Below are user reviews of Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura and on the right are links to professionally written reviews.
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User Reviews (11 - 21 of 130)
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Sleeper masterpiece, but missing a few touches
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 13 / 14
Date: August 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User
Arcanum is a good example of a sleeper hit on the PC RPG genre. Although many have forgotten, or have not even heard of it, it DID win 2001 RPG Year of the Award and other accolades from various sources. And at $9.99 (without shipping/handling), it's quite the bargain as well.
Arcanum's strong points lie in its original concepts, well crafted storyline and well scripted events. Betrayal abounds, and it's hard to know who to trust.
Arcanum was the first major game to offer two different sides in the form of technology and magic. Wield a nice automatic gun, or maybe a tranquilizer rifle. Or become a stuffy mage, carry a flaming sword, and send bolts of lightning out of your fingertips. Teleport yourself to distant lands, or ride the train.
The game is also very imaginative in terms of character interaction. If your mage becomes too powerful, the railroad conductor may eventually not even let you on the train, for fear that the warping of reality around you will damage the machine. The world is quite realistic- there are tailors, ordinary folk who just live in houses, blacksmiths, guards, etc. Some things will only happen at night. And unlike many other senseless RPGs, if you break into someone's house in plain view, it IS a crime. You want something valuable in that house? Sneak in through the shadows!
Arcanum is just an amazing game. The number of characters you can develop is startling, and the dialogue options available for each character are equally so. They range from the normal, to the cautious, to the sarcastic, to the outright absurd (i.e. "You're too nice. You have to die now.")
The spellcraft in Arcanum has been impleneted very originally. Casting a spell causes fatigue instead of mana, and spells actually will cost a certain amount of fatigue to upkeep, which allows for many interesting balances between technology and magic. Gun runners will never be afraid of suddenly getting too tired, and just running out of spells. On the other hand, they will be quite afraid of running out of bullets.
Of course, a game as ambitious as Arcanum also comes with several weaknesses as a result. Like any other pioneer in its field, Arcanum has a few pitfalls that kept it off the wish lists of some players. Arcanum has a steep learning curve unless you played a similarly styled interface (e.g. Diablo II).
Second, technological characters will find their time more difficult than the spellcasters because in the early game, they have to search everywhere- even garbage bins- for enough components to build decent weaponry. This perpetual scavenge hunt can quickly tire some less advanced players.
Third, some spells are simply too good. Disintegrate for instance, simply destroys the enemy monster. There is no equivalent for this on the tech side, and even if there was, it'd still be quite "broken" and unfair. There is no challenge in simply walking up to a boss monster and simply playing one spell that knocks it away into oblivion.
Another major complaint is that combat in Arcanum is too biased towards melee. Oftentimes the person who survives is neither the mage nor the techie, but the ogre who's got some good armor and a really, really big sword. Ranged weapons, as a general rule, are quite weak. The ones that aren't (i.e. explosive grenades are sort of good) are usually rare, even the components for them.
Last but not least, the controls in Arcanum are a bit clunky and the way the world map works is counter-intuitive. The game slows down periodically for little reason, even on fast systems, which suggests that the programmers may not have written entirely efficient code. Anyway, look at the advantages and disadvantages, and invent your own rating.
P.S. Arcanum does not support Windows XP officially. You have been warned. It may or may not work, depending on your specific PC. Also, some computers with older CPU's will have problems with their 3d acceleration. Try safe mode. Worked for me.
Excellent RPG - complex enough to keep one entertained
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 11 / 11
Date: August 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User
I purchased Arcanum without having any information other than what was on the box; but it sounded like something right up my alley; I really love RPG's, and this looked like a good one.
Getting started with Arcanum was almost intolerable to me, but once I got past the initial troubles trying to read the manual, it became really entertaining. The atrocious manual, though, lacks an index, or even a table of contents!!! It's also written in what's supposed to be a "clever" style of olde tyme, but which is actually just infuriating and annoying. I had a devil of a time finding actual helpful information, and generally just had to figure things out on my own. Once I got the basics down, though, I enjoyed the game tremendously.
