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Gothic (video game)

Gothic
German box art
Developer(s) Piranha Bytes
Publisher(s) Egmont Interactive
Xicat Interactive
Distributor(s) Egmont Interactive
Xicat Interactive
CD Projekt
Designer(s) Alexander Brüggemann
Michael Hoge
Stefan Nyul
Tom Putzki
Composer(s) Kai Rosenkranz
Series Gothic
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release
  • DE: March 15, 2001
  • NA: November 23, 2001
  • PL: March 28, 2002
Genre(s) Action role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 79.35% (18 reviews)
Metacritic 81/100 (14 reviews)
Review scores
Publication Score
Eurogamer 8/10
GameSpot 7.2/10
GameSpy 7.2/10
IGN 8.6/10
PC Gamer (US) 75/100
Award
Publication Award
GameStar Adventure Game of the Year (2001), Best Game World

Gothic is a single-player action role-playing video game for Microsoft Windows developed by the German company Piranha Bytes. It was first released in Germany on March 15, 2001, followed by the English North American release eight months later on November 23, 2001, and the Polish release on March 28, 2002.

Gothic has been well received by critics, scoring an average of 80% and 81/100 on Game Rankings' and Metacritic's aggregates, respectively. Reviewers credited the game for its story, complex interaction with other in-game characters, and graphics, but criticized it for the difficult control scheme and high system requirements.

The main character must complete quests and slay wild animals and monsters to earn skill points, which are used to increase basic attributes, improve skills, and learn trades. They are spent by finding the appropriate teacher. Several skills have only one "level" (Sneaking, Acrobatics), while the fighting skills (one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons, bows and crossbows) have two proficiency levels. If the Hero chooses to be a Mage (or joins the Swamp Camp), he will be able to learn Circles of Magic; of which there are 6. The main attributes are increased in 1 or 5 point increments, starting at 10 and capping off at 100. The cap can be surpassed with the use of potions.

The game places a special focus on the interactivity of the environment. For example, hunting wild animals can earn the player raw meat. This heals damage and can be sold. However, by using a stove or frying pan, the player may also choose to turn this into grilled meat, which heals much more effectively. Similarly, most of the activities other characters can be seen doing (playing musical instruments, stirring soup pots, urinating etc.) can be done by the main character as well (although with the exception of forging weapons these activities have little bearing on the game).

The player can choose which camp to join, although quests get increasingly linear and the distinctions between different factions wane in the latter parts of the game. The major difference is that Swamp Camp members cannot become mages, because they are limited to 4 magic circles (out of 6). However, they gain access to magic earlier.

The game takes place in a medieval fantasy realm in which humans are fighting a losing war against the Orcs, a humanoid race. In order to fight back, the king needs to extract magical ore from mines, which can be used to forge more powerful weapons. Therefore he decides to send every man who has committed a crime to the ore mines.


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