PCGame

Arx Fatalis

First-person fantasy RPG with underground exploration and mouse-drawn spells

Arkane Studios · Published by Bethesda Softworks · Released Apr 3, 2007

RPG

Reviews
Very Positive
87% of 2,663
Recent reviews
Very Positive
89% of 19 in 30 days
Players
10
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update on Steam
6 years ago
May 28, 2020
Minimum PC
–
not published

Metacritic: 77/100 (critic reviews)

What is Arx Fatalis?

A first-person RPG set in a fantasy world where the vanished sun has driven rival peoples underground and the god Akbaa threatens them. You explore mines, cities, and temples on a nonlinear quest, fighting enemies, solving puzzles, developing skills, and drawing runes with the mouse to cast spells.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy exploring dark underground fantasy worlds
  • +you like experimenting with items and character builds
  • +you prefer finding your own way through puzzles

Not for you if...

  • −you want clear directions through quests and puzzles
  • −you prefer straightforward combat without mouse gestures

What players say

87% of 2,663 reviews are positive · 89% of 19 in the last 30 days

Players praise the underground atmosphere, hands-on item interactions, and rune-based spells. They complain about obscure quests and puzzles, awkward controls, and difficulty drawing spells on modern systems; many suggest Arx Libertatis to improve play on current PCs.

Screenshots and trailer

Arx Fatalis screenshot 1

Arx Fatalis system requirements

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Arx Fatalis?

The published requirements do not name a graphics card we can compare.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

Windows XP, 500 MHz Pentium ® III or compatible, 64 MB RAM , DirectX 8 or higher, DirectX 8 compatible sound- and graphics card with 16 MB, 750 MB fixed disks Recommended: 900 MHz Pentium ® III or compatible, 256 MB RAM , DirectX 8 or higher, DirectX 8 compatible sound- and graphics card with 32MB, 750 MB fixed disks

Does Arx Fatalis have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does Arx Fatalis run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

  • Default controller config not fully functional
  • Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
  • The native resolution is not the default one
  • In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Keyboard and mouse
Platforms
Windows
Steam features
Family Sharing
Languages
Text only: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish - Spain, Russian.

Does Arx Fatalis use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 25, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

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