Characters are *completely* customizable - every skill, every nuance is able to be changed, and the NPC's in the game react differently to characters having different abilities and appearances. It's a bit difficult getting started this way, because of course you want to become good at something without totally neglecting the other items, so it's an exercise in patience and strategy. Ability points are doled out only one at a time at first, and then at certain intervals, two at a time. Still, it's frustrating to choose which spell or ability to level up, as each affects something else.
I chose a magical path, rather than a technological one, and stuck to it almost exclusively. Hence, I can't comment on the technological aspects of the game. The magic and spellcasting interfaces were quick, intuitive and easy to use, something I really appreciate in this sort of game. Likewise, the combat system is excellent; if you prefer real-time combat, that mode is available. However, if you can't keep up with the computer, then you can easily switch to a turn-based combat system (which is what I preferred, for simplicity's sake.)
Inventories are easily managed, especially given the "clean-up" button that immediately organizes everything into the most compact space, and trading with NPC's is basically a snap. The graphics are very good and diverse in texture and color, and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of technological and magical charaters and cultures. There is a tremendous variety of weapons, armors and sundry other items available for use, and it definitely pays off to get into every single locked chest you come across.
The story line is sufficiently complex, involving twists, turns, mysteries and surprises, and the number of available quests is outstanding. It's a very non-linear game, letting you explore many areas of the world more than once, and oftentimes finding different items in places you've already been. You may be joined by any number of other characters, who add different skills, extra fighting power, and more inventory capacity to the party. Some people will refuse to join you if your reputation is too good or too evil - each act you perform contributes to your overall disposition, and also to how members of your party view you. If you anger your party members, they may choose to leave you.
The land of Arcanum is huge, and I greatly enjoyed the ability to Teleport around in it, thereby saving valuable time and energy. However, the folks at Sierra came up with an innovative long-distance traveling method that's great, too; on the World Map, one is allowed to select waypoints and paths to different "main" areas and dungeons, and shows your progress with a red cross following a path, much like the movies of yore. Not requiring dull, boring first-person travel across the entire land is very refreshing. There are many, many hours of entertaining game play to be had here.
The load times for the game are a bit long, and there were a few bugs in the system, especially in the maps - occasionally, labels for buildings would get mixed up between towns, resulting in buildings with half their name from one town, and half from another town. Further, there were bugs that disallowed completion of certain quests, which is always infuriating. However, there were no bugs that I would call Absolutely Fatal to the game. There were certain quests that were so picky as to what had to happen, that I had to look up a walkthrough site to find the answers. Even then, however, I wasn't able to complete them all, due to bugs or having clicked on the wrong item or something. Further, there were times when I stumbled upon an area or a person in the land that I wasn't "supposed" to bump into until much later - this sometimes caused problems with quests related to that area or person.
One thing that really honked me off was suddenly being unable to level up any further - I was unaware that once a character attained level 50, that was it. I was increasing my Persuasion skills to finish another quest, and suddenly - POOF! No more level, buh-bye. I had used my level points from 7 levels, and still needed about 3 more to attain the right level to finish the quest, but all of that was wasted - not only did I not get to the Persuasion level I needed, but I had blown those valuable skill points on something I didn't need anymore. ARGH! Still, with the skills I had otherwise acquired, finishing the game wasn't difficult.
The graphics were good, but a bit behind the times, especially given the long load times. This is definitely a game that can be played again and again, because how the story develops will depend entirely upon what sort of character you play, how you react to differing NPC's, and which quests you complete. Even the ending cutscene is customized to tell you what happened because of your actions.
Overall, I give it a thumbs-up, but perhaps I'm just easily-amused. I like the genre, and a game that gives me hours and hours of enjoyable play is just dandy by me. I truly hope they come out with a sequel that will update the graphics, improve upon the manual, and be a tiny bit less clunky overall.
Incredible RPG
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 11 / 11
Date: November 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User
Looking at the reviews for this game, I was amazed at some of the negative reviews it received. Don't let them fool you, THIS GAME IS AWESOME.
The graphics aren't shocking, but they're good for the way the game is played. The buildings and backrounds are very well designed, and the movies (especially the first few opening ones) are very nice. I like the sound, too. It has a certain 1800s feel to it, and adds to the flavor of the game.
