Arx is one of the best games that nobody played or even seems to know about.
The AI is good for the most pert but there are a rare couple of occasions were it wouldn't flatter itself. In the same regard you can occasionally find a glitch in a section of the game that aren't common but do occur. The combat system works great and is varied by different types of attacks and a large array of weapons. Like a lot of good Role Playing Games you've got different armor and upgrades available to you. A great part of Arx is the option to do anything you want you can attack anyone or anything and go where you want at anytime. Very open-ended and the game remembers everything you do and where you leave any item for the length of the game.
Graphically Arx Fatalis is a good-looking game but it's not going to win any awards. For one it is a fairly large game and it maintains a nice look throughout Arx universe. Sometimes you'll notice a lot of nice little touches like strange faces in the walls or beautiful architecture of some areas. You can see at times some glitches in the graphics or something's that just don't look that great but for the most part it's all very functional. The best thing to look at about Arx in the artistic design of the game and such varied and extensively different areas of the game that are just brilliant. There is an amazing style to the game that really works for what the creators are going for and adds a lot of depth to the game's appearance.
Besides looking at a masterpiece you are also greeted with some very lovely music that as the game seems to be characterized for has a wonderful selection and does a top notch job for the mood and atmosphere of the experience. This coupled along with some great voice acting makes for a real treat for the ears. The most impressive part of the acting is the types of voices created for each of the different races of creatures you run into. Along with this they're some nice touches for sound effects of battle, atmosphere, and everything in-between. Best I can figure the game is roughly 20-30 hours but there's no clock on the game so you can't be sure. There is definitely some room for a reply especially with such varied gameplay styles.
My favorite part of Arx is the setting and story of the game. It's not the strongest story you'll ever hear but the circumstances and surroundings make it exceptional and truly unique. Overall this game is just a joy to play through and the only words to describe it as aforementioned are unique, diverse, and excellent. The game does a great job of accomplishing what it sets out for with only a few technical shortcomings this game could be perfect. I'd kill to see another game in the Arx world or any other creative settings the developer wants to take a sequel to. I'd definitely recommend this game to any RPG fan and to most gamers in general and if you're even remotely interested in the setting, environment, or style of the game, get it!
Despite Gamespot's new lazy and stupid method of scoring games here's how the game would have ranked on the old better system:
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Value: 9
Tilt: 9
Overall: 9.0