Arcania: Gothic 4

 PC
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 473 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 473
  2. Mixed: 145 out of 473
  3. Negative: 261 out of 473
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  1. nirvycn
    Oct 20, 2010
    10
    Not great at first but REALLY improves. Excellent Game! Fighting is very fun compared to the last Gothic, and the graphics are super good. A bit short, but definitely worth a try!
  2. Freesoul
    Sep 3, 2011
    9
    I had avoided the game for all the bad review he got so when i finally decided that i would give it a try anyway i was really surprised to find an action rpg that delivers.
    Sure it's not gothic as we used to play, but graphics are awesome and fights are more dynamics, even if you have to crank up the difficulty.
    I appreciated the loot system too, even if i wish we could equip some more, i    I had avoided the game for all the bad review he got so when i finally decided that i would give it a try anyway i was really surprised to find an action rpg that delivers.
    Sure it's not gothic as we used to play, but graphics are awesome and fights are more dynamics, even if you have to crank up the difficulty.
    I appreciated the loot system too, even if i wish we could equip some more, i dont really care for the realism when my backpack is full with weapons or plants or whatever :)
    Sure the story is far from the best, many npcs looks like they came from an army of clones, but that didn't keep me to enjoy the game.
    So i'd say, if you hare a die hard gothic fan and wont enjoy anything else who wear that name, the game is not for you. But if you are open mind and loolking for a fun action rpg, you should give it a try.    … Expand
  3. marzippan
    Jan 21, 2012
    9
    One of the most beautiful action rpg (nicer than the xbox version). The combat system is dynamic, environment, vegetation and characters are beautiful.bad points : too linear, too much aliasing, crap cinematics.
  4. Neddy
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    I think this game deserves a solid 8.6/10

    My only grumble with it is that it seems to have a bug that makes it run choppy. It doesn't seem to matter what CPU you play it with for some people as it lags, especially around the towns. Some peoples systems are OK with it, some are not. All other complaints I disagree with point blank. Some say it isn't part of the Gothic series. I think    I think this game deserves a solid 8.6/10

    My only grumble with it is that it seems to have a bug that makes it run choppy. It doesn't seem to matter what CPU you play it with for some people as it lags, especially around the towns. Some peoples systems are OK with it, some are not.

    All other complaints I disagree with point blank. Some say it isn't part of the Gothic series. I think the main issue with that is that it's shorter by about 50%. However having played Pirahna Bytes games myself like Risen, they took too long to play. Everything was just dragged out. I played the Gothic 3 demo and to be honest, I was only partially impressed.

    Graphics are stunning. Music is spot-on. Voice acting fine. The story is rock-solid, though it has a bad bit soon after the start; (no spoiler included). Combat is spot on for a third person game: I mean really spot on. I like most of the characters, and love most of the locations. You can just go for a walk in most places, taking in the views, or wandering over a wooden bridge.

    Even though I am struggling for frame rates, I am loving playing through this, and am about 3/4 way in. This is a game that's charm stays with you and brings you back for more play time. However if charm is not your thing, it may not feel right for you. Whichever way you look at it, my character soon became a mace wielding bad-a$$. This aspect in a world with great design, and engaging story, is a yes from me.    … Expand
  5. Metaltecman
    Oct 19, 2010
    8
    At first I didn't think this was worth playing but kept at it for a few and this game has a lot to offer. Great fighting dynamics. Visuals are amazing and great detail where it matters most.
  6. excelldeluxe83
    Dec 20, 2010
    8
    For me,the game is good,runnin so smmth good graphic,but these who said that is bad,and graphic is bad i wonder what graphic card they got in case,some trash i think...with good gaming pc theres no antialising edges and nothing so haters buy a good pc or card and write reviews...peace dogs
  7. Atech66
    Oct 17, 2012
    8
    I liked the game itself and had very few issues, beautiful graphics.. somehow the dlc didnt work wortha **** graphics were totally fubar missing ocean missing armor crazy.
    If you can get it onsale its a decent buy
  8. Pomornik
    Jun 13, 2011
    8
    Fairly enjoayable, solid RPG. Sure the hero is not as badass as in previous games. Lipsync and facial animations are a bit lacking, and you keep seeing the same faces over and over, but combat has really improved from previous Gothic games. I dont see why people hate it so much, sure it doesnt live up to the first two, but its not a bad title either. If you're a fan of the series, youFairly enjoayable, solid RPG. Sure the hero is not as badass as in previous games. Lipsync and facial animations are a bit lacking, and you keep seeing the same faces over and over, but combat has really improved from previous Gothic games. I dont see why people hate it so much, sure it doesnt live up to the first two, but its not a bad title either. If you're a fan of the series, you should get it just to see the old characters and how the story evolves. Because lets be honest, Gothic universe is too great for just for 3 games, theres still alot of places we havent been at. We want to explore more of Myrtana, and here we get it.… Expand
  9. ThE_MarD
    Aug 16, 2014
    8
    Heyyo, I love how all the Pirana Byte fans bash this game because it's not made by Pirana bytes... The combat in Gothic 4 isn't broken like other Gothic & Risen games by Pirana Bytes. It's not the most exciting game, but at least the gameplay isn't fundamentally broken. For that? I actually finished the game without rage-quitting like gothic 2 and Risen 1.

