Arcania: Gothic 4
6.2
10
16
16
Awsome
Are u ppl joking?! If u have followed the gothic series then u should love this game like i do. Sure ok the game has its glitches , and u cant swim like in the others but it has patches , for some reason the gothic games where rushed, gothic 3 was more then words can describe. The whole series is breathtaking no to mention that it also came out on 360 is really cool i own both copies and needless to say they are awsome. " Was not my choice 2 have both copies " The only downside is that the story is a little confusing but it keeps u into it and the voices could have been better but other then that the game is great.
1/26/11
Updated review
Well I completely dogged this game in another review cause I couldn't get it to install but I finally figured it out and wanted to give this game credit. For those of you having issues with ATI video cards install the PhysX drivers from Nvidia, not the ones packaged with the game. Also make sure your sound is set to 24 bit, 48000HZ. The game runs very well and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Couple minor glitches and only a few lock ups but thats pretty much expected with any PC game. Only complaint is you cannot swim like in previous Gothic games so your a little more restricted on where you can go.
1/15/11
Couldn't even get it to install
Spent about 4 hours trying to get this game to run on my brand new Lenovo Ideapad with ATI video card and kept erroring out. I got this laptop for gaming so it has excellent specs. I've played all the other Gothic games which I loved. Gothic 3 was my least favorite but it was entertaining enough. Received error "Arcania has stopped working". I've had these issues in the past. Sometimes it's C++, sound settings, or even Directx but nothing worked. Very disappointed and will be returning game to trade in for something that will actually run on my laptop.
1/1/11
Technical Support sucks
ArcaniA - Gothic 4 Technical Support sucks ,securrom ,JoWood hasn't responded to my emails yet, EVER buy a game again with Securom DRM or JoWood .50 bucks Amazing support, only response I've gotten is pointing fingers, Steam says its JoWood/Securom issue, Securom says its Jowood issue and Jowood points to Securom
I'm pretty fed up with this
11/18/10
It is good for us that have followed the series.
Motion seems stiff. When you jump you look like a pogo stick in armor. Walking or running (Not sure which it is in the game because you cannot change. And if it follows 'reality' which that part seems to, then the whole of physics should be also) is slow. Painfully so the "Hours and hours of gameplay" has to be from how slow you walk going to mission areas. I have found no way to speed it up like L-shift for run or some such command. It is annoying. What?...no 3rd, 4th and 5th mouse button usage without macros? I have games that are 8 years old that accept input from these buttons in the controls menu. Inexcusable. And who doesn't incorporate the scroll wheel into their game? Seriously. I WILL admit that the simplicity of it is a refreshing change but some complexity is needed to make controlling the game really worth the time to play. Combat is a bit 'clunky' as far as foot and torso movement; but the slight pauses and swings add some reality to it. No way to highlight items you can interact with; another RP no-no. Items are standardized. As in: A large wooden shield that gives a + to stamina...all seem to be +8 in an area. There doesn't seem to be any "roll" or calculation for odds of getting something better or something worse as in the additional buffs in area items.
Choices in dialogue: There are NONE. You can only go one direction, even if there are 3 choices they all lead to the same place. Not really any reason to have them there if they all will continually be the same, just sayin'. All the NPCs...there are only perhaps 3 maybe 4 models for them. All the same faces etc. That made me sad. I was standing in a field and I could see 5 repeating texture blocks RIGHT where I was standing. If it was reality and I was in a yard it would have been a 10 square foot area. Another moment of sadness.
A very small handful of crafting recipes for equipment or weapons. Very, very small. Item variance is almost non-existant. Would have been GREAT fun if there would have been a "roll" for equipment recipes so there'd be a reason to play the game other than just the final ending. Leaves it with no replay value.
Play the whole game not knowing the specifics of the attack on Feshyr (Your home island/town) and all of a sudden when you get to the castle it is announced; but you act as if and ask questions as if you already knew the answers.
The teleport system is really, hmm, lame. Can't even teleport town to town. Considering how 'slowly' you walk, that would have been nice at LEAST after the main quests were done in the area so you'd still explore.
The dialogue...oh my. Some is OK. Most the emotions are all wrong. The nameless hero sounds angry when he shouldn't, yells a lot for a peasant. It is really off. People ask questions but they are verbalized as statements. Which is silly. Don't care if it is translated. That is what human translation is for. Adding in to that many of the female voices are...falsetto; for those of you who do not know what that is it is when a male speaks in a pseudo-female voice. Go you guys trying to emulate Monty Python but not being funny with it; failing miserably. Random vulgarities that were somewhat misplaced and/or unneded. I think the dialogue person just had to have so many words by "July" that they added some dialogue in with a dart and dartboard.
