Gothic 2 is a superb RPC game. It has a virtual world having lot of people, creatures, monsters, magicians, dragons and many more. The player has more than one way to achieve the goal and each way has its own quests. Any gamer would surely love this.

Product: GOTHIC II (PC Game)

From: Eric Hartford
Date: Friday 01 August, 2003


General/Summary:

This is a great game. All RPG's should be compared to the Gothic series. It's innovative, brilliant, and beautiful. For a developer, it's inspirational. It's not a game for those who prefer dull puzzles and mindless linear storylines. It's a game for the patient, the imaginative, the intellectual, and the dreamer.


Gameplay:

Controls - The controls are simple, easy to remember, and very unconventional. Most RPG games assign a different key for almost every task, making it very difficult to get into the zone Gothic controls so effortlessly allow. A true RPG fan needs to get "into" the game. Like a movie, you can't enjoy the game if you've got a constant awareness of real time; what's going on around you while your playing. To someone who didn't play the original Gothic, the classic controls might seem awkward at first, but after the first hour or two you'll find the controls feel as natural as breathing. The non-classic controls are less awkward to a first time user, but have the same long-term benefits. Having played the original, I personally recommend and prefer the classic controls.

Realism - This is where the Gothic series makes it's mark. There is no other RPG with as much realism as this --and it keeps getting better! Perhaps one of the greatest things about the AI realism is the actual speech. Unlike most games, you don't have to read until your eyes hurt. In fact, you rarely have to read at all. Every single NPC speeks. When you choose something to say you will literally say it, and the NPC you're talking to will literally talk back. You can have real conversations. You don't read their responses. You hear them! NPC's sleep, eat, bath, argue, chat, walk, pray, sweep, hammer, swim, cook, smoke, play music, dance, practice combat, brew, work at farms, saw wood, forge, build, hunt, patrol, etc... 8,000 characters just isn't enough space to list all the things NPC's do throughout their daily routines! AI realism is so amazing you might even be so unfortunate as to see a man literally peeing in the corner of the castle walls or on the trunk of a tree. The realism in this game is truly the best. Not even Morrowind AI can compare!

AI realism isn't the only realism worthy of recognition. You can literally play this game over and over again, exploring new possibilities and quests each time. You can play the role of a ruthless, a merciful, or a neutral character. You can kill NPCs at will or let them live in the hopes that they might serve you in the future. You can communicate with multiple options of personality to respond with accordingly. You can explore a world large and memorable. You'll quickly discover which creatures to avoid until later when you've grown and developed your character, and you'll never grow tired of slaying the creatures vulnerable to your wrath. You'll connect to some NPC's and you'll develop a personal disliking to certain others. You choose your own path! You choose your own allegiance! You decide your own fate!

Combat - Combat, like the controls, is very unconventional, but once adapted to, is flawless...

For close ranged combat you have the option of using several types of weapons which break down into two types of skills. You can become skillful in 1H combat, or 2H combat. 1H combat can constist of swords, axes, hammers, staffs, sickles, daggers, and much more. 2H combat can consist of swords, axes, and much more. When untrained, close handed combat requires timing. With the awesome camera angles, timing is easy to master. The more you train in either 1H combat or 2H combat, the more strategies and combinations become available to you. For example, a master at 1H combat can hit three arrow keys in the right order to do a fast and extremely lethal combination. 1H weapons generally allow for faster swings and more combinations. 2H weapons generally allow for more damage.

For long-ranged combat you have the option of using two types of projectiles and several types of magic. For projectiles you can train in a crossbow or a bow (archery). There are several types of crossbows, and several types of bows. Training in either of these skills will improve your accuracy. For magic there are kinds that do direct damage, area of effect damage, summon creatures to do damage for you, and there are kinds that transform you into creatures with other abilities and factions. Crossbows often allow for more damage. Bows generally allow for faster shooting.

You can use scrolls or runes. Scrolls can be purchased or found, and have a onetime only use. Runes can be used as often as your mana permits. You can also train to increase your mana. Magicians focus primarily on runes for combat. They have the ability to learn circles of magic. Each circle of magic contains a new set of spells which can be created as runes. The higher the circle of magic, the more powerful the spells become.

You'll come across many types of armor with unique properties throughout your journies. Whichever guild you decide to join will have its own set of armors you can earn or purchase as you progress through the game. You have the ability to create your own weapons, runes, or even potions. You'll have the option of training in looting skills which enable you to cut off or remove certain parts of creatures and take with you as trophies. These trophies can later be used to sell to merchants for gold or assist you in quests or replenishment.

You'll come across many secretive objects, items, or NPCs which can increase your abilities or attributes. You can go through the entire game without even discovering half its quests and secrets!

Navigation - The world is much larger than the original Gothic, which means you've got more secrets to uncover, more creatures to slay, and more of all the other things that brought the wilderness of the original Gothic to life. Since the game is based on a time when men probably didn't have compasses, your left to choose between memory or cartography to guide you when your lost. Since the vast land in Gothic 2 is so memorable, I choose to rely on memory to find my way around, but a handy map doesn't hurt. When looking at your map you'll see a small, white arrowhead which indicates your current location on the map. This makes recognizing your current location in relation to where you want to be very easy and convenient. Since another contributing factor to the realism of the game is the in-game time factor, you've got to be prepared for the darkness of night. Players have the option of using a spell which provides light, using a torch, turning the gamma up in the options menu, or simply finding a bed to sleep in until the next morning. If a player is wounded or has no mana left with which to cast spells, players can sleep and wake fully rejuvenated or consume special herbs or foods/drinks.

Criticism - The only thing worthy of complaint in the gameplay is the voice acting. There are so many NPCs it is understandable and forgiving, but, nonetheless annoying no matter how hard we try to overlook it. Due to a limited supply of voice actors the same voice is used for several different NPCs. I was especially saddened by the change in the voice actor for the NPC, Diego. In the original Gothic, many players, including myself, made a personal connection with NPCs such as Diego. In Gothic 2, hearing a strange, new voice assigned to the same NPC is almost heartbreaking. I went from feeling like Diego was a dear friend, to feeling like I didn't even know him anymore. It would be better if the voice actors were made to sign a legal agreement obligating them to stick with their characters for the duration of the Gothic series. I certainly hope they get the original voice actor back for Diego, and have more voice actors to go around for the common NPCs in Gothic 3.


Graphics:

The graphics is astonishing. The level of detail is simply amazing. There is more detailed plant life than any other game I've ever played. In some areas you can easily get lost in the forest. It really brings the world of Gothic even more to life. The sky and weather effects are simply beautiful. You will find yourself pausing on a cliff or a hill just to watch the sunset or sunrise. Few games have better things that contribute to the graphics of a game, but as a whole this game has the absolute best. The only RPG with better gaphics in terms of realism is Morrowind, but the attention to detail in Gothic 2 is far better than anything out there.


Sound:

The sound is breathtaking. I was playing the other day and my friend just happened to stop by for a visit. He heard the in-game music/sound and commented on it. This coming from someone who doesn't even like games; he said he was amazed at how clear, realistic, and powerful it was. From the birds chirping and the creatures roaring, to the gentle tunes of the music; it all fits perfectly. It further enhances the experience by enthralling the mind.



Note:

The Gothic series is truly the best CRPG. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't at least try it. It's a game that takes time to adjust to for beginners. The Gothic series hasn't spent a lot of money on advertising, therefore, the game doesn't get the recognition it deserves. If this is the first you've heard of the game, go to www.rpgdot.com and read more on the Gothic forums.