Arcania: Gothic 4

 PC
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 438 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 438
  2. Mixed: 129 out of 438
  3. Negative: 244 out of 438
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  1. Heis109
    Oct 27, 2010
    5
    5/10 - Pretty sucky. Graphically, its very nice. But with all the work that was put into making it look nice, and feel like a solid RPG...why couldn't more time have been spent on creating good dialog? What point was there using the "choose your answer" dialog techinque when 90 percent of the time there was still just one way to go? The conversation was ridiculous in places, and mostly5/10 - Pretty sucky. Graphically, its very nice. But with all the work that was put into making it look nice, and feel like a solid RPG...why couldn't more time have been spent on creating good dialog? What point was there using the "choose your answer" dialog techinque when 90 percent of the time there was still just one way to go? The conversation was ridiculous in places, and mostly uninformative since there weren't many side-quests, and none related to the main story (which was a confused tale of revenge gone boring). Very unlike the "free roaming walk around" game it was supposedly going to be. I feel like they tried to have it both ways, and ended up creating a game that is basically linear but is wearing a "go anywhere" disguise. The disguise doesn't hold up though, because there are clear barriers to every new area you encounter. As you progress through the game you can see on the map how they are divided up. It's certainly not the Oblivion style experience it was billed as. Also...way to get lazy about terrain, guys. There are dozens of places in each zone that appear to be accessable to your character, but are not. For example, there are lots of low laying rocks along the edge of a 'zone', and beyond them is more grass or water (which if you even get so much as waist high in, you die like you've been sunk in a vat of acid - stupid!). These superficial barriers keep you in, while tantalizing you with the illusion of a bigger world. When you try to jump over the rocks that should be a simple 'hop up and off you go', you find yourself sliding sideways on nothing, keeping you safely in the current zone. It's super disenchanting and another reason why the game feels so linear. There are many other issues with terrain that I could point out, but you get the point. Shoddy work, on such a beautiful canvas. Another thing that marred this game are that so many of the little details are left unpolished - here I'm thinking of how many times I've missed whacking an enemy because you can just walk straight through them while attacking, ending up behind them, facing the wrong way. This happens to me often while playing. I hate it, a lot. Also, the "Sneak" skill... Wow. What a waste. You can already steal absolutely everything in the game with no consequences (NPCs are hardly interactive at all in this game), and the only other reason to use it would be to sneak up on enemies. However, that flies out the window since there is no benefit to doing that. No bonus damage for a sneak attack or anything of that sort. Total crap! So, if you don't mind having it rain on you while you're indoors, sliding across rocks like you're riding a hot butter knife surf board, or missing your enemy half the time if you choose melee fighting - this game might be for you. I give it a 5, because its totally not worth 50 bucks. It's a throwaway game in my opinion...good for a few minutes of distraction, since that's probably about how long it'll take you to finish it.… Expand
  2. Scorio
    Mar 24, 2011
    5
    Arcania is not a bad game. It's quite solid. Nice graphics, solid RPG elements, nice animations, combat is ok although too easy. Overall it's... solid. Not disastrous but nothing spectacular either. The main problem with Arcania is that it's supposed to be Gothic but feels nothing like it. As a fan of the first two Gothic games, from the first steps in the game I realized this isn'tArcania is not a bad game. It's quite solid. Nice graphics, solid RPG elements, nice animations, combat is ok although too easy. Overall it's... solid. Not disastrous but nothing spectacular either. The main problem with Arcania is that it's supposed to be Gothic but feels nothing like it. As a fan of the first two Gothic games, from the first steps in the game I realized this isn't Gothic. The fun dialogs are gone, the feeling is gone, the goofiness that was apparent in the Gothic series is gone. Basically all that made Gothic so great is gone. Summation: fans of the Gothic series.. .don't expect anything. I actually recommend avoiding it. First timers in the Gothic world, feel free to have a play, but if you want the REAL Gothic go for the first and second part.… Expand
  3. dbrown1986
    Jul 28, 2011
    6
    Arcania. The newest installment in the Gothic series produced by JoWood exclusively, deviates quite far from the classic adventures that are apparent in the first three games. It seems that without Piranha-Bytes at their side, JoWood is not performing well and is slowly killing off the Gothic series with a plethora of bad sequels (Forsaken Gods and now Arcania). While the game has many aArcania. The newest installment in the Gothic series produced by JoWood exclusively, deviates quite far from the classic adventures that are apparent in the first three games. It seems that without Piranha-Bytes at their side, JoWood is not performing well and is slowly killing off the Gothic series with a plethora of bad sequels (Forsaken Gods and now Arcania). While the game has many a new features that fully complement it, there are still many things lacking or otherwise cut from the final production. First, THE PRO'S: You'll find that a wonderful new musical score, that complements the environments and certainly provides a good setting is present. Dialogue is somewhat well-performed for some of the NPC's. The Graphics are a shave close to that of some of the next gen style that is apparent these days. JoWood has included a WoW-Like quest-tracking feature as well as detailed direction in the quest lines. The inventory system is suppurb! The story is somewhat well fasioned. THE CON'S: Repetitive model use. Some dialogue is very shrill and annoying. There are numerous graphical glitches that are still apparent everywhere (Alpha Masking & Displacement), the quest lines and story are too linear and the story still cuts quite a huge deviation through previous canon throwing out a great deal of Gothic's history. The character development is too undercut and linear not opening up a lot of options or balance. OTHER NOTES: *Retail version does not load through Steam, which prevents the use of the Steam Overlay. X-Fire works fine however. *It handles being Alt + Tabbed. Final thoughts: Worth the time, but I would wait until the price tag goes down.… Expand
  4. Satyrion
    Jan 14, 2012
    6
    This game it not as bad as they say but its still not among good RPG like mass effect and dragon age. When i first started this game i really loved it, the graphic was great and it ran okay on high settings for my laptop. The story was just not there and i simply played the game for the graphic and game play alone. The game is always very linear which is something i enjoy compared to openThis game it not as bad as they say but its still not among good RPG like mass effect and dragon age. When i first started this game i really loved it, the graphic was great and it ran okay on high settings for my laptop. The story was just not there and i simply played the game for the graphic and game play alone. The game is always very linear which is something i enjoy compared to open world RPG's. However the games has some performance issues for many people and the leveling and skill system is boring and it is way to easy. I only died once thorough the whole game which took me 17 hours to beat… Expand
  5. Sirik_Matak
    Sep 8, 2014
    5
    It is not a good game.
    "Average" defines it well. Average combat, average world structure, average character development, bad crafting, a somewhat good plot.
    It misses a ton of features one could expect from a Gothic game.

