This is my first real PC RPG, and I'm glad this was the one. Never played before until it came to GOG, and I can't recommend it enough to others. Two things first: the graphics looks much better than the screenshots you see here, particularly if you use the resolution hack found in the forums. Ages pretty well! The other thing is the controls: a lot of people complain about them. I couldn't get into the game after FIVE TIMES of trying the demo because of the controls, then I had them explained to me. Once I figured them out (in a matter of minutes for the basics), it was smooth sailing. Basically you use the left mouse button and the WASD keys for a lot of stuff (to attack, hold left mouse button and use the keys to swing your weapon in a given direction or cast magic, for example). It feels really "interactive" and I grew to love it. That stuff aside, Gothic is a really classic RPG in every sense of the word, in terms of that old gritty feel, all the staple elements (quests, open world, magic, weapons, etc), and is just an overall great package...there's a lot of things that can't be explained, only experienced. On top of that, it does a lot of things very uniquely (again, can't really be explained) which will make this a game you reference often when talking about RPGs. The dialogue is very funny at times, and personally I found the story pretty innovative. Some of the voice acting is really good, some really bad...the bad doesn't hurt the game much, but I did find myself wincing a bit at some of it. Combat is very fun -- I played as a mage, a very satisfying experience. Be sure to tweak the config and crank the blood to 3. ;) There's also great music (don't forget the In Extremo patch!), lots of quests, routes to take, etc. Just try the demo and you'll likely be hooked. It gets a whole lot worse after that. ;)
Excepting Shadowgate Classic, this is my first "real" dungeon crawler. With that in mind, I tried the demo of this game a couple of times, determined to get into it, but I was initially put off by the graphics and controls (why won't THIS do THAT!!). Turns out the manual is a huge help, though the in-game tutorial does an okay job too. Anyway, my point is I learned to really love the graphical style as well as the controls -- wouldn't have 'em any other way, now. So, even if you do find it rough around the edges at first, don't give up as the game is highly addictive once you get the hang of it. I dig the story of the game pretty well, although Arkane does seem to have a real thing for the "who am I...world is in peril...chosen one talk...oh, I am the chosen one" plot (referring to its spiritual sequel Dark Messiah, if you didn't catch it). Nothing really the matter with this, anyway, and there's lots of lore if you want to get into that. The painting-style cutscenes add a nice touch, as well. The meat of Arx is in its gameplay, though, of course. Basically it has all the elements you'd expect from this kind of game (hack/slash, lots of weapons and armor, magic, levels, stats, etc), but it's styled in such a way I find it irresistable and charming. Plus, the terribly innovative spellcasting system adds a whole other dimension to the game (and level of addictiveness -- must hunt down every rune!). While to the less "hardcore" players this could be tedious, I really didn't find it too bad, and enjoyed that it kind of encouraged me to whip out a pen and paper now and then. There's also a bunch of sweet secret spells to discover -- check the forums for those. After having just come from Dark Messiah (which I did really like), I do have to say Arx is an infinitely deeper game, and for me personally, much more enjoyable. Audio is also great -- quite ambient, and used sparingly, which I found helped suck me in (that takes finesse). Mostly I much like the voice acting; dialogue is quite funny at times, a good contrast with the dark nature of the world here. All in all, a highly immersive game -- in many ways you really feel like you're living in this universe...a tough thing for any developer to achieve, no doubt, but Arkane pulled it off very well, and so I say let yourself be drawn in -- highly recommended to any RPG or dungeon crawler fan, particularly for the insane $6 pricetag and extras.
I'm not a big racing game fellow, especially when it comes to sims, but I am now certifiably addicted to TOCA 3! Can't really comment on how sim or arcade the game is...it seems pretty realistic to me, but doesn't go overboard. All I know is it's fun as hell. Graphically, the game is very, very beautiful, even years later, it holds up very well...it could almost be released as a new game, hypothetically. Pretty sure I've crashed a few times just admiring how good it looks -- really! But besides the controls and graphics, perhaps the best thing about the game is how varied it is and how much stuff it packs in. This game is loaded -- you get to use about every vehicle imaginable (each of which offers pretty unique physics), and the world tour and career modes will be enough to satiate your racing fix for months to come, at least. Get it while you can!
Normally "traditional" RPGs like Baldur's Gate, Diablo, etc. aren't my cup of tea, for whatever reasons. But for some reason upon trying out the Sacred demo upon seeing GOG's sale on the game here, I knew within minutes this was something I wanted. The game just does everything as it should be done. Progress is extremely open-ended (if your attention span leaves something to be desired, Sacred's zillion sidequests will definitely work for you), the menus and controls are all very intuitive (easy to pick up, with lots of depth to be explored over time), the graphics aren't too shabby, music is beautiful and used sparingly, and combat/leveling is frequent and satisfying. But most importantly, Sacred is as fun as it is addictive. It doesn't happen for me too often -- but this is one of those games once I picked up, it's something I couldn't keep myself away from (indeed, I'm itching to play as I write this). For the original game plus two expansions, and minus the DRM it originally came with, this is a steal. If you were on the fence about Sacred, try the demo -- there's a good chance you'll surprise yourself with how much you like it.
One of the best in Ubisoft's catalogue and probably the best in the Prince series, undoubtedly. The other gripes people here list aren't ones I share, personally. The game is challenging, but not at all excessive in its challenge, if you're up to it. Combat is EXTREMELY fun -- occasionally frustrating, but that's part of the appeal, somehow. The camera isn't perfect, no, but doesn't seem much better or worse than in any other well-made game. I have no idea what the save points complaint is about either -- if anything the game has too many save points, as they come after every section you complete, with a checkpoint in between. The Sands of Time is essentially comprised of puzzle/platform portions as blended with combat sections, and Ubisoft got the mixture damn near perfect here. Story-wise, it certainly holds up, and the Prince's internal dialogue/voice-acting really bring you into the experience (personally, I loved the VA). Probably my only real complaint about the game, at least through to about the halfway point, is Farah's story, and her character in general, are virtually non-existent. Especially having played the latest Prince iteration recently, it doesn't come close. But this is nitpicking in light of everything else the game has to offer. The audio is phenomenal, blending some rocking Western style stuff with beautiful Middle Eastern music. The inclusion of a soundtrack here is easily worth the purchase price alone, as some users have noted already, especially with it being seemingly very rare and expensive elsewhere. Graphically, the Prince still holds up VERY well, even after more than five years -- granted, the leap in graphics was not as big these last couple of generations, but nevertheless. If you're smart enough to have a monitor capable of a resolution higher than the maximum allowed, be sure to check the forum for how to take advantage of it with this gorgeous title -- I have it running at 1680x1050 on max settings and it's pretty breathtaking. Bottom line is, if you like or love adventure games and/or platformers, this is a gem to have for your collection. And if you're not keen on these types of games, try out a demo online -- you may surprise yourself and end up loving it.
