奥秘:
Arcanum:
蒸汽与魔法
Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

Troika, 2001
Windows

Troika, 2001
Windows

在我看来,《奥秘(Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura)》展现了 CPRG 所能创造出的最完整的角色扮演体验。机制和内容的深度与广度保证了一次通关是绝对不够的,甚至两次或三次都不能体验到全部的内容。

游戏中的角色具有极大的多样性,这不仅仅体现在角色创建上,也体现在贯穿《奥秘》这个巨大开放世界的游戏流程和对话选择上。

在《奥秘》中创建角色非常复杂。游戏采用了无职业的系统,所以玩家选择的不是职业,而是在超过 8 个种族和 50 个以上的背景中选择。这让玩家可以定制出风格独特的角色,同时还给予了角色扮演的精神。

背景产生的影响可能无关紧要,也可能非常极端。如果你只是想稍做调整,给你的角色一点独特的特色,那么你可以选择成为商店学徒或者半身人孤儿,这样可以获得一些微小的收益和惩罚。但如果你想玩个大的,那你可以选择成为超模或者低能特材[1] ,甚至还可以选择当一个弗兰肯斯坦的怪物。这类背景能给多种属性和技能带来极大的增益,以及同等程度的惩罚。

Arcanum, in my opinion, offers the most complete role-playing experience of any CRPG ever created. The breadth and depth of mechanics and content ensure that one playthrough just won't be enough. Two or three won't cut it either.

The diversity of character options is immense, not just at character creation, but through gameplay and dialogue choices throughout the huge open world of Arcanum.

Creating a character in Arcanum is a very involved experience. The system is classless, so you won't pick a class, but there are no fewer than eight races and over 50 backgrounds to choose from, allowing you to tailor your character to very specific tastes and also getting the player into the role-playing spirit.

The effects of backgrounds range from the minor to the extreme. If you just want to tinker a little or add some flavour to your character, you could be an apprentice to a shopkeeper or a halfling orphan for some minor bonuses and penalties. But if you want to go all in, you could be a supermodel, or an idiot savant or even a Frankenstein's monster with huge bonuses and penalties across multiple stats and skills.

《奥秘》曾计划推出一款续作,名为《奥秘之心历险记(Journey to the Centre of Arcanum)》,其灵感来自儒勒·凡尔纳(Jules Verne)的小说《地心游记》。续作本打算使用 Valve 的起源引擎(Source Engine)开发,但 Troika 没能筹集到必要的资金。

A sequel to Arcanum was planned, titled Journey to the Centre of Arcanum. Inspired by Jules Verne's novel, it was to be created in Valve's Source Engine but Troika failed to secure the necessary funding.

战斗是《奥秘》中最薄弱的部分。有即时制和基于行动点数的回合制两种模式可选,但两种模式都有各自的问题。

Combat is the weakest part of Arcanum. It can be fought in real-time or turn-based mode, using action points, but neither really works well.

创建人物结束后会播放一段开场动画。你乘坐在 IFS 西风号(IFS Zephyr)上,这是一艘正在进行从卡拉顿(Caladon)到塔伦特(Tarant)处女航的飞艇。突然间西风号遭到了两架兽人(Orc)驾驶的“奇特飞行机器”(也就是飞机)的攻击并坠毁了。在失事地点,一个垂死的侏儒(gnome)托付给你一枚银戒指,告诉你去“找到那个孩子”。然后你会遇到一个名叫维吉尔(Virgil)的同伴,他最近刚刚改信帕纳利(Panarii)教,现在他宣称你就是远古神明纳斯鲁丁(Nasrudin)的转世。维吉尔提出带你去附近的巫山镇(Shrouded Hills)见一见他的上级,于是你在奥秘世界的旅程就这样开始了。

《奥秘》中有着数目庞大的任务,它们可以通过多种方式来完成,通常这些解决方式可以归结为《辐射(Fallout)》所创立的“三板斧”——战斗、潜行和交涉。复杂的角色系统在这方面增添了大量的深度:一位身着华丽礼服的美丽精灵能更容易地让一名谋杀犯坦白,但一名丑陋的魔法师也可以尝试使用魅惑咒语,甚至利用死灵法术从受害人那里获得证词。

游戏世界极其广阔,而且非常开放,其中设立了少数可供穿越的传送门。地图上还散布着很多可供探索的支线地点,可能是被遗忘的旧神的祭坛,可能是远古地下城,还可能是隐藏的村庄,或者是某些彩蛋。

大量的小细节让《奥秘》更具魅力。举个例子,游戏中的每个技能都有一个对应的大师。如果你想要受训,那么你首先得找到他们,往往还需要为他们完成特殊的任务。你还能看到你自己的行动或者其后果成为《奥秘》中最流行的报纸《塔伦特人》(Tarantian)的头条。你还可以听一听街头流言,其中不仅包含着开启隐秘支线任务的线索,还有对于此后区域以及敌人的提示。

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.

__________

1 译者注:指有严重的学习障碍,但在艺术、音乐或记忆等方面有超常能力的人。

GameDB 相关游戏: 奥秘:蒸汽与魔法

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