    But it's still playable and has moments on its own.
  6. SKYRIM101
    Mar 18, 2011
    7
    Gothic 4 is a good solid game and if released say 3-4 years ago would make headlines, but unfortunately it has been released now, and with an outdated engine and fightings system it just fails in comparison to the elite's. although there is a good solid story here so i give Arcania a 7
  7. CoolDadTx
    Aug 27, 2012
    6
    This game is really Gothic in name only. It is nowhere near as hard as the previous games nor does it use the level up system of previous games. Overall I found it a really, really easy game especially compared to previous versions. Honestly it wasn't challenging at all. I died once the entire game. This is certainly not the Gothic we love.

    The story is pretty good but the combat    This game is really Gothic in name only. It is nowhere near as hard as the previous games nor does it use the level up system of previous games. Overall I found it a really, really easy game especially compared to previous versions. Honestly it wasn't challenging at all. I died once the entire game. This is certainly not the Gothic we love.

    The story is pretty good but the combat is so simplistic it doesn't even deserve to be called an RPG. It is more like an action RPG. If you just pound on the mouse button you're going to win every battle with little loss of health. Every time you hit somebody it stuns them so I went through most battles, including the final boss, without them so much as taking a swipe. This is really sad because early on you learn about blocking and breaking blocks but they are useless skills.

    The skill system is pretty simplistic too compared to previous games. At level up you just add a couple of points to a handful of skills and you're done. No real room for creating unique characters. You become overpowered early on such that most of the game is a complete yawn fest.

    The monsters are interesting until you realize they all do the same thing: hit you with a weapon, cast a spell or shoot you with something. Even the boss battles are nothing more than them hitting the ground to knock you over. There was so much potential here...

    The biggest gripe I have with the game is its poor travel system. You have access to teleporters but they are really just to get you back to where a quest is due. You have no control over where they go nor can you use them to speed your way through the world. Expect to do a lot of running, which is dog slow. Even worse is that in the main city you'll find that there are wooden walls set up to prevent you from reaching your destination without having to run all the way around the city. This is invisible walls at their worst. Often you can see the very goal you are trying to get through but a wooden wall blocks the way. Evidently a sword swing hero can't climb over a wall or just break it down. This means you'll be doing a lot of backtracking.

