I love Gothic 1 & 2. They're my favorite games. This game is not my favorite, it is horse shit. The only thing keeping my rating to 2 stars is the fact that my computer is admittedly not powerful enough to run the game.. but despite that, the developers seem to have abandoned the simple, character and story-rich approach that made 1 & 2 so immersive and aesthetically pleasing. boo. Also, who swings a sword like that?
I've been an avid Gothic fan since Middle School, having played through the vanilla versions of Gothic 1 and 2 several times each. I've never found another game series that is as atmospherically immersive. A few months ago I decided to dive back into the series and slew through Gothic 1 in about a week, after which I decided to try G2 NOTR for the first time. Initially I was extremely annoyed at the MASSIVE criticals that every enemy delivers while my sword had the effectiveness of a twig.. but with time it became extremely rewarding. The expanded world of Jarkendar is a great addition to the story and offers a compelling continuation of a variety character arcs from Gothic 1 that brought me a wonderfully new yet nostalgic experience. The Bandit's camp is like an inbredation of the Old and New Camp's from Gothic 1, but located in a swamp as if paying a little homage to the Brotherhood as well. I only wish Gothic 3 had carried on in a similar fashion.
