Combat is a major part of Arcanum, and for the most part, it's simply awful. You can choose from turn-based or real-time combat and readily toggle between the two, but neither option works well. Real-time combat happens in a frantic blur, as all parties involved hack away at each other to the death. The haphazard, too-quick animation makes Arcanum's battles look unintentionally comical--it's like watching people mill about stiltedly in some turn-of-the-century movie played at double speed. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be a deliberate effect, since there's nothing flattering about the dated, washed-out, low-resolution graphics found throughout Arcanum.