    But seriously... fans of    Heyyo, I love how all the Pirana Byte fans bash this game because it's not made by Pirana bytes... The combat in Gothic 4 isn't broken like other Gothic & Risen games by Pirana Bytes. It's not the most exciting game, but at least the gameplay isn't fundamentally broken. For that? I actually finished the game without rage-quitting like gothic 2 and Risen 1.

    But seriously... fans of Pirana Bytes are the worst fanboys ever. they even know the devs make broken games yet still sing their praises... they're worse than Apple fanboys... and that says things. At least Apple products aren't fundamentally broken minus iOS 7. :(    … Expand
  10. xiyoreven
    Dec 26, 2011
    8
    As I am one to enjoy RPGs, i thoroughly enjoy the way Arcania is setup. The fighting is fun and fluid, it has the normal weapon types (one-hand weapons, two-hand weapons, bow & arrow, and magic) for you to play with; the problem with the fighting is you're usually being over-powered by a "boss" in the game, as in you'll most likely be running away and attacking from afar rather thanAs I am one to enjoy RPGs, i thoroughly enjoy the way Arcania is setup. The fighting is fun and fluid, it has the normal weapon types (one-hand weapons, two-hand weapons, bow & arrow, and magic) for you to play with; the problem with the fighting is you're usually being over-powered by a "boss" in the game, as in you'll most likely be running away and attacking from afar rather than up-close-and-personal against said "boss." I definitely like the idea of the game not hand-feeding you the quests and telling you exactly where they are (as in an arrow pointing you in the direction), but at the same time, the quest directions are often vague and at times confusing. They'll generally say it's a direction of the compass from a certain area (ex: North of ... Forest), without good landmarks to base decent judgement. The game has, as always in the series, a lot of alchemy-based potions and what not to create, which has a large quantity, from mushrooms, to plants, to creature's parts. They have a simplistic level-up skill tree, but it still largely plays into how you play your character-- so although it's simplistic, it works. The voice-acting isn't the best, but if you get over the fact that it's not going to meet today's best standards, you can still end up enjoying the voice-acting because the character does often show emotions, a lot of the time is comedic because he's dumbstruck by what another character said. The game has a lineage to follow of fun games, and I personally believe it does, even without Piranha Bytes making it. I RECOMMEND this game to those who love RPG games, and do not mind having to look into quests to find out where you go. I do NOT RECOMMEND this game if you like being held by the hand and lead to where you're suppose to go. The game definitely does not deserve the ratings it has.… Expand
  11. StalRPG
    Jan 21, 2012
    8
    very good action rpg. Visuals are great (except too much npc clones). The combat system is very dynamic. Only bad points, too much linear and too much invisible walls everywhere, french voice recording is horrible.
  12. QuitBeingStupid
    May 15, 2014
    8
    A solid game in the "Gothic" series. Better than the previous installments in every way. Load screens aren't insanely slow, though they could still be improved. Linear quest line, though you have enough side quests to shake things up too. Graphics were well done, and the story was passable too. About midway through the game when you leave one particular zone on a quest line, and can't goA solid game in the "Gothic" series. Better than the previous installments in every way. Load screens aren't insanely slow, though they could still be improved. Linear quest line, though you have enough side quests to shake things up too. Graphics were well done, and the story was passable too. About midway through the game when you leave one particular zone on a quest line, and can't go back. Don't worry as the questline will bring you back around and everything is open again. At first, since the questline is so long, I wasn't sure I'd every get back to finish exploring the previous zone.

