This is one of those games that has a ton of heart. But polish? Nope. The combat is extremely boring at best. 90% of the fights in Arcanum are against filler trash mobs that you can't skip, unlike Fallout. There is barely any encounter design in the entire game. I played a technologist gunslinger and they were hilariously weak compared to melee or magic characters. Luckily I followed guides so I knew how to craft the best items in the game, otherwise I might have quit out of frustration.

The combat and balance are the game's biggest sins by far. The story is pretty good. The setting is amazing. A fantasy world going through an industrial revolution? Pure narrative gold. The main villain of the story is very intelligent and conniving, which I always like. I don't think he holds a candle to villains like The Master or Jon Irenicus, who feel a lot more sad and pitiable, but I appreciate that he has a philosophy that drives him to commit terrible acts. It's just good writing.

With a couple more years in the oven I think this could have been one of the greatest games of all time. It's definitely worth picking up if you're willing to stomach bad combat for good story. I think it's a 6 or 7/10. I hope it gets a sequel one day.

It's certainly not for everyone and it will take a long time to get used to however beneath the veneer of difficulty and confusion is one of the best RPGs I have ever played

For its time,
A great game with incredible scenario.
Nice technology-magic balance.
Fast gameplay.

However it became obsolete by the years, i tried to replay but couldnt...