    Overall this is not a real Gothic game. They simplified everything to the point of being too easy and boring. Eveything that made Gothic a good series, such as the unforgiving combat, is gone. In its place is an action RPG that is mediocre on its own but a real letdown for the Gothic series.    … Expand
  8. ElPitooo
    Aug 3, 2014
    6
    Average game at best, story is quite good, quests are sometimes pretty good with some choices, but mostly they are only type bring me something, kill something, in the half game started to be only linear. But you could find some good and amazing things- characters from older Gothic games and dialogues with them ( especially with Gorn), amazing locations ( for example Tooshoo), amazingAverage game at best, story is quite good, quests are sometimes pretty good with some choices, but mostly they are only type bring me something, kill something, in the half game started to be only linear. But you could find some good and amazing things- characters from older Gothic games and dialogues with them ( especially with Gorn), amazing locations ( for example Tooshoo), amazing music and great graphics, especially rain effects.… Expand
  9. Sysgen
    Apr 22, 2012
    6
    Far into the game as I write this. Eventually the desire to continue wanes when immersion is broken due to the callousness to which this RPG as been constructed. Speaking directly to Spellbound Entertainment, I really couldn't care less what your budget is and I don't care about the perilous finances of your now bankrupt publisher. When you undertake a project like this and dress itFar into the game as I write this. Eventually the desire to continue wanes when immersion is broken due to the callousness to which this RPG as been constructed. Speaking directly to Spellbound Entertainment, I really couldn't care less what your budget is and I don't care about the perilous finances of your now bankrupt publisher. When you undertake a project like this and dress it with the same repeating carbon copy npc's then you have no right to undertake such a project. It's a crime against the art of game development and shows no respect for your audience. I really want to continue. I like what's here despite the meaningless "RPG elements" and the damn crafting icon staring at me the entire play through. Go watch a movie with the same character playing 20 different roles each dubbed with a different voice. At this point in the game's narrative I should be fully immersed in the world of Arcania but you Spellbound Entertainment have completely retarded my immersion. I'm walking out of the theater now. There weren't that many here to start. Something about the title and the game not living up to it's legacy. The naysayers were right and I a fool for not listening.… Expand
  10. SilentHightimes
    Sep 12, 2014
    5
    some what fun combat at times had to make myself play but was interesting, bugs here and there but was worth what i paid in hours i guess. If they would cut the game in half and polished it could've been much better just half ass work everywhere you look. Story bland with some humorous parts. Graphics suck pretty bad also.

    Worth $5.00
  11. BHC
    Nov 27, 2012
    7
    So, is this Skyrim? No. is this Dragon Age, ehh not really? Is it bad, Nope! So what is it? Well its not as bad as Two Worlds! Its a decent RPG. if you like RPG's, or should I say, If you are a avid RPG gamer, then try out Arcania. It doesn't make waves, but it's fun. The graphics are easy on the eye, it runs at a good frame rate. and the fight system is a cross between Demons Souls andSo, is this Skyrim? No. is this Dragon Age, ehh not really? Is it bad, Nope! So what is it? Well its not as bad as Two Worlds! Its a decent RPG. if you like RPG's, or should I say, If you are a avid RPG gamer, then try out Arcania. It doesn't make waves, but it's fun. The graphics are easy on the eye, it runs at a good frame rate. and the fight system is a cross between Demons Souls and Assassins Creed. The stroy is forgettable, but so is pretty much every Elder Scrolls game.The voice acting is meh. But what it does right is that it's fun. So if you can pick it up for $20, go for it.… Expand
  12. CrusherTM
    Dec 23, 2012
    6
    What can i say? Arcania is the worst game from Gothic saga. This game would be in my assessment of the 8, if it were not one of the games of the Gothic saga. Because it's a good game, just do not feel the climate, which so influenced the player in previous versions.
  13. xForbiddenOne
    May 4, 2013
    7
    Well, I don't really see where some of these bad reviews come from. I'll admit I'm only 16 hours into this game, However, I've been thoroughly enjoying this game. Visually, It's quite fun to look at it, Extremely beautiful. However there's a lot of reused sprites, and voices which can be a flaw to some (It is slightly annoying, but not a minus for me) I actually enjoy the story so far, IWell, I don't really see where some of these bad reviews come from. I'll admit I'm only 16 hours into this game, However, I've been thoroughly enjoying this game. Visually, It's quite fun to look at it, Extremely beautiful. However there's a lot of reused sprites, and voices which can be a flaw to some (It is slightly annoying, but not a minus for me) I actually enjoy the story so far, I think the combat is alright with really three main ways of playing, Mage, Melee weapon or Bows/Crossbows. There's a lot of crafting you can do(Like making weapons) and a bit of alchemy to do(Like making your own potions, These potions vary from adding to your health regen to increasing your overall stats temporarily)