Pretty. But almost "kiddy" in look and feel. Reminds me of Fable: The Lost Chapters and its almost cartoony way.
The combat though fun as all hack 'n slash combat is! Its just too much like a console scroller for my tastes, overly obvious sword swipes that are more for showing the "SWOOSHING" than for anything sensible. At least it didn't have ridiculous and 'special' swords that were 9ft long and 1ft wide. Thank goodness!
The fact you can run around with a shephard's hook and whack sheep made my day! I laughed and had a good time. Turning on/off "Roleplaying" elements, like being able to interact with beds and such is a great idea also, and VERY forward thinking as far as the on/off element of it. I'm impressed. The automatic zoom to OTS view when you sheath your weapon is an outstanding idea and works well!
All in all? Fun to play. If I'd have known about the lack of button assignment and usage for mouse and how pathetic the selection of crafting weapons and equipment was I'd have waited until I could have done a Digital Download for 10 bucks in a year or so. As a HUGE fan of Gothic 2 and 3 I have to be blunt and say even with their buggy ways they were much better. But this is STILL a good game. I did enjoy it; even if I finished it in 16 total hours of game play.
10/31/10
I think its a great game!
I think this game is great. the graphics are very good and the voice acting, i've seen a lot worse. the controls are pretty easy and player friendly. i defenatly dont think it deserved a 6 in gameinformer.
10/23/10
The demo was good...
... so this should turn out to be a very decent game.
Like the reviewer said below me, you do not learn skills like you do in the previous Gothics. Pay this guy "x" amount of gold and 10 skill points. No... instead you get something like a "skill graph", thats the best way to describe it. I would not really call it a skill tree. This takes the "grinding" out of the previous games and to me at least makes it more enjoyable. Somehow in the game I was able to make a recipe without cooking, but I dont remember how I did it. I dont think that was crafting but I am not really sure. I did see a hammer on screen and it did say "craft." But I do not know why I would consider that actual crafting. Combat is simplified as well as the magic system. Beautiful graphics and sound are a plus. Voice acting is a LOT better.
Story seems better too.. similar to a movie. Unlike Gothic III your path is clear, you do not have to "go to this camp first, help these guys and find your own path" type scenario. No.. it is clear where you need to go and what you need to do at all times. There really is no confusion about what to do.
All in all I think this will be an excellent RPG to add to your collection.
10/1/10
DL the demo its FREE
Now many of you remember the gothic series and also remember the many bugs that seemed to plague the second and third title and the horrific output of the standalone expansion to the 3rd title. Despite that this game has recieved a cult following and the first 3 titles were some of the most enjoyable rpgs I've ever played. The nameless hero never voiced an opinion and you were often able to solve quests in more than one outcome. Npcs had scheduals and gave the game world a sense of realism. There was always many rewarding side quest to do and lots of hidden treasures that rewarded the curious explorer. This new installment has been developed by a NEW studio keep that in mind. Jo Wood may have done this in hopes to escape the many bugs that this title series usually releases with (fans can only hope). Alot of the series previous elements sofar in the demo seem intact but the voice acting and visual character movements during in game dialog scenes made me cringe alittle out of dislike, but the combat seems smoother and the bow mechanic is very pleasing. The crossbow in this version is much more efficient than in the past titles and the combat in general seems improved to be more progression friendly(easier).The visuals were very nice but npcs didnt seem bothered by me tresspassing and stealing their stuff which in past titles they were very protective of their property making stealing more fun and trickier. I liked the element of finding trainers to learn certain abilities, but seems that will no longer will be present. All in all new comers will find a pleasurable rpg experience, but the new release will be met with mixed feelings by returnees as they approve or disapprove of the different elements changed, improved, or removed from this title by the new studio.
9/30/10
Play the Demo
Play the demo and decide yourself and, most importantly, if the game will run on your computer. The demo is pretty interesting and gives you an idea of most of the gameplay mechanics, though crafting was left out of the demo (pretty sure it will still be a part of the game?). The story seemed kind of muddled and a familiar character shows up in the beginning with no real explanation. Hopefully it all fleshes out in the full version after you leave the tutorial island that is the demo. The new level up mechanic seems kind of interesting, instead of using trainers it seems like you just apply points to certain skills and recieve bonuses. As for fights, the seemed kind of easy, though one should remember that this was on the tutorial island. All-in-all it looks like it is shaping up to be another good game (I've played all of the Gothic titles and enjoyed every one of them).
9/28/10
Acania
This looks like a combination of Oblivion and Fable 3
9/15/10