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Gamitopia has published a preview of Arx Fatalis. Here's something about the magic system:
Arx Fatalis makes use of what is perhaps the most innovative magic system I've seen. Perhaps it is because the development team at Arkane managed to combine disparate elements from other RPGs into one effective system, but whatever the reason or inspiration, the system works. Your character has mana, which is kind of a 'magic battery' (nothing new here). During your adventures, you will acquire various rune-stones (still, nothing new), with each rune representing a particular power word and hand gesture. Using runes in the proper combination will allow you to cast spells, assuming you are of a sufficient level and have enough mana. Where things get interesting is in the actual act of spell casting. By pressing the control key, your character enters into a kind of spell-casting trance. You see your hand outstretched, and a cursor on the screen. You must sweep the cursor across the screen to imitate the gestures shown on the ruins, in the combinations identified in your spell book. When you move the cursor, it leaves behind a glowing trail of magical energy which you must use to 'draw' the same shapes you saw on the rune stones. If you manage to gesture correctly for a particular rune, you'll see it stored in the top of the screen. Once you've managed to invoke the runes for a particular spell properly (and in the correct order), you release the control key (thus exiting spellcasting mode) and the spell will be cast. The system is doubly clever, because it requires some skill on the part of the player who is trying to guide the character in making the proper gestures, and creates a sense of magical experimentation. Also, your character has a magical ability score which determines his chances of success when attempting to cast a spell, so until your character becomes more powerful, you can't be sure a spell will work. The two main spells introduced in the demo were a spell that allows you to light torches (handy in the dark dungeons), and one that gives your character infravision (the ability to see in the dark). There are ten spell levels, and I saw at least some of the higher level spells required the use of three or even four ruins to cast them, meaning the more powerful a spell is, the more complex the casting process and the greater the chance of failure. |
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Arx Fatalis Preview at Gamitopia