    I will say this though, This game is a bit buggy. You can get stuck in poorly rendered areas or just jumping where you aren't suppose to go, The cut-scenes will make you crash from time to time as well, However you can easily watch the cut scenes from within the Arcania folder if you do crash and just skip them in game. Does this make the game unplayable? For me, No it doesn't. It can be annoying to crash during a cutscene and have to rewatch it again, But it's no big deal for the most part.

    I'll also say this, I had a lot more problems running this game off an FX-8150 CPU than I do with my current i7 3770k(Graphics card is a 7970 for those wondering), Whether this game doesn't like AMD or something along those lines I can't say for sure, But my system isn't a slouch by any means. I feel like this game might run better on older systems then newer systems, For instance my laptop running an old first gen i7 at 1.73GHz and a 1GB ATI card(I think 5850) seems to run it without any cut scene errors or crashes.

    But in the end, I really do enjoy this game, The main story keeps me interested, I feel the combat is alright for the style of game that it is, and despite some minor things here and there, I would recommend this game when it's on sale. I personally feel it's worth it's $20 price tag that it wears now. If you see it on sale and you read the reviews and thought "Well, Now I'm not too sure..." I would take the chance to try it out. I can't vouch for the other games in the series as I've never played them, But please, Give this one a chance!

    Edit: I've now completed the game with 26 hours played, I'm definitely going to be playing through it one more time, And possibly might buy the DLC as well. I took my time for the most part playing through this and had all but one quest finished(finding 30 belier artifacts), So I'll assume you can get around 25 30 hours on average for this game's full completion. The ending was a tad disappointing in terms of the fight, However I feel the story was still enjoyable despite this. Combined with the great visuals, and a decent combat system, I think this game was well worth picking up if you enjoy RPGs. There is quite a bit of walking, Like most RPGs but it never once bothered me.

    There is a huge amount of potions you can create, A handful of decent weapons, and a couple decent armors. The best items you can craft obviously don't come till later on in the game. The weapons you can make don't come until you're about half way 3/4ths of the way done with the game, When you're able to create Steel Ingots. Some boss fights are underwhelming, Especially when you play the game at normal difficulty or lower, Some bosses will drop some decent weapons however. I strongly recommend following the "Kill everything you see" tactic, Unless you run into mobs that you have difficulty taking down, As each mob will drop a certain item that is special to it. That's it for what I have to say, Enjoy!    … Expand
  14. KillaRiku
    May 18, 2013
    7
    I think this game is a good game on its own. But when you call it "Gothic", you can't call it good anymore. It used to continue the gothic-series but it was a disappointing game for Gothic fans. When you don't call it Gothic it was very fun. The Figthing-System was'nt bad at all. The story neither. The graphics were awesome! But as a Gothic Fan I just can't tell you, that this is a good game.
  15. Thanatos4x
    Sep 9, 2013
    5
    I played through the whole game and did all the side quests. The game is not so bad that it is unplayable or completely no fun. If you have low expectations than you'll have fun. However the game has a lot of problems.

    There are a lot of bugs. There are serious problems with graphical glitches. Small glitches with placement of usable objects in the game, combat, moving, enemies, etc.    I played through the whole game and did all the side quests. The game is not so bad that it is unplayable or completely no fun. If you have low expectations than you'll have fun. However the game has a lot of problems.

    There are a lot of bugs. There are serious problems with graphical glitches. Small glitches with placement of usable objects in the game, combat, moving, enemies, etc. The game feels like a beta. Either the game was rushed or the developers were lazy. Gothic 3 was a buggy unplayable mess and this game is better, but still a buggy unimaginative mess. I was at the final boss; just won and the game glitches to a black screen. I was pissed! But I saved a lot and it was okay, but still that should not happen.

    The English voice translation dialogue is awful and rather funny at times.

