After all the garbage that Bethesda has been pushing lately, I think they need to re-access the idea of an ARX 2. Rage has its problems and Hunted has its problems. I've been a fan of the Elderscrolls since the beginning (yes I'm 40) and I hope Skyrim doesn't face the same dumbing down that all games have been going through in the last 5 years. Arx 2 if done right would be a boon to the PC Gaming Community. It seems as though that my choices of games are limited to Elderscrolls, Thief series, and games written in DOS. I say this because I cannot play a game without a good story behind it. It seems today that eye-candy is all anyone is after. Hell, The Call of Cthulhu DOC was great. Not because of the graphics or control set, The STORY was great. I am the part of the gaming community that has the money, yet it seems that less publishers are catering to my tastes.

Arx 2 with an interesting story-line and written for advlts, would bring in loads of cash.

Thanks for reading my RANT. My objective was not to insult but to make a statement. "I will not buy another game that fails to deliver on story. PC or Console."

I very much agree with you. Though I'm curious about Skyrim, I don't have any high hopes(since they were crushed by Oblivion) but am willing to give it a shot, though it seems it has been dumbed down quite a lot. Hopefully when it comes out it will prove me wrong... or correct...


This.Precisely this. It is so sad that nowadays we are getting games that sort of try to cater to everyone and fail spectacularly at being one or the other. There is no reason RPGs should be dumbed down, as seems to be the trend. RPGs have always been a tad more complex than your simple FPS, why change that? It gets really frustrating, when I read about some rpg coming out whose selling point is "all new and improved mega awesome graphics, dumbed down for your pleasure, because thinking causes cancer, the AWESOME button, and did we mention graphics?"

Most storylines in games nowadays are like something that Hollywood would produce. Streamlining for the greater good...

The problem here is that since every publisher/developer tries to expand their target audience by bringing in fans of RPGs/RTS/FPS and whatnot it actually does make them money and they have no reason to target a niche market like "hardcoe/advlt" gamers. Its just the sad truth. Though I believe that Arkane could pull it off, if Arx 2 becomes a reality.

Anywho, I'm currently in the process of replaying Arx, and am having the time of my life once again(it's my tradition to play it once a year around the winter times) poking into every dark corner looking for hidden stuff and completing everything along the way. Despite having its flaws this game is a diamond in the rough. It provides you with an unbelievably immersing atmosphere and setting, with lots of small details that just add to the enjoyment of the game. It had a nice story and an interesting concept and best of all, you could play the game ANY way you liked. And lets not forget the great spellcasting system(which is a bit buggy, but still great concept). It is a travesty not many people have played this game, and it deffinitely deserves a sequel, because Arkane can make great immersive and fun games. Not to mention they now have the Creation engine at their disposal which could be used to make a sequel more open-worlded and do their world justice with the cool snow mechanics. I'd love to travel around fortress cities.

No thanks. I don't want Bethesda developing Arx Fatalis. They'd get the combat wrong. Get Arcane Studios to do it since they are under the ownership of Zenimax right now, it would make sense. Leave Bethesda out of it. If there is a sequel to Arx, then it needs to contain the same formula. It doesn't need to be changed because it doesn't have to. There are few games like Arx Fatalis right now and Arx 2 should be identical in almost everything. It should be identical to Arx Fatalis 1 in the non-linear story, the exploration, the crafting and the fact that the game doesn't hold you by the hand. The only thing that needs changing is the combat. Have it like Dark Messiah's combat and then everything about Arx Fatalis 2 will be perfect.

The story doesn't need to be advlt but it can be dark (Arx Fatalis 1 did a good job of this).

Well, no one here has mentioned anything about Bethesda developing the game as well they shouldn't. Like you said it's Arkane's baby and as such they should be in charge of the project and its development. If I'm not mistaken Arkane has 2 titles in development - one was announced, which is Dishonoured. The second one is unannounced. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Arx 2 in the forseeable future.

Even if it's not Arx 2 (this second project), it could be an RPG. If so, I'm sure it will be as great as Arx.

I don't think Arx Fatalis is dead.

Despite the rather lackluster sales, it is considered a classic by a lot of people, and really has found new life with a sort of "cult" following.

Hear me now, Arkane will do another Arx Fatalis. They will work for a long time on Dishonored (Which looks great btw), and it might not even be the game after that, but Arkane will definitely do another one. It's really only a matter of time. The IP is not dead, but in remission.

I feel the need to set the record straight here: both Arkane offices are currently dedicated to Dishonored, so don't expect any kind of surprise announcement tomorrow or next week.

And because I can anticipate your next question: no, we honestly have absolutely no clue about what will happen next.