The world itself is just amazing. The editorial reviews will confuse you: this is no "Steampunk" or whatever sort of timeframe. It is set in the middle of an industrial revolution. But the world itself is a magical one, with dwarves, elves, orcs, and the like. Therefore it creates a clash between magic and technology. An overwhelming presence of magic will screw up technology, and vice versa. In fact, a wizard in the game's first town actually asks you to destroy a steam engine that the mayor put in because it is suppressing his magic. Throughout the game, you see examples of the enmity between technologists and wizards. Some kingdoms shun technology, and some are less approving of magic.
Character creation and advancement is full of endless possiblities. A sophisticated point system allows you to fully customize your character in a classless nature. You can make a technologist or a wizard, a gunslinger or an archer, a gentleman or a thief, etc. etc. You can even ride the line, choosing neither technology or magic and just create a stealthy thief (who inherently leans slighly toward technology, due to the nature of the pick locks and disarm trap skills) or a tank-like fighter, or a savvy member of the social elite, and more. The point system even allows you to combine all of these elements, as you choose any skill you want as you gain more character points for increasing level. For other customizations, it also allows you to choose a background for your character. Histories such as Miracle Operation, Bandit, and more.
All in all, a great game with few bugs.
Fantastic RPG!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 11 / 11
Date: April 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User
I was introduced to Arcanum by a friend of mine, who often spoke praise for it. I installed it, opened it, and watched the CG of the the blimp crash (loved the fanciful "heavier-than-air" machines). From the moment I met Virgil well on to going to Tarant, I found I couldn't stop playing.
Why was this game so addictive? Perhaps just the replayability Arcanum has! I'm guessing there are ten different side-quests in small towns, thirty in the major cities, and each one has different outcomes depending on how you handle it. Dialogue is very flexible, and fits the personality of every one. For example, let's say you meet a flower girl in a town who offers a flower. You can respond with:
- "Yes, thank you. [pay her]"
- "No."
- "That flower would look better in your skull."
And no that last part wasn't put in for good humor - you actually HAVE responses like that! They're not always as severe, but if you like being a crabby old man, this is your game. Another friend of mine (one who would join the Dark Side gladly) went through the game constantly using those responses. Yes even the ones for Virgil.
Character development is also a MAJOR aspect of this game, and another reason it is so replayable. Besides the fact you can choose to be a magic user, a tech user, or a bit of both Column A and B, you can also get blessed, curse, get good (or bad) reputation with towns, and also choose your "background" at the beginning of the game, which will determine your skill or disposition. I should warn you if you choose to go magic, technology users will begin to shy away from you, as it is believed high levels of "magick" will cause mechanisms to burst. One character of mine became such a heavy user of magic that they wouldn't even let me ride the train any more! So I killed them...
You also get a good number of people who can join your party. You can choose to boot them or let them stay (even Virgil), and quite often that is determined on your character's Good or Evil rating. I played a character with a high Good level and was told by one person she couldn't join me because I was so "morally inclined."
So with out a doubt, this is probably the most fun RPG I've played yet. It really does make me feel like I'm inside a fantasy world, and I'm pretty sure they spent a good amount of time on this. If you want to find an RPG with a different world than what you're used too, or you're ticked off they aren't releasing "Fable" for the PC, then I suggest you give this game a try.
Excellent, but buggy
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 10 / 10
Date: June 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User
I knew i had to buy this when I first began reading about it back in 2000. The setting just sounded so great. A fantasy world, but one having an industrial revolution. In other words, your typical fantasy world, turned upside down.
The game doesn't disappoint.
First off, the character creation system is very cool. Completely classless, which while initially rather daunting, is very deep and fun to use. Basically, your stats determine your ability to train in skills. When you level up, you receive 1 point, and every five levels, you receive 2. These can be spent on skills, stats, spells or schematics. For example, if you want to become proficient with melee weapons, you must raise your dexterity accordingly, and the spend points in the Melee skill. if you want to hit harder, you raise your Strength stats.
You can play as a Male/Female Human, Male/Female Elf, Male/Female half-Elf, Male/Female half-orc, Male half-Ogre, Male Halfling, Male Dwarf and Male Gnome. I didn't like that you couldn't play as a female for several of the races, but the reasoning is explained for some in the manual and in the game. Still, it was disappointing.
