I started to play some days ago. The game still really neat after all these years.
The universe is pretty generic but the fact that all the game take place underground add something unique to it. The atmosphere is really well crafted and the story is well written.
My favourite part about this game is the fact that their's secrets everywhere. Some brick that open a wall part, secret places only accessible through magic,...
Also, Arx Fatalis doesn't assume we're completely stupid (which is refreshing): for exemple, il a NPC ask you to investigate on something, you have to... well... investigate. Quests aren't like "go fetch this, go speak to X", their's multiple ways to complete them and it usually requires some reflexion.