A throwback RPG that, sadly, is also a step back.
PROS:
-- Beautiful Environments
-- Technically Sound, for the most part
-- Accesible systems and combat
CONS:
-- Some graphical issues mar the beauty. Tearing, rough edges, etc.
-- Repetitive, pointless quests
-- Main story seems as if it was given only the effort required to claim the game actually had one, and nothing beyond that
-- Boring, one-note combat
-- Shallow character development
-- The worst voice acting this side of Shenmue
There are good games, there are bad games, and then there are games that fall right in the middle, making little to no impact either way. Arcania falls squarely in that last category.
There's not a lot "wrong" with it's core systems - it's surprisingly bug free compared to most modern RPG's, the combat is smooth, zone transitions seemless. Unfortunately, that's the best that can be said for it.
After the initial batch of quests, which come off like a tutorial, lulling you into thinking that things will get better, you move on to the main island where the rest of the action takes place, and it's here that you realize, no - what you have already seen is what you get. Character development is limited to extremely linear paths. There are three spells total in the game, with "Charged" effects if you spec further into them providing a very small hint of variety. The same is true of melee, where the basic point-and-click attacks are supplemented only by a Witcher-esque "Click when the sword glows" follow-up sequence if you spec far enough into your melee path. Point, click, swing, dodge, repeat. The basic rhythm will see you through the entire game. I've seen more character customization from action-platformers like God of War, Prince of Persia, and Castlevania than what is offered here.
While the combat is smooth but boring, listless as you move through from quest to quest, the environments can be breathaking, with sweeping vistas, majestic castles, swaying trees, snow-capped mountains and lush vegetation to hold your attention. It looks better from a distance than up close, where a slight but noticeable lack of polish to the textures may detract from your enjoyment.
Sadly, the activities you do in these environments are not worthy of them. Arcania feels, at most times, like playing an MMO in the early phases of leveling. Stepping into a town, you will be met by exclamation points over the heads of the inhabitants. They want things from you - pointless things, the kind that you would find on the quick jaunt from level 1-10 in your favorite online game. Kill 10 Wolves. Bring me 5 Mushrooms. Escort my wayward nephew home. Very few of these quests even try to have any bearing on the main story, perhaps because there isn't much of one to begin with. It's the type of busy-work questing you would do on your way from Elwynn Forest to Redridge, but without the payoff at the end.
It may be a good thing that these quests don't bother with a complex story though, as you'll want to listen to as little of the voice acting as you can get away with. As a long time fan of RPG's (over 20 years), I have a rule - I don't let the graphics or voice acting detract from my experience. Good or bad, it's the gameplay that matters. Arcania is a rare occasion where I could not hold to that rule. The voice acting here is bad enough that, listening, you imagine the actors must have TRIED to sound this terrible. Even phoned-in, monotone lines from high school drama students would have been more tolerable than the uniformly nasal, whine-saturated delivery of every line in Arcania: Gothic 4.
Is it a -terrible- game? No, it's not. As said above, it's fairly bug free. The combat is smooth. The graphics are mostly excellent. There's a simple but useful crafting system and plentiful items with which to equip yourself or make potions, scrolls, and gear.
As such, if you fall into a very specific niche - pure fantasy RPG fans, the kind who lusts for swords, bows, and damsels in distress, Arcania may be for you, a leisurely, listless jaunt through an undemanding fantasy world while you wait for Dragon Age 2. If your RPG horizons are broader, however, it's hard to imagine there isn't something more worthwhile out there this season - whether it be New Vegas, Fable III, or even a return to a past favorite.