If you fancy magic, you can use, it though the spells are often not as fun as the ones in D&D 3.5. Still, the spells are cool, and have intersting effects. Excpet the elemental cantrips. They make annoying constantly playing noise (especially Strength of Earth). But anyway, magic is a path you can follow; in order to use magic, you must raise your Willpower stat accordingly. High intelligence also benefits a spellcaster, in order to maintain more spells at once. Instead of having your character's magic increase in power when you level up, in Arcanum, your magical apptitude increases when you learn more spells. This makes as much sense as the D&D system, so i like it. There are 16 Colleges of Magic.
If magic isn't for you... you can become a technologist. Based on your intelligence score, you can aquire schematics when you level up; schematics allow you to combine items and create new ones. You can create guns, armor, potions, etc. You can also buy schematics in stores, and learn to build equipment by using things you can already make, and combine them. There are eight technological disciplines, inclduing Blacksmithy, Electrical, Chemical and Explosives. Each have their own benefits and playing style.
Arcanum also has an excellent story. You are appparently the reincarnation of a powerful elven wizard, destined to fight a great evil. All I will say is that the plot leaves you guessing until the very end.
NPCs follow you around, and can be given certain instructions, like Back Off, Wait, Walk to X Location, etc. by right clicking their portrait. The commands don't always work due to some fun bugs, but this doesn't happen often. NPC interaction is not as complicated as in Knights of the Old Republic, but is still good. A few have voices, but not all. The more interesting ones generally are the ones with a voice, like Magnus, or Virgil. Some even have a story you can complete, again, Magnus and Virgil, and a few others.
Combat is a mixed bag at times, but fun. In Arcanum, you can choose to use a turn based or a real-time form of combat. Stick to turn based. The real-time setting is poorly developed with no pause button, or round system like in Knights of the Old Republic and other real time games. Combat tends to favor melee fighters, which can be disappointing. Bullets and arrows are assigned weight in this game, which is realistic, but it hampers gameplay. It is also harder to play as a gunslinger, at least in my opinion. This isn't to say its not fun. The most amusing weapon to unleash on enemies is the Mechanized Gun, followed by the Pyrotechnic Axe.
The sound is well done, with my favorite effect being a dying lich. The weakest effects are the "crowd sounds" you hear in bars. They say the same thing over and over.
The graphics are now quite dated, but acceptable. They get the job done, but it wouldn't have killed Troika to include more character models. Even (yuck) Baldur's Gate let you customize your character's looks.
There are several bugs, some of them annoying, and a few can crash the game. Save often, and you'll be fine. There is a patch available.
Overall Arcanum is an excellent game, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who enjoys RPGs, fantasy, or in my case, those who enjoy science fiction or alternate history. It has something for everyone. I got addicted to CRPGs thanks to Arcanum.
Breathtakingly Incredible
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 11 / 12
Date: September 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User
To say that this game is incredible wouldn't even begin to describe it. It's dazzling ingenuity and shockingly massive replay value will keep even those with minute long attention spans on their toes.
To begin, Arcanum is not a Diablo, Fallout, Baldur's Gate, or any other clone. It takes aspects from all of those games and adds incredible new levels. The first and most obvious is the presence of BOTH magick AND technology. However I think one of the most innovative things is the ability to do NEITHER and still be a successful character. You could be anything from a barbaric half-ogre to a smooth talking gnome politician to a world renowed theif. And if that wasn't enough, the character developement is such that EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IS UNIQUE. It is DIFFICULT to make any 2 exactly the same.
If you think that the above is all that Arcanum has going for it, think again. In 1,000 words I cannot begin to describe it's glory. From the isolated capitol of Dernholm to the bustling industrious Tarant; from Slim Picken's general store to Madam Lil's brothel, this game is the most innovative and enjoyable games made for the computer. Period.
Near perfect
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 9 / 9
Date: November 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User
Arcanum is near perfect for what it is. When you consider the cast and crew that placed their souls into creating a game such as this, you cannot help but be floored (if you are an old school gamer who remembers the days of Fallout 1 and 2). If you don't know those days, then pick up a copy of Arcanum, and take it for a drive. But be warned: You won't put it down.
