People always seem to underestimate the power of advertising campaigns.

If you want a game to sell well and be well-known and popular, you need to advertise to get the word out, make it easy to get into for as many people as possible, and focus on ideas that are already popular.

Since I didn't explicitly say it : Yes, Arx Fatalis deserves more attention than it gets. Fortunately, the people who made it went on to make Dishonored which actually DOES get the attention it deserves and shows a lot of similarities to that company's previous work (arx fatalis and dark messiah of might an magic)

[Star]

How is it 'not highly regarded'? It got universally positive reviews when it came out. It has a very high rating on Steam. It sold well enough to keep Arkane alive for 4 years while they worked on Dark Messiah.

[Nova225]

Originally posted by Stargirl:

How is it 'not highly regarded'? It got universally positive reviews when it came out. It has a very high rating on Steam. It sold well enough to keep Arkane alive for 4 years while they worked on Dark Messiah.

It was released around a year-ish after the 6th gen consoles released (2 for the PS2). At the point a lot of heavy hitter 1st party games were coming out, namely Halo, Metroid Prime, and Kingdom Hearts to name a few really popular ones.

Also, TES 3: Morrowind came out about 5 months prior. Arx Fatalis is a great game, but we all know how much of a heavy hitter Morrowind was.

[Dionysus 🐭]

Because it crashes on startup.

[Star]

Originally posted by Nova225:

Originally posted by Stargirl:

How is it 'not highly regarded'? It got universally positive reviews when it came out. It has a very high rating on Steam. It sold well enough to keep Arkane alive for 4 years while they worked on Dark Messiah.

It was released around a year-ish after the 6th gen consoles released (2 for the PS2). At the point a lot of heavy hitter 1st party games were coming out, namely Halo, Metroid Prime, and Kingdom Hearts to name a few really popular ones.

Also, TES 3: Morrowind came out about 5 months prior. Arx Fatalis is a great game, but we all know how much of a heavy hitter Morrowind was.

Sales don't really have anything to do with it though. I agree the direct competition with Morrowind was probably why it's lesser known these days but it was certainly never thought of as a bad game.

[k'nt]

Originally posted by TotalBarracuda:

Same feelings here....buddy... imo gaming Era ended in 2010..... Since video games are 90% indie trash nowadays it's just awfull.... i wish i could turn back time and stuck in it forever just for this case.

You must be blind

[Exquisite ExeCUTEtioner]

♥♥♥♥ man, I remember playing this game on Xbox original, but now I just wanted to see this game in VR with the magic casting and everything else, if only...

[Knatternick]

Originally posted by X-542:

Originally posted by CupCupBaconBox:

The possessive form of it does not have an apostrophe (e.g., "its", not "it's").

I just don't care. I'm not a native English speaker. You should go and see a therapist because your debilitating obsession with grammar is clearly disrupting your life.

Genau so!

[Knatternick]

Originally posted by X-542:

Despite all the unique and innovative mechanics this game brought to the table it still wasn't regarded highly and still isn't today. Features like:

*It's unique cooking mechanics
*It's smithing mechanics
*it's spell casting system (clunky as it might be)
*it's puzzles and mysteries
*it's interesting inventory and UI design
*it's unique skills (unrefined and unbalanced though)
*it's interactive environment - simple things being able to break down doors and certain walls or place objects to solve puzzles like the rope to fix the lift. The ability to ignite fire sources or douse them.
*Actually being able to see your body
*Dismemberment
*Basic physics
*Proper blood effects - unlike Morrowind
*AI where certain npcs actually flee and go to call back-up when injured
*Quest design - Like having to figure out the goblin king is allergic to wine and then having to place it in the dough mixture to get him out of his throne room.
*Voice acting
*Basic but fun melee combat - Timing and position were important factors. Hits felt like they had impact. Morrowind's combat was frustrating in comparison. Only thing it added was the random chance to block with a shield.

I don't really know of any other games that combine all these features with the atmosphere and sound design Arx has. I remember thinking back in the day that a game like this would set the standard, but we're 15 years down the line and I couldn't be more wrong. Something that seems to doom this game for many is it's poor class implementation where playing anything aside from a mage is pretty damn difficult. Bugs before Arx Libertatis were also a massive headache, especially game breaking ones.

I guess I'm just upset that I won't see something like this game again. Since Bethesda moved it's forums, they didn't even bother to create a new one for Arx again which basically tells you what Bethesda thinks of it and what the odds are of seeing a sequel.

Im alive than the Game was release and in this time..it has old Graphic, Old Gameplay and was not open World ;-) But now...i like it. It has Character. Its like a good old wine. :-)

[Vinnie Mack]

probably not popular because some of us have to work for a living and don't want to spend excessive time getting a game to run, especially if we have a backlog of 400 games.