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OctU
Keeper of the Gates
Joined: 24 Jan 2002
Posts: 114
Location: On an island beyond the realm of the Sea Barons |
I’ve played many RPG games over the years, and though some were more entertaining than others, none of them were truly engrossing. Ever since Arena - the Elder Scrolls, I have judged all RPG’s by whether they were open-ended or not. Fallout and it’s sequel were ok, but they ended-up like those books you start reading but never quite get around to finishing. I keep up with the latest game news, and once in a while I’ll try something out. You know, just a game here and there to tide me over until Morrowind.
Diablo II LOD had some novel aspects and was amusing to play, but it was rather cartoonish and not very compelling. I won’t play any game that incorporates the ridiculous AD&D system, so I didn’t even touch the Baldur’s Gate series. I was not impressed with the Wizardry 8 demo, and don’t like the concept of managing multiple party members anyway. I thought if this was the best that RPG’s had to offer right now, it just wasn’t enough. So I decided to try something different, and had nothing in particular in mind when I spied Gothic on the shelf. I had half-remembered reading a so-so review of it on GameSpot, and almost decided to get Siege of Avalon instead. But my desire for open-ended play prevailed, and I decided to take my chance on Gothic. Well, I really didn’t expect too much from this game, but I had expected to at least get it successfully installed on my machine! No go. After trying various trouble-shooting procedures and receiving tech support that was either non-existent (Piranha) or clueless (Xicat), I almost gave up and returned the game thinking, “Damn, I knew I should have gotten Siege of Avalon”.
But my error code research paid off, and I finally got the game installed and running. But then I thought, “Huh? Keyboard oriented controls with limited mouse activity? Hell, if I wanted to play an old DOS based type of game, I’d just get out my old Darklands again!” Thoughts of returning this game returned. But since it was already up and running in front of me, I decided to give it 10 minutes of play to see if it had any chance of impressing me. Half and hour later, I decided to give it another 10 minutes. Three hours later, I was hooked.
First of all, I got used to the keyboard controls fairly quickly, and it was not bad at all, actually. But mostly, I have never felt so immersed in a game as I have with Gothic. The graphics are incredible, and the ambiance is vivid and haunting. I mean, I feel like I am THERE, getting excited at finding new items and exploring new areas, staring at wonder at a full moon on a clear night against the glimmer of the force field, feeling the newbie’s angst of a 7th grader in a locker room full of seniors when I’m in camp, but most all, it’s the adrenaline rush of fear that hits me when I’m in the wilderness and turn a corner only to spot some ominous, large creature just up the path slowly coming towards me. The realism of the graphics AND the realism of the AI – how it handles the reactions of creatures and people -- is simply astounding.
You can swim in this game? UNDERWATER? Sure! You can jump on rocks and trees and climb mountainsides that aren’t too steep? No prob! But that you can drown if you stay underwater too long or die from a fall that is too high is also impressively real. The sound effects in Gothic are fantastic, and they set the mood perfectly. I don’t have many skills or possessions right now, so the grunts, hisses, and moans of the creatures in the wilderness really have me jittery. Man I’m glad my character is reasonably fast, because I’ve run like the wind from some weird beasts on more than one occasion.
In fact, I think I really fell in love with this game when I was once being chased at night by a large lumbering beast (yes, I was out at night as a newbie, because I didn’t know any better). While heading directly for the Old Camp gate, I ran directly through a small campfire surrounded by some diggers. Well, I just ran past them not giving any thought to their impending “doom”, since just about any game would treat these characters as “static”, where they neither move from their location nor are affected by any other circumstances in the game, save their possible involvement in some kind of quest. Such characters would simply “ignore” and be “ignored by” the creature – not very realistic. But lo and behold, all of a sudden one of the diggers is huffing and puffing his ass right along side me, making a b-line to the gate as well! Not only was this character not static, he was INTELLEGENT as well, running for his life instead of foolishly trying to take on this huge beast with his pickaxe. “Now what kind of game is this?” I asked myself in amazement. “I’ve never played something like this before!”
Even though I have played this game for a short while, it is already, without question, the best GAME, not just RPG, that I have ever played. I actually feel drained when I finish a session, with all the tension, scheming, and surprises that happen. I actually start thinking about what I need to do for the next session -- how to deal with this guy or how to kill that creature. No other game has ever commanded my full attention and held my full interest like Gothic. When I played Diablo II LOD, it was like, “Yea, I should be in Diablo’s sanctuary tomorrow. Whatever. I hope my mouse will hold out.”
So I feel incredibly lucky that I picked up this rare gem of a game on a lark. If Morrowind is released tomorrow, well, it can wait – I have some more Gothic to play!
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Wed Jan 30, 2002 10:47 pm |
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RingWrath
Jedi Master
Joined: 08 Jan 2002
Posts: 513
Location: new zealand |
absolutley,
gothic is the only game i felt like a nerd while not playing lol 
i would be hangin out with friends, skating or something, when i would think "jeez, i wonder what the sect camp are up to.." or "all i needed to do was kill him! cant wait to get back home!" i really felt like i was obsessed
_________________
Long is the way. And hard,
that out of hell leads up to light.
- Se7en |
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Thu Jan 31, 2002 12:47 pm |
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iplaygames2
Master of The Realms
Joined: 06 Sep 2001
Posts: 745
Location: Chicago, IL, USA |
Well said, OctU!
I agree with you 100%..Gothic is an incredible game; even more so once you get the awkward-at-first controls figured out. Glad to see another face on these boards.. Welcome!! Should you have any questions or problems in game, the people here will be more than willing to try and help you out.. again, welcome! 
_________________
Member of the "Fantastic ONE"
(hell, everyone else is a member of something..)
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Thu Jan 31, 2002 2:36 pm |
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Kwitzak
Village Leader
Joined: 28 Jan 2002
Posts: 84
Location: Denmark |
When i read your Review of the game, I would think that you have looked over my shoulder. I was just the same way i was thinking and "for that sake" playing the game. I also ran out in the night and was chased by the lizards through the 2 miners campfire..Poor guys..hehe
But i must admit, IT IS THE BEST GAME EVER, i have ever played. But i will look forward to Morrowind, Maybe it will have the same AI,,But i doubt it.
I just hope that the patch will come soon..There are very many small bugs in the game..But its still a very very very great game..
Thanks for a nice review..
The Archmage |
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Thu Jan 31, 2002 2:52 pm |
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Guest
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I just finished this game after clocking 40+ hrs in 4 days... Just found this place and read your review which totally describes my feelings as well. Awesome review, i'll direct my friends to this, since you describe it better than i ever could! Hey this game was the best surprise I've had in a long time!
/Philote |
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Fri Feb 01, 2002 1:29 pm |
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EverythingXen
Arch-villain
Joined: 01 Feb 2002
Posts: 4342
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I recommend the game to all my friends. Even those who only play FPS but are interested in the way me and the others in our group go on about RPGs. Actually, especially to those guys...
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Fri Feb 01, 2002 2:47 pm |
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