twisty on 17/12/2002 at 10:01

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I also like Morrowind, but it isn't really fair to compare both games as they differ greatly in what they are trying to achieve. At any rate, it would be unrealistic to say that if you liked one of them then you will definitely like the other.

Having just finished Arx, I would have to say that it is a brilliant dungeon crawler rpg and is a worthy successor to the underworld games. At times it really has a strong LGS feeling, enriched with atmosphere and suspense.

If I were going to compare the two games for the sake of it then I would probably outline some of the areas that you have raised and mention some of the things that might interest you about Arx.

<b>Spell System:</b> Arx really excels with its spell casting system and has taken the whole gameplay aspect to new levels. Spellcasting is done via a unique system where the player has to draw runes interactively on the screen to cast memorised spells. It features over 50 different types of spells, each with varying effects. I have just completed the game as a mage character, which meant that I was weak in the beginning but became very powerful towards the end of the game.

<b>Fighting:</b> Swinging a sword in Arx is similar to how its implemented in Thief as far as the type of strokes produced are dependent on the direction of the players body when the attack button is clicked. There is also a power gem which gets brighter the longer you hold the mouse button down - this is used to determine the strength of the stroke. Combat is less stats based then Morrowind I think as moving strategically around in battle helps to avoid getting hit, whereas MW only seems to look at your defense stat (this is just an educated guess). Arx still uses stats for combat, but it builds on top of your actions.

<b>Character Development:</b> There are no classes in Arx so you don't have to stick to any specific type of character from the beginning. Much like MW, you get to build your characters abilities to ones that suit your playing style. There are lots of characteristics that you can develop to help you gain more knowledge of things such as alchemy, thieving, repair etc.

<b>Open Endedness: </b> Arx isn't an open ended game like MW is. The main plot in Arx is fairly linear, although there are side-quests and multiple ways of achieving a lot of the missions (for lack of a better word) for the main quest. However, no one could claim that the main plot for MW is non-linear either.

Personally, I really didn't like the generic conversation trees used in Morrowind. Arx, on the other hand, has lots of interesting characters and they are generally far more interesting and colourful than MW. The characters also have things to do, in general, and have better AI.

Arx Fatalis is starting to develop a loyal following and I believe that this is due to the quality of the game. It will keep you occupied for some time and has a lot of replay value as well. Overall, I think its a brilliant game and has quickly become one of my favourite games.