    It's a solid game, and I'm looking forward to playing Arcania: Fall of Setarrif. Definitely worth a buy on sale (which is how I buy every game).    … Expand
  13. TGMode
    Sep 27, 2014
    8
    I like these games. I get a lot of play out of them and I don't mind that they are not cutting edge graphics etc. I have been playing video games since there were video games. Gameplay is what I want and this game has bags of it.
  14. DwarfChieftain
    Aug 16, 2014
    8
    I have seen tons of people bashing this game for its wacky combat, boring quests or other features that didn't stay high enough for their expectations. Arcania Gothic 4 was my first RPG game and it is the game that introduced me to the whole RPG-like scenery. Yes, it is extremely cliche'd from western fantasy stories and other similar stuff. Yes, it doesn't deliver a real "Gothic" vibe andI have seen tons of people bashing this game for its wacky combat, boring quests or other features that didn't stay high enough for their expectations. Arcania Gothic 4 was my first RPG game and it is the game that introduced me to the whole RPG-like scenery. Yes, it is extremely cliche'd from western fantasy stories and other similar stuff. Yes, it doesn't deliver a real "Gothic" vibe and probably shouldn't be called a real Gothic series successor, but it is not an awful game, and if you don't care that it is not like Gothic 3 or blah blah blah - then you could actually enjoy it. I bought this game roughly 2 months after its initial release and I haven't play other Gothic games back then. Now, I have spend ~50 hours in Gothic 3 and played Gothic 2, so my review will try to stay away from the whole "not-worth-of-the-title" rant:

    1. Graphics: when put on the highest settings, they are truly exciting, even now. The most impressive detail back then were dynamic trees that moved and their shadows. It was something that could be experienced in just a few games (namingly, Crysis 1) back then.

    2. Combat/gameplay: As almost everyone has stated, together with the repetitive quests, combat was a huge disappointment for me. It seems like I'm slashing a zephyr with a cardboard sword, ughh...

    Walking is pretty fluid, but could be done less annoyingly because after 30 hours of gameplay it starts to get reaally annoying to hear the same walking sound again.

    3. Environment: Areas are fluid, but you can't go back to a previous zone after entering another one when following main storyline. This is extremely bad because when being in late zones, you desperately need consumables, maybe a change of equipment but you just can't, because your current zone doesn't have any towns/villages/cities where there may be vendors.

    The most enjoyable part of the game was the music, it is so good that I downloaded the soundtrack after playing for just a few hours. Otherwise, the game is good for players who are wishing a generic, but O.K RPG.    … Expand
  15. PlanktonFighter
    Oct 24, 2010
    7
    A simple RPG wth no real complexity. Best enjoyed keeping in mind it's not going to break any new ground but pleases with it's light and frothy RPG elements. Enjoy the impressive visuals and immerse yourself in the scenery.
  16. Uberwolfe
    Oct 29, 2010
    7
    While there is much room for improvement, do not discount this title so quickly. The first part of the game (tutorial island) is a major letdown and falsely leads the player into expectations as to what the actual game is like. Get past this, and you will find an absorbing and enjoyable action RPG.

    THE BAD: Voice acting & lip sync is atrocious - almost embarrasing to listen to. NPC models    While there is much room for improvement, do not discount this title so quickly. The first part of the game (tutorial island) is a major letdown and falsely leads the player into expectations as to what the actual game is like. Get past this, and you will find an absorbing and enjoyable action RPG.

