When you're finished creating your avatar, the opening cinematic plays. You are aboard the IFS Zephyr, a zeppelin on its maiden voyage from Caladon to Tarant, when it is attacked and shot down by two “strange flying machines” (i.e. planes) piloted by Orcs. At the crash site, you talk to a dying gnome who gives you a silver ring and tells you to “find the boy”. You are then engaged by a fellow named Virgil, a recent convert to the Panarii religion, who claims you are the reincarnation of the ancient god Nasrudin. Virgil offers to accompany you to the nearby town of Shrouded Hills to meet his superior, and your journey through the world of Arcanum begins.

Arcanum boasts a huge number of quests with several ways to resolve them, usually using the trio of solutions established by Fallout – combat, stealth and diplomacy. The complex character system adds a lot of depth here, as a beautiful elf in an elegant dress will have an easier time getting a murderer to confess, but an ugly mage can still try a charm spell, or even use necromancy to get a testimony from his victims.

The world is massive and very open, with few gates to pass through. There are many optional locations scattered across the map to stumble upon, from altars of old and forgotten gods to ancient dungeons, hidden villages and a few easter eggs.

A lot of smaller touches really add to the charm of Arcanum. For example, every skill in the game has an associated master. You'll have to find them and often do a special quest for them if you wish to be trained. You will also see your own actions, or the consequences of them, as headlines of the Tarantian, the most popular newspaper in Arcanum. You'll read and hear various rumours as well, that serve both as leads into obscure side-quests and as subtle hints about future areas and the game's antagonist.