In the world of RPGs there are a number of titles that stand out from the rest for one reason or another. For technical merit acclaim usually goes to titles such as the Ultima Underworld series and also the fantastic Deus Ex. Why? They are the few titles that choose to put RPG into the first person and totally immerse the player into the worlds their developers created. Despite a large fan base, titles of this particular breed of RPG have been very light on the ground, the latest being Morrowwind, which has received only a so-so reception. Arx Fatalis by developers Arkane and published by the German company JoWood Productions has been on the horizon for a while but finally the release date draws close and those suffering from Ultima withdrawal are beginning to feel the sense of anticipation growing, but is it going to be another disappointing discovery?

This is Arkane's first release since they have been caught up in the buyout of Fishtank Interactive by JoWood Productions but they seem to be enjoying their new home and have been saying some promising things about not only this game, but about others that may follow. Some parties feel that, as a first title, taking on such competition as Ultima was a very risky move, but after playing Arx Fatalis for sometime now I can say that not only have they done themselves proud, they have challenged for the top spot in the genre.

The story for this game is a strong one and this is an essential element; without an immersing story few would bother stick around. The world upon which you stand has lost its sun. It began a slow descent from the sky many years ago and when it became apparent that it would disappear forever, the good King of the realm decreed that the whole populace would start again in cities built deep underground. So work began and into the depths the people went to escape the ever-increasing cold. Of course it was not only the humans that were affected, every race on the planet was to suffer the same fate. Old grudges got buried as the need for survival became the only concern and alongside the humans were goblins, trolls, ogres, dwarfs, ratmen and snake women. Not long after work had been completed the sun dipped below the horizon and the world was plunged into total night, the temperatures dropped rapidly and soon the ice began to creep across the lands.

Deep below ground, the constant cold and darkness enveloped the underground cities. Old rivalries began to flare and before long things were going back to the ways of old. This is where you enter the scene. After being taken by the goblins as an upcoming sacrifice, you awake in a dungeon cell with no recollection as to who you are, what you are doing in a cell or even where it is. As you progress through the game you will uncover a dark and sinister plot to raise a dark god who will visit destruction on all save those loyal to him. Naturally being the hero type (or at least you think you are, you don't remember) you decide to stop this from happening and along the way begin to rediscover your identity and purpose. It's a classic tale with all the hallmarks of a classic game.

Game play is much as you would expect for an RPG even if it does use the first person view. It's slow and methodical with plenty of brain teasing or brain stumping puzzles and interactions that need to be completed, plus combat to break up the monotony of exploration. The interface of the game is simplicity itself, which means that the game progresses quickly as all tasks are a combination of a couple of mouse clicks or key presses. Accessing your inventory, going into combat, checking your quest history and all the other tasks normally associated with RPG's are accessed in a no fuss manner meaning that your attention is never taken too far from the main play of the game and once familiar with the structure of things all actions can be performed fluidly.

The combat is very similar to Diablo, it's a see bad beastie and click to hit it system. The weapons are almost all variants of a sword but there is a bow and arrow thrown in for good measure. At the start of the game there is nothing that you cannot beat should you need to fight, except guardians that are too powerful to pass until later. The combat system also employs the strength of hit system, the longer you hold the attack the stronger it gets so the normal tactic for combat is stay back and power up the strike, when you feel that it is at sufficient power run in and release the blow close up. One hit kill combat is very possible at the start of the game.

The level of interaction is fantastic, the levels are packed with items that can be picked up and utilised or further to this added with other items to create something else. An example of this is baking. If you have flour and water then you can mix them to make dough, if there is a fire near by then you can bake a loaf of bread. Or if you have a rolling pin handy and some fruit how about a pie? Potions can be made from the basic ingredients and much more besides. This level of thought behind the interaction within the game sends it to the top of the pile for RPGs as only the best of the genre have included these features. However it is not without its drawbacks as some combinations of items that would seem logical do not work because the developers didn't think of them. This can be frustrating but it is only a small aspect of the interactivity.

This game's big feather in the cap is its wonderful magic system. Taking a leaf out of Black and White's book the spells are cast by doing your own bit of wand waving. As you progress you can discover rune stones that give you access to spells. The rune stones are always in difficult to reach places and usually require some sort of mental exercise to uncover them but it is worth the effort. Once a rune stone is added to your repertoire then you can use it during casting. This is done by activating your spell casting state and then tracing the rune pattern on screen, it can be just one rune or a combination. This added level of immersion to the world you exist in and the character you play simply pulls you deeper into the game and adds so many levels of enjoyment to the use of magic. You also have the ability to pre-cast up to three spells for immediate use so that you can forgo the hand waving and rune tracing. However, as you progress you will quickly become so familiar with certain spells that you will not need to bother. The spells at your disposal are varied and range from the simple fire igniting spell to the more powerful magical missiles and then to the crowd pleasing lightning spells. The use of magic is not absolutely needed to complete the game but does add so much to the game play that you will want to go around the labyrinth of tunnels and levels blasting everything in sight!

Graphically this game is not quite up there with the likes of Morrowwind, but comes very close indeed. Everything is so detailed even close up, the walls of the tunnels and rooms you walk around are so textured it's almost ridiculous, but it fits the game perfectly. You really feel that you are deep underground and the dark, dank, claustrophobic surroundings re-enforce the atmosphere with every new corner you turn and room you enter. Details on the NPCs (non-player characters) are at the same level of excellence as the rest of the game and the animation is nothing short of a joy to watch as it appears as realistic as any game I've seen. The effects of such things as the magic are done with a nice touch of contrast against the dark surroundings, the spells are bright and use great lighting effects.

Sound is another area of excellence with this title. There is no music or no incidental tracks, just pure atmospheric ambient sounds and effects. Once again this touch brings home the setting so well that you believe what you see and experience more than you might have done. It brings an almost tangible quality to what you see on screen. Speech is done well, although there are noticeable areas of poor synching with the NPC's and the voice of the character you play is nothing short of annoying, but it is such a small part of the game does little to distract from your enjoyment. Incidentally, the ambient effects of the game are the work of the same person responsible for the ambient soundtrack to the Thief games, Kemal Amarasingham. The developers of Arkane loved the sounds and effects in these games so much they brought Kemal on board and this decision has paid off very well.

Overall I have totally enjoyed Arx Fatalis and would whole heartedly recommend it to any RPG fan. Though at time the puzzles will bring you close to frustration (I recommend having a walkthrough handy too), the game as a whole is worth the odd sense of befuddlement. Combat is a little weak but is a small thing to forgive for such an absorbing experience. The magic system is the perfect accompaniment to the game and the spell casting method, although not a new idea, is used perfectly and brings a wonderful new aspect to the world of first person role play.

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).