    THE BAD:
    Voice acting & lip sync is atrocious - almost embarrasing to listen to. NPC models and skins are very limited, the same facial skins roll very frequently. Quests are very unoriginal mostly involving talk-to-him and fetching etc. Crafting system is overly simple. Levelling system is also overly simple. Jumping animation is clunky and ugly. Invisible barriers.

    THE GOOD:
    Fantastic graphics, despite some pop in and shadow flickering the game world is an appealing place. The much touted weather effects are cool (particularly the lightning) but not that special. The combat system is rather smooth and enjoyable as a melee class. Ranged and magic combat is not so great.    … Expand
  17. SKYRIM101
    Mar 18, 2011
    7
    Gothic 4 is a good solid game and if released say 3-4 years ago would make headlines, but unfortunately it has been released now, and with an outdated engine and fightings system it just fails in comparison to the elite's. although there is a good solid story here so i give Arcania a 7
  18. LonelyDeer
    Apr 12, 2011
    7
    This game is a very mixed game. The combat is fun and easy to get used to, the storyline of the quests is interesting and has some depth, and the graphics are gorgeous. Also the game helps the player along subtly, instead of making the game linear by placing a massive arrow pointing to the objective, it gives you realistic written directions relative to the game But, there are very littleThis game is a very mixed game. The combat is fun and easy to get used to, the storyline of the quests is interesting and has some depth, and the graphics are gorgeous. Also the game helps the player along subtly, instead of making the game linear by placing a massive arrow pointing to the objective, it gives you realistic written directions relative to the game But, there are very little ways to customize your character, who is absolutely one dimensional and predictable. The voice-overs aren't great as one character will often mix between north-american and British accents. Furthermore the lip sync is honestly the worst i have ever seen, its abyssal, it actually put me off the game for a while. Ultimately, this game is worth a full play through, as the story and combat are convincing and absorbing enough to allow you to ignore the negatives.… Expand
  19. Cyber_Angel
    May 5, 2018
    7
    It's not Gothic in a traditional sense and the quests are more-often-than-not in the spirit of "go kill, bring this and so on", but the writing is witty, graphics are colorful and nice and I enjoyed the improved fighting system and the noticeable sense of progression as in any of the previous titles from Piranha Bytes.
    If you want more games with "Gothic" gameplay, get Risen 1 & 2, this    It's not Gothic in a traditional sense and the quests are more-often-than-not in the spirit of "go kill, bring this and so on", but the writing is witty, graphics are colorful and nice and I enjoyed the improved fighting system and the noticeable sense of progression as in any of the previous titles from Piranha Bytes.
    If you want more games with "Gothic" gameplay, get Risen 1 & 2, this is Arcania and the only connection with the other Gothic titles is the game world and some characters.
    But it really is a good and fun game, albeit a little simple.    … Expand
  20. BHC
    Nov 27, 2012
    7
    So, is this Skyrim? No. is this Dragon Age, ehh not really? Is it bad, Nope! So what is it? Well its not as bad as Two Worlds! Its a decent RPG. if you like RPG's, or should I say, If you are a avid RPG gamer, then try out Arcania. It doesn't make waves, but it's fun. The graphics are easy on the eye, it runs at a good frame rate. and the fight system is a cross between Demons Souls andSo, is this Skyrim? No. is this Dragon Age, ehh not really? Is it bad, Nope! So what is it? Well its not as bad as Two Worlds! Its a decent RPG. if you like RPG's, or should I say, If you are a avid RPG gamer, then try out Arcania. It doesn't make waves, but it's fun. The graphics are easy on the eye, it runs at a good frame rate. and the fight system is a cross between Demons Souls and Assassins Creed. The stroy is forgettable, but so is pretty much every Elder Scrolls game.The voice acting is meh. But what it does right is that it's fun. So if you can pick it up for $20, go for it.… Expand
  21. xForbiddenOne
    May 4, 2013
    7
    Well, I don't really see where some of these bad reviews come from. I'll admit I'm only 16 hours into this game, However, I've been thoroughly enjoying this game. Visually, It's quite fun to look at it, Extremely beautiful. However there's a lot of reused sprites, and voices which can be a flaw to some (It is slightly annoying, but not a minus for me) I actually enjoy the story so far, IWell, I don't really see where some of these bad reviews come from. I'll admit I'm only 16 hours into this game, However, I've been thoroughly enjoying this game. Visually, It's quite fun to look at it, Extremely beautiful. However there's a lot of reused sprites, and voices which can be a flaw to some (It is slightly annoying, but not a minus for me) I actually enjoy the story so far, I think the combat is alright with really three main ways of playing, Mage, Melee weapon or Bows/Crossbows. There's a lot of crafting you can do(Like making weapons) and a bit of alchemy to do(Like making your own potions, These potions vary from adding to your health regen to increasing your overall stats temporarily)

