I've played demo of this game once in the past but it was crushing all the time and I didn't liked it much. But I've heard that it's a great game. Is it worth buying?
I'm a big fan of all fallouts and Planescape:Torment but i don't like BG and IWD.

It is a great game. I wonder if the gog version is properly patched though..

It's basically an adaptation of Fallout in a different setting - same team that developed the original Fallout behind this one.
As Fallout Arcanum has some problems (one of them is, sadly, sometimes a bit too much "filler" combat) but all in all if you like Fallouts Arcanum is a must.
I'd get some of the patches for this one. Drog's resolution patch does wonders for the game on current hardware, for example.

Simply, yes.
And I disagree It's a Fallout in different setting. The game is totally different (though some mechanic concepts might be similar to Fallout's): it's a very complex RPG, offering you a hundreds or more ways of interaction.
If you like role-playing, you'll like the game.

Ye. Agree that it is a quite different game from the Fallouts in term of mood/story/options. Had written some on that end too, but removed that part again to keep things simple.
I focused on the similarity to Fallout given that he stressed liking the original ones.

The game tries to use a hybrid combat system of letting you choose between real time and turn based. This was supposed to solve the debate between publishers who believe rpgs have to have real time combat in order to appeal to the mass market and the fallout 1/2 fan base who didn't want anything to do with something that isn't turn based.
This compromise turned out to be a total failure. Real time mode was way to fast and made combat against strong opponents nearly impossible. I can remember situations where a fight would resolve itself before I could even respond. Turn base mode made the game playable but I found combat to be way too easy most of the time.
Unfortunately for Troika the game starts with real time mode by default. This chased away many potential players who grew frustrated with the combat and didn't realize they could switch over to turn based. Trying to cater to different systems prevented the designers from tailoring encounters to a proper level of challenge.
I still consider the game worth buying because the story and multiple plot lines more than make up for the broken combat. It's a good game that could've been great if Troika stayed with one system.

Oh I didn't know that it was also turn based - maybe that's why demo version seemed so hard;) So I will probably buy it after I'll have some money to spend.

You can switch it to real time, handy when you are very powerful and just want to blow the weaklings away. Allows for some exploits, i guess, but smart people don't use exploits anyway ;)

Imo, it's the closest RPG to Fallout (1&2 only. I pretend F3 doesn't exist :) ). Same depth of quests, interesting story, good dialogs, mature themed and very good music. The combat is not it's strongest point though...But the bugs are patched and the graphics are enhanced by that big resolution mod, and for 6 USD, it's totaly worth it, no doubt about it.
ps: the game gets better and better, the longer you play. So...keep playing it. :D

I love this game. This is the only game I've played where you can have a Mage with a sweet Vaudeville-style Handle bar mustache and a name like "Clarence McAllister." or "Barnebas Smith"
edit: or sexy Mutton Chops....

If you liked F1/2 and PS:T, you'll like Arcanum. There's a huge world to explore, tons of side quests to do, high levels of character customization allowing for very different ways of playing (eg. gunslinger, inventor that lets the allies do the fighting, necromancer, straight up fighter, sneaky thief-type, etc.). There's a bit much combat at times (if you don't like this, stay away from the sewers of the main city), and if you're used to hitting the space button in games when you see an enemy, that' going to hurt since that switches between real-time and turn-based combat :)
Aaanyway, if you missed this gem when it came out, I'd definitely suggest you buy it now :)

Arcanum is a total steal for $6. Truly great game.

Is there anyone who never played Arcanum before, perhaps isn't even such a hardcore RPG fan, but bought it now on GOG and is awestruck how much fun it is? Those are the opinions that can really motivate a new buy.
BTW., I never got into Fallout 2. Story, dialogues don't motivate me, there are no directions, and it takes hours to do accomplish even the littlest thing. But Arcanum seems to have stronger dialogue, characters and story, so...
(I played through BG2 and PS:T, but Fallout 2 is just a drag.)

I've never played Arcanum before, but I just bought it and I'm downloading it now, but if what everyone says about "any fan of Fallout and Fallout 2 should love it" carry any real merit, then I expect I'll find it very entertaining, especially since Fallout and Fallout 2 are, in my opinion, 2 of the greatest rpgs every invented. Anyway, you wanted the opinion of someone who has never played it before, so after I play it for awhile, I'll come back here and let you know what I thought of it.

There were a few community patches too, and some mods, and that's why my boxed version isn't crashing on my XP machine.
I actually thought the game had become freeware, as a couple other titles GOG sells have been made freeware by the developers, but in any event, it truly is worthy of the same classic status and the first two Fallout's.
I thought the game had been made freeware by the developers, like some other games that GOG sells, but in any event, with the community patches that came out for it, the game hasn't crashed on my XP system with hours and hours of play (I have the original version boxed and everything.), and I am sure this version has those community patches.
Certainly, this game is just as worthy of a classic status as the first two Fallout's, made by the same people.
I thought the game had been made freeware by the developers, like some other games that GOG sells, but in any event, with the community patches that came out for it, the game hasn't crashed on my XP system with hours and hours of play (I have the original version boxed and everything.), and I am sure this version has those community patches.
Certainly, this game is just as worthy of a classic status as the first two Fallout's, made by the same people.