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Digimon Story Time Stranger
Game
Game2007
Arx Fatalis
Developer Arkane Studios
Arx Fatalis is a 2002 action role-playing game developed by Arkane Studios and released for Windows and Xbox. The game is played from a first-person perspective and is set on a world whose sun has failed, forcing the above-ground creatures to take refuge in caverns. The game's mechanics include the use of mouse gestures to cast spells. Arx Fatalis received mostly positive reviews from critics but was not… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
258 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
86
LovedLoved
156 positive · 25 negative
95% range 80–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 156 | 25 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
77 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,336 of 2,655 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 258 · most liked firstThere I was, surrounded by devs who had worked on Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah, the first two Deus Ex games, Bioshock 2, Thief Deadly Shadows — heck, Serpent's Isle. I was the only junior in the office. It was my first AAA job. It was my first real game dev job, ever. 2/24
unlabelledView post →Not even 2 bucks! If you enjoy oldskool RPGs that can get confusing without a guide but make exploration and experimenting even more exciting I recommend this one. Slap on the Arx Libertatis mod (VERY IMPORTANT!!!) on it https://arx-libertatis.org/ and you're good to go. The game has a large fanbase, so you will find guides and info for everything.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When people say this game is underrated they mean it! Arkane was really ahead of their time back in the early days when they were still starting off and Arx really shows it, Arx is a first person dungeon crawler and immersive game with a heavy influence and inspiration from Ultima underworld. The plot is pretty simple and interesting enough to follow along with the lore building though the game feels short and by the end I am left wanting for more of this world so its a shame that we won't be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You will like our game Caput Mortum if you enjoyed: - King's Field 4 - Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Shadow Tower - Arx Fatalis
unlabelledView post →You will like my indie game if you played: - Shin Megami Tensei (1992) - Arx Fatalis (2002) - Off (2008) - Middens (2012) - The Lesser Key Of Solomon (18XX?)
unlabelledView post →Prey 2017. Created by Arkane Studios, who had made their name with games inspired by immersive sim classics. Arx Fatalis was their Ultima Underworld, Dishonored was their Thief, and this was their System Shock. For my money it's also the best game they've made.
unlabelledView post →Unfortunately, it's just a dull game. Its core mechanics work decently enough: - Combat is simple but functional. - Casting spells by drawing runes with the mouse, the game's distinctive feature, is gimmicky but not annoying. - Visually it's still pleasant. - With Arx Libertatis, I encountered no bugs or weird behavior. The issues I have with the game have more to do with its content: - The pace is extremely slow. The protagonist moves painfully slow, yet you have to walk around a lot. It's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Plus: Arx Fatalis is a cult classic requiring no introduction. A must-play purely underground 1st person RPG, with also some adventure-style puzzles. Minus: On modern systems there are UX issues: tiny inventory icons, hard to cast spells etc. Consider installing Arx Libertatis instead of the vanilla steam/gog version.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You combine water with flour to make dough, use the rolling pin on the dough to make raw pie, manually place the pie near a fire to watch it cook. Dragging items in and out of your inventory and into the game world in such a physical manner feels so good. The consistency of placing an item on a shelf and never having to worry about it falling off the world, disappearing from janky physics or despawning after some time. The way most fights can end in 4-5 offensive moves for either you or your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very underrated game. One of the most atmospheric rpg games in general and one of the best RPGs of the old era when video games were made by enthusiasts and not corporate bosses without any interesting ideas and skills, replacing it all with millions of dollars in financing. The global plot is rather banal, but its mysterious presentation makes it interesting. The additional quests are quite interesting too. The atmosphere in the game is unmatched. The sounds are better than in the 2026…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, Arx Fatalis: store.steampowered.com/app/1700/Arx... It's almost free, still one of the best immersive sims ever and my favorite Arkane Studios game. The only thing you need for it in 2026 is the Arx Libertalis mod: arx-libertatis.org
unlabelledView post →Special Hero starting (better stats, starting with all spells and runes) do this at the character creation screen Press 10 times Quick generate. Press 8 times Appearance. Press Done, the button changes color. Press Appearance. Press Done.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Contender for my favorite game of all time tied with BG3 and Kotor 1 i bought it for my little brother and he beat the game (he's 11) crazy that he was able to appreciate such a Classic gem
