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Cainehill said:
Hmm - Gothic 2 : You consider that ActionRPG a la Diablo, or what? I've been thinking about getting it, especially since I understand the gold version fixed a number of flaws.
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Gothic II is kind of in the vein of the Elder Scrolls, at least at first glance. In Gothic you only play one character (either first person view or third person), it has its own skill system with crafting in particular, and it also focuses somewhat on guilds and the like. The game is relatively open-ended, at least in the way you can do things; its story is pretty much linear, near as I can tell.
That's about as far as the resemblance goes, though. Gothic II has a more subdued atmosphere, with less magic to go around than that other game, and a somewhat darker universe. I have found the world to be very engaging, in both town and countryside. Unlike in the Elder Scrolls, there are three classes with somewhat different paths, skills and quests, and your character level is actually relevant. The gameworld seems to be pretty much fixed; at least I know I got beaten up pretty quickly while strolling in some nasty places.
Gothic seems to do a relatively good job with the story and dialogue. I haven't seen any mention of Elves for starters (I haven't shed a tear for their sake). Dialogues don't go the Ultima VII style, but are instead of the "Pick the A, B or C line" variety. Characters aren't silent when you speak to them, unlike games coming from, say, Bioware. I know I mind commercial games without voice-acting very much these days; if all the game can do is show some pretty graphics, I'll do something else for my graphic needs and will stick to more textual-oriented games. Hmm, I digress.
The biggest problem I have with Gothic II is the German curse, though the game wasn't bit quite as bad as, say, the Anstoss series (most of them have not been released outside Germany, and the Anstoss games that have been translated were published under different games, just to make sure nobody can recognise them). It took the whole of two years for the add-on to be translated into English, thanks to a particularly talented publisher near as I know, and the game was released at a premium price (at least in France). $75 for a three-year old game, its add-on and their respective delays? Well, perhaps not then. Shame I don't understand German *very* well... hey PrinzMegaherz, will you marry me?