    The combat is very simplistic and enemies are not a challenge. You will die from game design and character movement glitches not from enemies being difficult. Although, the combat can be fun sometimes.

    The game very linear (which I liked, but some people may not). There are a few player choices for some quests, but they all lead to the same thing.

    To sum the entire game up its fetch this and/or kill this and some pointless dialogue with the illusion of choice.    … Expand
  16. Grdnfreeman
    Aug 19, 2020
    7
    Oyunu gothic 1 ve 2 ile kıyaslamazsak kendi halinde gayet güzel bir oyun. O yüzden gothic 3 ile kıyaslayacağım aynı ligde bulunan oyunlar. Öncelikle oyun gothic 3 ten çoğu konuda daha iyi bir oyun. En önemli gelişme combat sisteminde var gothic 3 teki sadece sol tık spamlama olayı yok bu sefer dodge sistemi de getirmişler bu güzel. Harita daha anlaşılır gezmesi daha eğlenceli. Oyunun girişOyunu gothic 1 ve 2 ile kıyaslamazsak kendi halinde gayet güzel bir oyun. O yüzden gothic 3 ile kıyaslayacağım aynı ligde bulunan oyunlar. Öncelikle oyun gothic 3 ten çoğu konuda daha iyi bir oyun. En önemli gelişme combat sisteminde var gothic 3 teki sadece sol tık spamlama olayı yok bu sefer dodge sistemi de getirmişler bu güzel. Harita daha anlaşılır gezmesi daha eğlenceli. Oyunun giriş kısmı G3 ten daha iyi g3 teki gibi savaşın ortasında başlatma saçmalığı yok. Load screen süresi daha kısa. Dialoglar g3 e göre daha ilgi çekici. Görev ve item çeşitliği daha fazla, item çeşitliliğinin fazla olması loot yapmayı da zevkli kılmış. Güç dengesi g3 e göre daha iyi güçlendiğinizi hissedebiliyorsunuz. Kötü yanları ise başta kısıtlı bir açık dünya olması, skill sistemi pek gelişmemiş eksik kalmış. Teleport sistemi çok kötü. Yatakta uyuyup gündüz olmasını bekleme yok. İstediğiniz npc yi öldüremiyorsunuz. Sinir olduğum oyunda tek bir şey vardı o da her gün yağmur yağması lan yağmur yağınca 10-20fps düşüş yaşıyorum oyunda muson ormanında mıyız nedir hergün yağmur yağıyor. 35 saat oynanış sürem var bunun son 3-4 saati sıkmaya başladı yoksa oyun fena değil 6.5 tan 7 verdim.… Expand
  17. Dann-J
    May 5, 2020
    7
    Arcania isn't a bad game. It's just not a particularly outstanding game. Being part of the Gothic series (or not, as the 'Gothic 4' brand was taken off it at one point) comes with certain expectations that this game simply doesn't live up to. However if you've never played a Gothic game before and aren't familiar with the series, then Arcania is quite playable. Even if you have played theArcania isn't a bad game. It's just not a particularly outstanding game. Being part of the Gothic series (or not, as the 'Gothic 4' brand was taken off it at one point) comes with certain expectations that this game simply doesn't live up to. However if you've never played a Gothic game before and aren't familiar with the series, then Arcania is quite playable. Even if you have played the other Gothic games, this game is far from the worst in the series (Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods takes that title).… Expand
  18. SpectralAnubis
    Oct 28, 2010
    5
    Sword? Check. Shield? Check. Bow and arrows? Check! Stop drop and roll, to avoid the essence of mediocrity? Double check! Welcome to JoWood's second attempt at catching lightning in the bottle. It failed on Gothic 3, yet was able to capture that video game magic with Gothic 1 & 2. Sadly, JoWood dropped the ball once again, on game mechanic's, storyline and variety. The game is a technicalSword? Check. Shield? Check. Bow and arrows? Check! Stop drop and roll, to avoid the essence of mediocrity? Double check! Welcome to JoWood's second attempt at catching lightning in the bottle. It failed on Gothic 3, yet was able to capture that video game magic with Gothic 1 & 2. Sadly, JoWood dropped the ball once again, on game mechanic's, storyline and variety. The game is a technical gem to behold, I'll give the development team at Spellbound credit for that. Such an achievement should be the norm, in today's technology driven society. I'm a realist, JoWood is a entertainment, company they need to make money. Lowering your standards for game play for a broad spectrum of 'gamers' is today's 'money grab' for software publishers like JoWood.

