ECTS 2001: Arx Fatalis update

Fishtank Interactive demonstrated the first playable alpha build of its upcoming role-playing game Arx Fatalis at the ECTS 2001 game convention this past weekend in London. The company also released a new group of screenshots that show off a variety of characters and creatures that players will encounter in the game.

Arx Fatalis is designed to appeal to fans of the Ultima Underworld games, and it uses a first-person perspective and an onscreen magic system. The single-player storyline takes players into an underground medieval fantasy world filled with goblins, trolls, and ratmen.

The game will feature more than eight distinct races, a gesture-based magic system with more than 50 spells, and a nonlinear storyline that will take approximately 50 hours to complete. In addition, the game will include several multiplayer modes.

Arx Fatalis is in development at Arkane Studios, and it is scheduled for release in early 2002. For more information, take a look at our previous coverage of the game.