![]() When the geography reaches a certain level of complexity, the engine essentially collapses and shows only blurry versions of textures unless the player is willing to stand in one place for a few seconds for them to load. ![]() Sadly, the (mostly) solid genre fundamentals and interesting art design are badly undercut by serious technical issues which will hamper enjoyment of the game quite a bit.įor instance, there are frequent framerate issues that cause stutter whenever more than a few monsters pop up, and it's only made far worse when mass-damage spells are used. Landsharks are a sight to behold, and one monster who masquerades as a harmless sea turtle was nightmarish enough to stick with me even after the game was over. While many of the creatures are generic fantasy standbys-orcs, wolves, dinosaurs and golems all make appearances-there are enough fresh designs to catch the eye of even the most jaded RPGamer. ![]() As is often the case, there are disadvantages to playing a strictly melee character, but none of the ranged enemies are so powerful that going sword-only makes the game unplayable.Īrcania's strength comes in its fascinating and creative enemy design. The classes are fairly well-balanced, with enough variety in weapons and abilities to to make any of them a viable choice for playing through the entire story. Returning to the norm for RPGs, Arcania allows players to build their own character, earning levels and assigning points to skill trees that gradually transform them into a fighter, wizard, archer, or some combination of the three. Not allowing players the option to go back and clean up after themselves is puzzling to say the least. The RPG is a genre for completists who enjoy tying up the loose ends of every quest line and tracking down every collectible. This isn't a huge problem in the game, but it certainly flies in the face of convention in a way that does the game no favours. This design choice seems all the more puzzling when one considers the presence of magical teleporters which can only be used for point-to-point transmission within a given area. Eschewing the open-world concept embraced by most RPGs since, well, ever, Arcania places its main character in a series of large areas full of characters with errands that need running, and then essentially locks those areas and quests away once the plot has drawn the player into the next area. He's forced to flee with Sean Connery's character from Highlander before embarking on a quest for answers, followed by revenge.Īs a Western role-playing game (RPG) with all of the real-time combat the genre demands, Arcania: The Complete Tale ( Gothic 4) is notable for being perhaps the most resolutely linear RPG I've ever seen. Predictably, this doesn't go well for anyone, but especially hard-hit is the main character of Arcania, whose pregnant fiancee (along with the rest of their village) is murdered by soldiers. In an ancient land of magic and mystery, a king has been cursed by a demonic force. LOW Watching the graphics engine try to keep up with jogging around the map. HIGH Using a wall of fire to exterminate a horde of skeletons.
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