    The game mechanics are horrid, the flow of combat, becomes a simple roll one direction, swing weapon once, roll backwards and fire off your three different versions of the same spell. Oh, I forgot you can use a bow and arrow to shoot monsters, it's a kiting riot! The game has hardly any active skills, most are passive. The weapon charge system is a dated concept. Multi hit is dated concept, it's a hack n slash principle. There is no riposte system, there is no flank system, stealth is a joke, you can't sneak up and back stab. There is no back stepping, unless you're using a bow and arrow. Running backwards makes your nameless avatar run with his back to the monster. Overall the game mechanics are sub par. The saving grace of this game, is the stunning atmosphere, but beyond that avoid this title until it drops in price. The game does offer good frame rates, on most top end video cards. The load times are quick. Thanks for reading.    … Expand
  19. arkangel
    Nov 4, 2010
    6
    "Let me past!" demands my super-warrior, crackling with magical WMDs and carrying more sharp things than a porcupine. "Not until you've fetched six mushrooms from that goblin-infested cave in the south," replies the bald man with the goatee (who seems intent on barring my way wherever I go). "Oh, all right then," I say. (Five minutes of hacking goblins later...) "Here's your mushrooms. Now"Let me past!" demands my super-warrior, crackling with magical WMDs and carrying more sharp things than a porcupine. "Not until you've fetched six mushrooms from that goblin-infested cave in the south," replies the bald man with the goatee (who seems intent on barring my way wherever I go). "Oh, all right then," I say. (Five minutes of hacking goblins later...) "Here's your mushrooms. Now will you let me past?" "Not until you've found a hat I dropped in that orc-infested cave in the north." "Oh, all right then,"... And so on. This is ArcaniA - a beautiful-looking game with absolutely no intelligence. The world is populated with clones who completely ignore you (unless you're supposed to talk to them) and are even oblivious to battles raging around and through them! Enemies chase you to the edge of their range then return to their posts making battles a simple matter of picking them off one-by-one because if things get tough you can always move out of their area. To compensate for poor AI, enemies nearly always appear in groups - and you don't meet more challenging baddies as the game goes on, just bigger gangs! But that's okay, peppering enemies with an almost unlimited supply of arrows and hacking furiously is quite fun - at least it makes some kind of sense. But there are so many elements of the game that are just plain daft. Why does every goblin carry precisely 13 pieces of gold (or whatever)? Why does no one care if I loot their home right in front of them? Why can I carry dozens (or hundreds) of weapons? (Have you ever tried to lift just one warhammer?) Why can I eat 20 sour apples in the middle of a fight without getting stomach ache? But having said all that, I've enjoyed playing ArcaniA and I think it was 30 quid well spent. The graphics are excellent and the weather effects are amazing - and the frequent rain and storms help take your mind off the dire AI. I just find it frustrating that nearly five years after Oblivion showed how to make a fantasy RPG it's only the prettiness that's moved on.… Expand
  20. LonelyDeer
    Apr 12, 2011
    7
    This game is a very mixed game. The combat is fun and easy to get used to, the storyline of the quests is interesting and has some depth, and the graphics are gorgeous. Also the game helps the player along subtly, instead of making the game linear by placing a massive arrow pointing to the objective, it gives you realistic written directions relative to the game But, there are very littleThis game is a very mixed game. The combat is fun and easy to get used to, the storyline of the quests is interesting and has some depth, and the graphics are gorgeous. Also the game helps the player along subtly, instead of making the game linear by placing a massive arrow pointing to the objective, it gives you realistic written directions relative to the game But, there are very little ways to customize your character, who is absolutely one dimensional and predictable. The voice-overs aren't great as one character will often mix between north-american and British accents. Furthermore the lip sync is honestly the worst i have ever seen, its abyssal, it actually put me off the game for a while. Ultimately, this game is worth a full play through, as the story and combat are convincing and absorbing enough to allow you to ignore the negatives.… Expand
  21. beerpilot
    Nov 12, 2010
    5
    If you are a fan of the best RPG series ever (Gothic) then you will be disappointed. If you are a fan of RPG's in general you will be disappointed. With all the hype on their website for so many months we all had high expectations, and reasonably so.