Arcanum is a truly classless game, unlike many others that claim to be. You design your character. From race, to birth defects, to past experiences. Everything. It is even possible to make it through this monolithic game without interacting in battle, granted this takes more time than even most completionists would choose to invest. Picking up where other games have failed, Arcanum mixes both Technology and Magik. But, unlike other games, they succeed.
There are upwards of 20 branches of magic, and no, they're not all "Harm" with a different name. Each branch has great additions to it. I mean, "haste" is your first spell in the Time Magic slot...Can't beat that with a stick. From simple spells that turn you invisible, to Disintigrate which wipes out everything around you, this game offers more than I'd seen in the ways of magic (at least in a non Baldur's Gate game.)
Now, to the nuts and bolts (literally) of technology. It's not easy being a gunsmith. In fact, it's a down right pain in the ass! But it's such a rewarding pain in the ass. To watch your character take aim with a shotgun or repeating rifle is just incomparable. Or, how about that Elephant gun? If you don't want guns, there's always "physical stimulants", Poison compound bows, metal arachnids that each serve a purpose. This game is limitless. And one of the best parts? You may buy and find "Schematics" that enable you to learn designs you wouldn't otherwise.
Arcanum is a truly interactive environment. I mean, say you want to make a Molotov Cocktail. You must go to the poor section of town to find the broken bottle and rags, as they won't exactly be lying around a Mansion. The voice acting is done well, I enjoyed it, even the annoying Virgil. There are numerous party members you may add, each with something to offer. Be it Virgil, the very helpful healer, or the Ogre, whose pure brute strength can only be surpassed by your character, if you so choose.
I mentioned classless. Well, it is. There aren't classes. Sure, you can tell the game to automatically build you a character from a list of preset options (and there's a good amount of those), or choose to do it yourself. Do you enjoy being a thief? Go at it. Nothing more satisfying than stealing from a shopkeep's chest and selling it to someone else. Granted, they're harder to play at firs, but done correctly, there's limitless fun to be had.
Areas for the game? There are too many to count. Go to your local bookstore and look at a guide for Arcanum, then look at the map. Enough said.
I loved the graphics in this game, and still compare them to most everything else. Sure, the loading times can be a pain in the butt, but only on a slow machine.
Fate points were a wonderful addition. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 exist, and they allow you to abuse the "critical" concept. Do you just have to have that sword the shopkeeper has, but keep failing to steal it? Click "Next steal is critical." on a fate point and boom, it's gone, and you've more than likely got that sword. They're not easy to find, mind you, and generally require rather insane tasks. But, I'll let you find those out for yourself.
If you are an RPG fan, you must play this. Even if you've only played the Final Fantasy games (like far too many have), you need to try this. I'm not saying the game doesn't have it's flaws (level cap, damnit!), but it's as damn close to perfect as you're going to get. I've replayed this game far too many times to remember. I love it. Should you be a fan of the oldschool games (Fallout 1 and 2, Throne of Darkness), pick this up. It's not as hack and slash and pointless as Diablo 1/2 are, thank god. If you've tried their newer release (Temple of Elemental Evil), in my opinion this game is better, because of the lack of bugs if nothing else, not to say that ToEE isn't great; it is.
Please, try this game.
Spectacular
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 9 / 9
Date: February 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User
I'm a fan of PC RPGs, and when I heard this one was made by programmers who previously made the great Fallout/Fallout 2 games, I figured I would check it out. It's a few years old now, but is just as good as I'd hoped. The only thing that feels a bit dated about the game are the graphics, which isn't too surprising..they're in the same isometric view as the Fallout games, and the resolution is sub-Diablo II. Nonetheless, they're good enough, and the game play dynamics are awesome.