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent !! Well, usual if done by Arkane. Install Arx Fatalis. Then install Arx Libertatis mod, better engine, fixes, and life quality upgrades. https github com/arx/ArxLibertatis/releases arx-libertatis-1.2.1-windows exe And Steam, Discussions for the game has a fantastic wealth of info and guides.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →come on Nightdive studios remake :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This might be one of the coolest RPGs (maybe even games in general) I've ever played. There are so many unqiue systems here and they all work really well together. You cast spells by drawing them, you use your inventory by opening an interface and physically dragging stuff from the game world into it, you can use physics-based objects (so basically anything) as distractions, you can combine items to make new ones and so on. The game is also not purely just combat and quests, but it's also a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like older RPGs and Arkane Studio games (Dishonored, Prey), you'll love this game. Try playing it without searching for solutions to puzzles or quests online. You'll probably give up by the end, but that's okay. The key is to experience the feeling of not being held by the developers and being completely free. I recommend playing the updated community edition: Arx Libertatis. It's an improved, open-source, cross-platform engine for Arx Fatalis. 9/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arx Fatalis is long, complex, and unapologetically difficult. It throws you into a harsh underground world where survival depends on your choices, your wits, and your willingness to experiment. The sheer amount of freedom on offer is impressive you can approach situations in multiple ways, interact with nearly every object in the environment, and uncover hidden passages and secrets that reward curiosity. The level design constantly encourages exploration, and the interconnected areas feel like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arkane rarely misses and even their first game, Arx Fatalis turned out to be a pleasant surprise despite its rough edges. The gesture-based magic system is genuinely unique and fun once you get the hang of it (use the Arx Libertatis mod to make it more bearable on modern computers), making spellcasting feel more involved than your typical RPG. What really stands out is the atmosphere, spending the entire game in a labyrinthic world. The level design is solid, with each area feeling…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of the best first person dungeon crawler rpg's ever made, its no elder scrolls or wizardry i know, but man it just adds so much to the atmosphere, the music, the world, and the variety of what you are able to do, and it has this sort of feel to it thats like morrowind if it were underground and a dungeon crawler almost, its fun and has a great world. also make sure to download arx liberatis it fixes alot of problems and adds alot of features too.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey @balconyteam.bsky.social Great to see ya as a host! Love the esthetics of Deepest Chamber! Reminds me an oldish game Arx Fatalis, which is one of my favorite games ever We work on Hidden Pass - a Tactical Roguelite Turn-Based RPG with arena-like combat👇 store.steampowered.com/app/2430170/...
unlabelledView post →Captures the wonder of exploration and the feeling that there might be danger around every corner in a way modern RPGs I've played don't quite manage. I was born is 2002 so this game holds no sort of nostalgia for me, and whilst the controls don't handle exactly like we might expect nowadays, it's really not anywhere so janky as others seem to make it sound. I loved the sound design, the unusual soundtrack, the immersive magic mechanics, and the charming characters of this world. Not at all…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arx Fatalis is a first person RPG with a pretty much linear story and action. You play your character to discover some plot going on, collect items, craft items, make apple pie to eat something once in a while and cast spells with runes while drawing symbols with your mouse! It's released in 2002 so you should or must install ARX Libertatis from official site (arx-libertatis.org) and the browser warning is false , be at ease. I also installed a nexus high texture mod on top of it and it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was kinda enjoying this game despite some of the inconvenient mechanics due to its age, but then I reached a point where -- despite allowing the player to lean their character build in any direction -- it becomes impossible to continue if you haven't invested points in magical skills. Shocking to see such poor play testing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well unlike those stupid morons, my totally possible dream game is literally just an Arx Fatalis remake.
unlabelledView post →Finally managed to free an afternoon to play through Caput Mortum. Been looking forward to this one since next fest. Really liked it! It has that cramped, paranoid vibe that I haven't really experienced since Arx Fatalis and the alchemical backdrop to the story is very intriguing. Good game!
unlabelledView post →Gmeownin ny'all~! Its time for some Arx Fatalis! This game casts Am Shaegar, a man with 20 charisma, to be the guy who gives such little shits about everything that everyone assumes he's going to help... So he does cuz, I mean, might as well? www.twitch.tv/cerezafaewit...
unlabelledView post →Arx Fatalis is a fantastic game. Go get it fir a buck.