    The graphics are great, sound great, it's a pretty game. The melee fighting is improved a bit over the older Gothics. It's an OK hack    If you are a fan of the best RPG series ever (Gothic) then you will be disappointed. If you are a fan of RPG's in general you will be disappointed. With all the hype on their website for so many months we all had high expectations, and reasonably so.

    The graphics are great, sound great, it's a pretty game. The melee fighting is improved a bit over the older Gothics. It's an OK hack and slash semi adventure game although very short. The skill/character development system is basic, a huge step backward. NPC and environment interaction is basic, a huge step backward. Monsters are way too easy to manage and kill, AI is basic, a huge step backward.

    "Maybe" a couple big patches and more content added down the road and the game will be more like Gothic and might even be a decent game in general. It will still be lipstick on a pig though, the basics just aren't there, the developers mentality is all wrong.

    Anyone who gives this game a good rating is either:
    1) Sandbagging the ratings system
    2) Knows nothing about the Gothic series
    3) Knows almost nothing about RPG's
    4) Is a twelve year old with their first really swell console and is soo excited.

    Gothic fans, go to direct2drive or Steam and reinstall the good old Gothic2 with Night of the Raven all integrated in. That will be much more enjoyable. Then reinstall Gothic 3 with all the latest patches, still a good time. Maybe run through Risen one more time, keep that "Forsaken Gods" piece of garbage in the trash.

    Very disappointed in this chapter of the Gothic series.    … Expand
  22. PlanktonFighter
    Oct 24, 2010
    7
    A simple RPG wth no real complexity. Best enjoyed keeping in mind it's not going to break any new ground but pleases with it's light and frothy RPG elements. Enjoy the impressive visuals and immerse yourself in the scenery.
  23. Ruden
    Oct 27, 2010
    5
    I DL the demo on Steam. This is one of those games I'll wait until it gets aroun $20 to pick up. Which would be probably about 2 or 3 months. Like it seems everybody else is saying, the voice acting is bad and the mouth movements to the words are worse. Plus the story line seems to be TOO linear for the tastes that circulate presently.
  24. DeGreZet
    Sep 21, 2011
    6
    This game have really great graphics but only this is great.... Missions is lineal adn sometimes boring. All is too much simplifcation and this is big minus. Town and village and all game world is no live..... This is no bad game bad i no advice this game Gothic series fans........ 6/10
  25. Uberwolfe
    Oct 29, 2010
    7
    While there is much room for improvement, do not discount this title so quickly. The first part of the game (tutorial island) is a major letdown and falsely leads the player into expectations as to what the actual game is like. Get past this, and you will find an absorbing and enjoyable action RPG.

    THE BAD: Voice acting & lip sync is atrocious - almost embarrasing to listen to. NPC models    While there is much room for improvement, do not discount this title so quickly. The first part of the game (tutorial island) is a major letdown and falsely leads the player into expectations as to what the actual game is like. Get past this, and you will find an absorbing and enjoyable action RPG.

    THE BAD:
    Voice acting & lip sync is atrocious - almost embarrasing to listen to. NPC models and skins are very limited, the same facial skins roll very frequently. Quests are very unoriginal mostly involving talk-to-him and fetching etc. Crafting system is overly simple. Levelling system is also overly simple. Jumping animation is clunky and ugly. Invisible barriers.

