Gothic 3

2007/08/31

At the beginning of the game, the player expects a short introductory video in which they watch a nameless hero sail off in the direction of Myrtana with his comrades. After they have survived a few adventures and narrowly escaped death (which was most likely the work of the sorcerer Xardas, whom players would be familiar with from the previous versions) they are finally on their way home to their beloved native land. A bubbling cauldron, and not a warm fireplace, is what the heroes return to however. The orcs have invaded their country, overthrown the king and enslaved the humans. Unfortunately, more information is not given at the beginning of the game, and one would feel a little lost, if it weren’t for the old friends and the bombastic sound track, which is typical for the series.

Myrtana is and remains unknown territory for quite a while, and a lot of time and patience are required until the bits and pieces of information about the world and its current conditions can be sorted out. At the beginning of the game, much is certain: the king is missing, the orcs have seized power, and the hero is destined for greatness. Now, let’s make gothic history!

If you have played Oblivion before, and are not familiar with Gothic 3’s predecessors, then the game will seem like a lighter version of Oblivion. This doesn’t really hurt the game, because the endless options and the skills that can be learned in Oblivion can be a bit overwhelming for some. As always, in Gothic 3 you can learn skills, move up levels, collect plants, find various magic scrolls and striking tools, and even slay a deer and have a nice roast for supper. Moving up a level will get you 10 learning points that can be used to learn skills or to increase your attributes. These must be taught by a corresponding trainer who, for a particular sum will give you additional attribute points, or teach you a talent. Experience points, as well as money, play a crucial role; because some skills can only be learned once you have accumulated enough of these points.

At the beginning, magic is only available in scroll form, because runic magic, which makes free magic possible, has disappeared. The player can however, learn different forms of magic throughout the course of the adventure. You decide which areas you want to specialize in: whether you want to be a fighter, a magician, a villain or a combination of all of them. Even if you choose to hunt your opponents with a sword or an axe, the points accumulated can still be used to upgrade your skills with a bow and arrow. It takes some time to create the desired character with the appropriate upgrades, due to the often-hazy glitches in the game, the contradictions, and the recurring monotonous fights.

One of Gothic 3’s weakest components is its combat system, more particularly the close combat. In order to improve on previous versions, this was limited only to the mouse, and the corresponding combinations of the right or left mouse button execute various maneuvers. They don’t come into play often however, because you quickly learn that almost every fight can be won by a simple constant pressing of the left mouse button. The player who lands the first hit usually has the upper hand and can then throw one punch after another, whereby the person who receives the first blow seldom has the chance to hit back or to escape. The entire combat system is frustrating, even after the four patches that have been issued since its release. The enemies often behave stupidly and weren’t really meant to be heroes, because from a certain position, you can kill almost any opponent effortlessly with a bow and arrow.

The hero’s movements may seem a little stiff, but they aren’t all that bad. What is really annoying is how monotonous the fights become after a while. Opponents with much higher levels don’t perform more skillfully or have better defense techniques; they only have better weapons and a few more hits are necessary to send them to the great beyond. Monsters in particular, tend to always move backwards, as long as you keep swinging your sword and maintain an aggressive pursuit as soon as you find yourself in the retreat position. The fact that stronger opponents are more aggressive than weaker ones is also hard to miss. The first hit that makes contact usually decides the fight, and those who fight with their sword from an elevated position are usually at a disadvantage.

Gothic 3 makes some promises and, to a certain extent, manages to keep them. The player can move freely, the course of the game is non-linear and the quests and discussions are good. The threat that burdens the land is apparent, but not really noticeable. All the inhabitants of Myrtana seem lethargic and indifferent, and if for a change, you decide to listen to a conversation between two NPC’s, you will find that there is hardly any substance to it and it makes little sense. The harsh manner in which certain speakers converse with one another, ranting and raving about certain things or trying to make something clear, can be amusing, but the gestures and the camera work could use some improvement. The course of the conversation is a deciding factor in how the NPC’s behave towards the player. If you insult the other person, they very often won’t have anything more to do with you. If you do them a favor and don’t provoke them however, you will be rewarded with kindness.

Myrtana’s roaming landscape is depicted beautifully, even if the visual range is very limited. The various villages and cities look particularly good and are furnished with the appropriate items, which create a fitting atmosphere. If you go hunting during the day, the quarry runs away as soon as you approach it, and thanks to one of the patches, the unrealistic behavior at night has also improved. Quarry that has been captured can be roasted over a fire to increase the prey’s healing powers, and all items that you find or acquire can be sold and stored in your inventory for an indefinite period of time. There is no limit here, and you can carry countless items at the same time. Plants that have been picked can be turned into potions with the corresponding knowledge of alchemy and, if you have the necessary forge or mercantile skills, you can fashion weapons, materials like ore or tools correspondingly, or sell them for a high price.

Gothic 3 would have been a good game, if it weren’t for the immature combat system, the stupid opponents, the numerous clipping errors, the outdated techniques and a few other obstacles along the way. If for example, you shoot an arrow between two branches of a tree which has fallen over, it gets stuck in the air between them. That might make the opponent you are aiming at happy, but you probably won’t be. These arrows can be plucked out of the air however. Arrows that are shot at enemies, on the other hand, cannot be collected again. Things like grass growing through crates and stones, defeated opponents who sink partially into objects or jut out of house walls that you can also walk through with no problem, do not belong in a game that has already been revised four times. Every time it seems like the game is getting fun, one of these little glitches comes along and ruins everything. Too bad really, the game had some good premises.

Sooner or later you reach a point at which the game, in terms of game play at least, is no longer motivating. A recently acquired flaming sword or a transformation spell won’t help much either. The story alone, and the desire to find out what happened in the game world and what is going to happen motivate you to continue playing, even if this is a lengthy process that the game doesn’t make any easier for you.