unlabelledView post →Really enjoyed the Pragmata demo. When I saw footage of the real-time hacking, it seemed a bit awkward? Now that I've tried it, was surprised how well it blends with the action. It's like Diana's casting cyber spells. But instead of hand gestures a la Arx Fatalis, it's a hacking mini-game.
unlabelledView post →It was great back in the day. It’s still great now.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Because uhhhh Arx Fatalis...is...an actual...fucking game that is fun to play...out of...the box!
unlabelledView post →Don't let silly animations and asinine writing fool you into a mistake of rushing this unofficial Ultima Underworld 3 like I did. This game is magical, you just need to let its cave mold seep in through the screen, hear the wind groan in the megavents and feel the weight of rock over your head. Also, it has a priest going by the name of Fallan Orbiplanax, which would assuredly be my nom de guerre had I aspired to brave the Parnassus of the Czech movie…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best RPGs I ever played, with great object interactability, puzzles and secrets that are difficult, but you can solve them by thinking about it and looking carefully at every detail. The unique magic system can seem difficult ,but you can memorize spells pretty well once you realize that each rune stands for an actual word and each spell is a loose description of what it does. I recommend installing the "arx libertatis" mod which is a single click installer with no additional…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →GMeownin ny'all! Its time for some ARX FATALIS This game is actually a Looney Tune's nightmare mess of a game where you wait around a corner and bonk someone's head so hard they do a flip and their head goes sailing off. I love it. Come hang out ny'all! www.twitch.tv/cerezafaewit...
unlabelledView post →Gmeownin ny'all! Its time for a fox schedule! This week we got Arx Fatalis and Morrowind! And on friday, we have Everhood 2 with Kyllier! I'm very excited to see where the game goes after the ending of the first one, it was very final. And on saturday, we have more Elden Ring with Nightshade!
unlabelledView post →There are old game and there are outdated games. Deus Ex, FF7, MGS 1, Fallout 1 and 2, these are old, but they still work, they feel intuitive and they can still feel fresh even in modern times (if you ignore the polygon count). This game on the other hand, ♥♥♥♥ is outdated as ♥♥♥♥. Magick system is pure ass, casting it in combat is impossible, spells also like to drain your mana AFTER the initial cast, so like wall of flame needs x amount to cast and eats up rest of your mana to keep going.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If Steam had ratings, I would give this game something like 5 out of 10. In the end, I decided for "not recommended" because, althought the game tries to do many things, and they aren't terrrible, nothing ends up being "good". The ones most interested by it today are probably the (small) Immersive Sim crowd. However, although being released later, this game in many ways is a step back from the defining classics such as Deus Ex and System Shock 2. The freedom and emergent gameplay are much more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Of all the old-timey RPGs, Arx Fatalis is easily one my favorites. Though gameplay mechanics didn't quite age well: it's a tad janky, and with spells, outright clunky. All the same, Arx Fatalis delivers a fantastic story, beautiful atmosphere, and is as immersive as it gets. Now if only someone could do a decent remake... but that seems unlikely to ever happen. Side note: Arx Libertatis strongly recommended. The original engine is well, old, and doesn't work quite right on modern hardware and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the classics, truly a favorite. Big cult following. Absolutely worth the money - but be prepared for a little bit of tinkering. The magic system will feel impossible to get right at first without mods - this is not due to a learning curve or intended difficulty but rather is a side-effect of the age of the game. Basically what happens is you cast spells by actually drawing the symbols using your mouse (which I think is extremely cool) and this worked perfectly on older hardware but on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game saved me from a fentanyl overdose
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Strongly recommend! Ive been playing Arx for almost 20 years and it never disappoints to amaze me. I know every corner of the game and yet I feel like every gameplay is new game... For those who know Gothic - its very similar.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm almost done with my first playthrough right now and this is one of the best games I have ever played in my life. I would die to find more games similar to this, system shock, and kings field IV Edit: Black Beast hard locked me into failing the game and now I can't finish it after 30 hours. I can't seem to find any way to cheat or use command console reliably to just simply make myself invincible until I can get the mithril ore. Legitimately the worst experience I have ever had with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seems like a great game, but unfortunately some elements like the levitate scroll will not work on my computer, even with arx liberatis mod. Id love to play it, but i just wont get the full experience. This game is screaming for a remaster.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10 video games to get to know me! 🎮 1. Morrowind 2. Undertale 3. Dread Delusion 4. Mata Nui Online Game 5. Arx Fatalis 6. Sims 3+4 7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PC version) 8. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 9. Sanguine Sanctum 10. King's Quest 3+6
unlabelledView post →I love the setting of Arx so much and wished more games were like it. It definitely shows its age in places but there really isn't anything else like it and it's such a shame.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Criminally underrated and timeless hidden gem. It’s been in my library, probably from a Humble Bundle, for who knows how long, yet it unexpectedly became one of my favourite games ever. It is what I would consider a masterclass in contemporary atmospheric game design. The soundtracks, aesthetics and ambience across the levels are, quite literally, on another level. Creepy, hollow droning noises in the dungeons make you keep your weapon drawn; the ratmen made me jump more than once. Hitting the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →classic immersive sim, one of the best of all time
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You can become a Knight who says Ni I'm not Joking 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my special interests is game collecting, specifically any release I can find of Arx Fatalis. There was no western big box release, the only English one is the Australian one by Big Ant plus two Chinese and two compilation boxes. Especially happy with the signed box by Raphaël Colantonio.
