I simply don't understand the love this game gets. It's not even dated, it's just bad. A combination of unconventional controls, a very unresponsive and clunky combat system, mediocre voice acting, ugly visuals (even for its time; DX looked better in 2000 and it certainly was not renowned for its graphical fidelity), and an incredibly bland plot that squanders the game's otherwise unique setting make the game a downright chore to play through. It does some things right - the NPC scripting is phenomenal and there are a bunch of little ways to interact with the world. There's a lot to do at first and the setting, a rogue penal colony still trapped beneath an impenetrable magic barrier, is full of potential. But you quickly find that the developers simply couldn't follow through with the vision they presented in Chapter 1. Your choice of camp proves absolutely meaningless beyond who you talk to and what color armor you wear, as you wind up completing the same quests regardless of who you sided with. As you progress further in the game, the events that transpire make you wonder why they even bothered with the choice to begin with. The interesting details quickly fade into the background as a cliche ancient evil awakens, and much of the rest of the game is padded out with banal fetch quests. Character building is practically nonexistent, both from a mechanical and narrative perspective. You get a whopping three attributes that only determine whether you hit things, shoot things, or magic things. There are very few alternative solutions to questlines and very few sidequests in general after the first chapter. The combat itself is plainly awful, at least for melee. Enemies can dodge attacks for zero damage regardless if the attack connects; you do not receive that luxury. When fighting multiple foes, you can only damage the one you're targeting even if your attack connects with another enemy. I'd say more, but the character limit's coming up. Watch an LP for Gothic 2.