    I will say this though, This game is a bit buggy. You can get stuck in poorly rendered areas or just jumping where you aren't suppose to go, The cut-scenes will make you crash from time to time as well, However you can easily watch the cut scenes from within the Arcania folder if you do crash and just skip them in game. Does this make the game unplayable? For me, No it doesn't. It can be annoying to crash during a cutscene and have to rewatch it again, But it's no big deal for the most part.

    I'll also say this, I had a lot more problems running this game off an FX-8150 CPU than I do with my current i7 3770k(Graphics card is a 7970 for those wondering), Whether this game doesn't like AMD or something along those lines I can't say for sure, But my system isn't a slouch by any means. I feel like this game might run better on older systems then newer systems, For instance my laptop running an old first gen i7 at 1.73GHz and a 1GB ATI card(I think 5850) seems to run it without any cut scene errors or crashes.

    But in the end, I really do enjoy this game, The main story keeps me interested, I feel the combat is alright for the style of game that it is, and despite some minor things here and there, I would recommend this game when it's on sale. I personally feel it's worth it's $20 price tag that it wears now. If you see it on sale and you read the reviews and thought "Well, Now I'm not too sure..." I would take the chance to try it out. I can't vouch for the other games in the series as I've never played them, But please, Give this one a chance!

    Edit: I've now completed the game with 26 hours played, I'm definitely going to be playing through it one more time, And possibly might buy the DLC as well. I took my time for the most part playing through this and had all but one quest finished(finding 30 belier artifacts), So I'll assume you can get around 25 30 hours on average for this game's full completion. The ending was a tad disappointing in terms of the fight, However I feel the story was still enjoyable despite this. Combined with the great visuals, and a decent combat system, I think this game was well worth picking up if you enjoy RPGs. There is quite a bit of walking, Like most RPGs but it never once bothered me.

    There is a huge amount of potions you can create, A handful of decent weapons, and a couple decent armors. The best items you can craft obviously don't come till later on in the game. The weapons you can make don't come until you're about half way 3/4ths of the way done with the game, When you're able to create Steel Ingots. Some boss fights are underwhelming, Especially when you play the game at normal difficulty or lower, Some bosses will drop some decent weapons however. I strongly recommend following the "Kill everything you see" tactic, Unless you run into mobs that you have difficulty taking down, As each mob will drop a certain item that is special to it. That's it for what I have to say, Enjoy!    … Expand
  22. KillaRiku
    May 18, 2013
    7
    I think this game is a good game on its own. But when you call it "Gothic", you can't call it good anymore. It used to continue the gothic-series but it was a disappointing game for Gothic fans. When you don't call it Gothic it was very fun. The Figthing-System was'nt bad at all. The story neither. The graphics were awesome! But as a Gothic Fan I just can't tell you, that this is a good game.
  23. Apoda
    Jul 9, 2015
    7
    The title of this game is, like many already have stated; misleading. Gamers expecting to go through a next chapter in the Gothic series felt disappointed for obvious reasons. But the game Arcania itself isn't bad at all. Game play is fun, the skill tree is broad enough, the graphics are neat and the hack and slash character of the combat system didn't bother me one bit.

    Without the    The title of this game is, like many already have stated; misleading. Gamers expecting to go through a next chapter in the Gothic series felt disappointed for obvious reasons. But the game Arcania itself isn't bad at all. Game play is fun, the skill tree is broad enough, the graphics are neat and the hack and slash character of the combat system didn't bother me one bit.

