That's pretty much it folks. By Gothic I mean 1 and 2, so interesting world with lots of exploration, starting as a shmuck and working your way upwards, factions etc. A great little gem of a game.
I bought this game because I read so much about it being like Gothic, one of my all-time favorites. A few hours in and I can absolutely confirm this! The game has exactly the right balance between exploration, fighting, collecting items, talking and solving quests. With a fun, active fighting system, interesting character development, good ambient music and sound, and very nice pixel art graphics, the game is everything I have been wishing for. For me, it belongs to the list of personal favorites in PC RPG gaming, beside Gothic I and II, Albion, Enderal and Archolos.
Some reviews describe Drova as “2D Gothic” and that seems absolutely appropriate to me: Free roaming with no hand-holding, factions, no punishment for misbehavior (if you don't get caught ;-), and areas full of creatures that don't scale but are nearly impossible to defeat without advanced gear... At the same time, that's what entices you to return once you've completed enough messenger quests to earn the Bronze Sword so you can finally kick some monster butt. The map may seem small at first glance, but it's packed with detail and quests with a dark (but sometimes also very charming) tone. An absolute recommendation!
A real role playing game - You know, like in good old times, with Story and a lot of Dialog - which i can play leaned back and relaxed with a gamepad.
While the story doesn't seem to be that original, which really isn't neccessary to dive in, the rough world is delivered well by the dialog and story telling.
Combat feels good and progression - or better the hunt for XP - feels motivating and satisfying.
You should be ok with pixelart and a bit of retro style, tho.