unlabelledView post →Arx Libertatis is an open-source engine to play the game Arx Fatalis. I built it on RISC-V. If you run it with OpenGL ES, you might have an issue with the menu text (you can use PortMaster for a fix). arx-libertatis.org portmaster.games/detail.html?... youtu.be/lc5Bdg-t8yw
unlabelledView post →There's arguably a LOT to love here and more than a few things to dislike, but if there is one thing to remember this game for, or even something to convince you to try it out for the first time, its that Arx Fatalis irrefutably has one of the most interesting magic systems in all of gaming.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yes, I recommend it. Yes, you do need Arx Libertatis to properly enjoy the game on modern hardware. Yes, Arkane dropped the ball by releasing Arx Fatalis on Steam in a state it is in now. I understand that for a studio like Arkane it is not exactly a money-making idea to patch old game that gets a dozen purchases a month, bringing just enough money to refill office coffee maker once or twice a month. And yes, they're not the only ones doing it; Bethesda with their Steam releases of classic…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't buy this, even for 1$ (which is what I got it for). I watched reviews ahead of purchase, was warned that the "draw lines to cast a spell" system "takes a couple of tries". What they SHOULD have said is "It is completely UNWORKABLE. I'm 10 minutes into the game, and can't cast the first spell, no matter how many times I try. I don't know how this has such a high rating when such a core function is 100% BROKEN. 50 attempts at casting that spell, the only part it ever registers is the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arx Fatalis is a great early immersive RPG. In 2002 it was WAAAAAAY ahead of it's time and I still remember being stunned about what you could do like cooking, blacksmithing, casting spells by tracing runes in the air and so on. Is it a bit janky? Absolutely! Is the sound mixing totally off? What?! I couldn't hear you because the background music was drowning out the whole dialogue. Are the controls reminescent of the first System Shock, so totally horrible? Yes, and they even kept the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was so advanced for it's time. MANY Immersim casters copied or drew inspiration from Arx. EVERYONE should play this atleast once.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played with Arx Libertatis mod. + oldsql gaming + interesting magic system + lots of gameplay mechanics + nice physical engine + unique fantasy setting (tho story and dialogs rather primitive) - short - lots of backtracking but lacks any solid speed up mechanic (aside from a spell that is rather slow anyway) - only a few side quests and they are easy to miss - simple melee mechanic (you only need to charge your attacks and bait W+S) - small number of enemy types - itemization is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a great Fantasy and one of my first games i was introduced to the PC world. Never again did we saw a game use a magic system like this. Not even VR, whats going on here. There was that one weird "wizards" game with the open-mic game. That was funny but nothing like in Arx Fatalis. Sure there could fix the magic system. Still a must play
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is interesting and looked like it was going to be fun in spite of its age and unusual mechanics. I was wrong. I'm sorry but this game is just too old. I spent almost 3.5h doing almost nothing but walking around. When I was finally starting to get quests, it went back to that again (walking around aimlessly). I read a walkthrough talking about doing this or that but I could literally not find some of the things or characters mentioned (for example, the Troll King). Did I kill some of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Small bug in Monomyth, me thinks you're not supposed to reach 5-10 meters when inventory is open xD Love this game btw, even Early Access is amazing. It is a spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld and Arx Fatalis <3
unlabelledView post →Aam Yok Taar >--- |_l —_
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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