    THE GOOD:
    Fantastic graphics, despite some pop in and shadow flickering the game world is an appealing place. The much touted weather effects are cool (particularly the lightning) but not that special. The combat system is rather smooth and enjoyable as a melee class. Ranged and magic combat is not so great.    … Expand
  26. Andreakossa
    Apr 21, 2012
    5
    Not one of the best Gothic series episode, i was expecting an awesome game like the previous but it turned out to be a "Linear mediocre" you can't even re-visit past locations just because the way get locked most of time, this game is not worth full price but if you are a fan, and have a bit of time free is nice to to be played.
  27. Safeguard14
    Oct 2, 2013
    6
    Good hack'n slash, but THIS IS NOT GOTHIC, it's gothic-like thing. But it's relaxing. Story is dumb, It haven't spirit of original Gothic saga. That's should never exist.
  28. Warfighter
    Jan 10, 2011
    5
    This game is not terrible but not good as well. It has it flaws. I my experience as gamer I played alot of great RPG's. I can assure you, this is not one of them.
    -First off all the graphics are OK not the best I have seen but just OK: 6/10 *
    -The story is a bit flat: it's just one big revenge plot + the character is one big jerk. So I don't feel any sympathy for the main character. The    This game is not terrible but not good as well. It has it flaws. I my experience as gamer I played alot of great RPG's. I can assure you, this is not one of them.
    -First off all the graphics are OK not the best I have seen but just OK: 6/10 *
    -The story is a bit flat: it's just one big revenge plot + the character is one big jerk. So I don't feel any sympathy for the main character. The people in this game all look the same. This is unacceptable and annoying sometimes.: 4/10*
    -The combat system is fun and you have alot of weapons to choose from but only for the fighter class. The mage only got 3 spells and that's it. The ranger is even more boring to play with. It would have been more fun r to play with another class who has a wide variety of weapons. The armours are OK and easy to pick from: 6/10*
    - I like the crafting system alot. It gives more freedom to the game and you really want to use it for the great bonuses it gives. Although it is nice, it also is forgettable once you crafted a very good weapon you will not use it again (unless for food): 6/10
    - And the last point i want to discus is the open world. First off all let me get this straight: people who like games with fast travel (like oblivion) or teleport spells (like risen) that can get you everywhere will not like the transport system in this game. Most of the time you are walking around and sometimes you find a teleporter but it's only between 2 locations. It won't teleport you to everywhere so this fast travel service is very limited.
    After a while it gets very tedious and boring because if u want to go back you have to go all the way back on foot (and sometimes you can use a teleporter but the loading screens, while teleporting, takes way to long to load so your are best of walking). This (for me) kills the game a bit.: 2/10*
    - A positive thing: I didn't encounter any glitches or any major bugs while playing this game. +1 to score*
    total score:
    6/10
    4/10
    6/10
    6/10
    2/10
    +1
    = 25/50 = 5/10    … Expand
  29. Cyber_Angel
    May 5, 2018
    7
    It's not Gothic in a traditional sense and the quests are more-often-than-not in the spirit of "go kill, bring this and so on", but the writing is witty, graphics are colorful and nice and I enjoyed the improved fighting system and the noticeable sense of progression as in any of the previous titles from Piranha Bytes.
    If you want more games with "Gothic" gameplay, get Risen 1 & 2, this    It's not Gothic in a traditional sense and the quests are more-often-than-not in the spirit of "go kill, bring this and so on", but the writing is witty, graphics are colorful and nice and I enjoyed the improved fighting system and the noticeable sense of progression as in any of the previous titles from Piranha Bytes.
    If you want more games with "Gothic" gameplay, get Risen 1 & 2, this is Arcania and the only connection with the other Gothic titles is the game world and some characters.
    But it really is a good and fun game, albeit a little simple.    … Expand
  30. Apoda
    Jul 9, 2015
    7
    The title of this game is, like many already have stated; misleading. Gamers expecting to go through a next chapter in the Gothic series felt disappointed for obvious reasons. But the game Arcania itself isn't bad at all. Game play is fun, the skill tree is broad enough, the graphics are neat and the hack and slash character of the combat system didn't bother me one bit.

    Without the    The title of this game is, like many already have stated; misleading. Gamers expecting to go through a next chapter in the Gothic series felt disappointed for obvious reasons. But the game Arcania itself isn't bad at all. Game play is fun, the skill tree is broad enough, the graphics are neat and the hack and slash character of the combat system didn't bother me one bit.

    Without the part of not meeting with the expectations the title of Arcania: Gothic 4 arouses, the game itself is worth a score of at least seven, in my opinion.    … Expand
  31. Genek13
    Nov 15, 2019
    5
    It's not a Gothic game that's for sure :) Very average and very easy game with forgettable story.
  32. kabskannar12
    May 16, 2020
    5
    I am not very close to this series. But when I observe as a person who loves the Gothic universe, it is understood from the beginning that there is no good production. Frankly, I haven't played much, but if you have spare time, you should. Otherwise, you will not lose anything.

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. Eurogamer Portugal
    Apr 20, 2011
    50
    If you seek a simple game with breathtaking scenery and a ridiculous number of weapons and armor, then Arcania Gothic IV is for you.
    Read full review
  2. Absolute Games
    Jan 15, 2011
    35
    Besides the handy automap and the journal, the only other positive thing about Arcania is that it's at least better than Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 13, 2011
    70
    Arcania is more of a restart of the series then a regular sequel – some dedicated fans will be disappointed by its overall simplification but it does not make Gothic 4 a bad adventurous experience. [Issue#197]
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