One of the great features of the Fallout games was that your character was initially class-less; you could emphasize whatever skills you felt like without getting bogged down in 'Fighter' or 'Mage' or whatever other categories some games bind you to. Arcanum keeps this great feature, but also expands it by adding Technology skills. As the title of the game suggests, the setting involves a world where magic is now forced to share space with crude but advancing technology. The classic elven magic user now has to worry about a magic-resistant dwarf who might be packing a crude automatic rifle and a protective cast-iron robot spider. Arcanum allows you to pick and choose from all sorts of skill categories, including combat, thieving, magic, technology, and various social skills. To be successful you tend to have to pick a few areas and concentrate, but even lower level skills can be worth picking up on the cheap..both the Magic and Technology areas are vast and have plenty of good low-level abilities you can take without committing your character forever to that one area. The Technology skills also require physical components (springs, metal plates, etc.) and you can even purchase or discover schematics for new technologies as the game advances, which are in addition to those you can earn in the regular technology tree.
Another great aspect of Arcanum is that the land is simply vast. You can stroll about it in real time, or use a world map feature to travel between various points. According to the FAQ, the world itself is a giant realm about 3000 by 3000 areas..pretending it were empty of the many secret areas or encounters you run into, it would still take your character about *35* hours to walk across it if you didn't use the world map. That, my friends, is a *big* game.
Arcanum has all the other trappings of a great RPG..it has lots of equipment and goodies to find, interesting areas to explore, and a fun sense of humor. One of the best aspects, and the rarest, is the fact that an evil character can also do well. Some stores exist only for evil characters, and many 'evil' dialogue options (such as threatening people or otherwise acting cruel) actually result in compliance rather than a fight involving the entire town. So if you've ever gotten sick of some weaselly town constable or farmer giving your 30th level claymore-wielding half-ogre a hard time, now you can actually do something about it that makes sense. I intentionally used a cursed helmet to give my latest character a -100 alignment (the lowest/evilest) from the start, because it had other beneficial effects, and it hasn't slowed him down at all. That means that the dialogue options are actually *options*, rather than being the obvious good/proper choice surrounded by a bunch of obviously suicidal choices added just in case you click there by accident.
In short, Arcanum has aged well and offers a very large and detailed world for folks to explore. The replayability seems almost limitless, which is why it still seems popular after several years of release.
A nice refreshing break from hack and slash RPG's.
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 8 / 8
Date: February 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User
First things first, I LOVED ARCANUM. Man it was so nice to have a decent RPG come out that was not centered around hack and slash. Not to bash Diablo or anything but the repetive hacking can get old and with a background story that does not care what you do leaves me wanting just a little bit more. Thats where Aracnum comes in. It basically takes the best of Fallout and puts it into a richly detailed and unique fantasy world. The beginning of the game was very good and had some nice hooks to draw me in. And then after that it didn't let up and I had to keep playing to figure out more of the cool story, complete all the cool quests and see the new areas. I absolutely loved the alternate situations throughout the game. I believe that is one of the biggest things that made the Arcanum game stand out from all its predecessors. And another cool thing was that if you beat the game with one character you could replay it with another character and have a brand new experience. The only drawback I had with the game was the level limit. I reached level 50 way before the end of the game and found myself running from almost every random encounter because I could not reach a higher level and it was getting real boring beating up every monster that came after you. And another drawback I found was the ease with which the end guy could be beaten. I expected a very tough enemy, but it only took me two tries to beat him down. The first so I could see what he was all about and the second to counteract all his moves and put the smackdown on him. But those are very minor details and the overall game was a satisfying RPG experience. I hope to see more types of these RPG's in the future and less action oriented RPG's. Sorry action fans, RPG does stand for Role Playing Game which means playing a role not clicking a mouse button as fast as you can. Maybe they should come out with a new genre Hack and Slash and keep it seperated from RPG.
Wonderful
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 8 / 8
Date: December 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User
This game is great. I've never had so much fun with a role-playing game. Your character is much more customizable than is usual with this type of game. There are no class restrictions, so you can develop your characer almost any way you want.
This is also the only game I've ever played that lets you play a female character and have the other characters react to you as female. Everywhere I go, people call me "madam" or "missy" and say other things they would only say to a female. Some things are easier for female characters, and some things are more difficult. It really adds to the realism for women who are tired of always having to play male characters.
The game is also interactive in other ways. The town newspaper may report on your activities, for example. And the game is not overly difficult; my half-orc barbarian is already level 25. I've never been able to get so far in a RPG with so little frustration. This is a very clever, amusing game; wonderful fun.
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