    Without the part of not meeting with the expectations the title of Arcania: Gothic 4 arouses, the game itself is worth a score of at least seven, in my opinion.    … Expand
  24. Grdnfreeman
    Aug 19, 2020
    7
    Oyunu gothic 1 ve 2 ile kıyaslamazsak kendi halinde gayet güzel bir oyun. O yüzden gothic 3 ile kıyaslayacağım aynı ligde bulunan oyunlar. Öncelikle oyun gothic 3 ten çoğu konuda daha iyi bir oyun. En önemli gelişme combat sisteminde var gothic 3 teki sadece sol tık spamlama olayı yok bu sefer dodge sistemi de getirmişler bu güzel. Harita daha anlaşılır gezmesi daha eğlenceli. Oyunun girişOyunu gothic 1 ve 2 ile kıyaslamazsak kendi halinde gayet güzel bir oyun. O yüzden gothic 3 ile kıyaslayacağım aynı ligde bulunan oyunlar. Öncelikle oyun gothic 3 ten çoğu konuda daha iyi bir oyun. En önemli gelişme combat sisteminde var gothic 3 teki sadece sol tık spamlama olayı yok bu sefer dodge sistemi de getirmişler bu güzel. Harita daha anlaşılır gezmesi daha eğlenceli. Oyunun giriş kısmı G3 ten daha iyi g3 teki gibi savaşın ortasında başlatma saçmalığı yok. Load screen süresi daha kısa. Dialoglar g3 e göre daha ilgi çekici. Görev ve item çeşitliği daha fazla, item çeşitliliğinin fazla olması loot yapmayı da zevkli kılmış. Güç dengesi g3 e göre daha iyi güçlendiğinizi hissedebiliyorsunuz. Kötü yanları ise başta kısıtlı bir açık dünya olması, skill sistemi pek gelişmemiş eksik kalmış. Teleport sistemi çok kötü. Yatakta uyuyup gündüz olmasını bekleme yok. İstediğiniz npc yi öldüremiyorsunuz. Sinir olduğum oyunda tek bir şey vardı o da her gün yağmur yağması lan yağmur yağınca 10-20fps düşüş yaşıyorum oyunda muson ormanında mıyız nedir hergün yağmur yağıyor. 35 saat oynanış sürem var bunun son 3-4 saati sıkmaya başladı yoksa oyun fena değil 6.5 tan 7 verdim.… Expand
  25. Dann-J
    May 5, 2020
    7
    Arcania isn't a bad game. It's just not a particularly outstanding game. Being part of the Gothic series (or not, as the 'Gothic 4' brand was taken off it at one point) comes with certain expectations that this game simply doesn't live up to. However if you've never played a Gothic game before and aren't familiar with the series, then Arcania is quite playable. Even if you have played theArcania isn't a bad game. It's just not a particularly outstanding game. Being part of the Gothic series (or not, as the 'Gothic 4' brand was taken off it at one point) comes with certain expectations that this game simply doesn't live up to. However if you've never played a Gothic game before and aren't familiar with the series, then Arcania is quite playable. Even if you have played the other Gothic games, this game is far from the worst in the series (Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods takes that title).… Expand
  26. IamNader
    May 17, 2023
    7
    If you want a worthy successor to the Gothic series, this is not what you're looking for but
    if you want a rather simple hack & slash then grab it, It is fun - 7/10
  27. arkangel
    Nov 4, 2010
    6
    "Let me past!" demands my super-warrior, crackling with magical WMDs and carrying more sharp things than a porcupine. "Not until you've fetched six mushrooms from that goblin-infested cave in the south," replies the bald man with the goatee (who seems intent on barring my way wherever I go). "Oh, all right then," I say. (Five minutes of hacking goblins later...) "Here's your mushrooms. Now"Let me past!" demands my super-warrior, crackling with magical WMDs and carrying more sharp things than a porcupine. "Not until you've fetched six mushrooms from that goblin-infested cave in the south," replies the bald man with the goatee (who seems intent on barring my way wherever I go). "Oh, all right then," I say. (Five minutes of hacking goblins later...) "Here's your mushrooms. Now will you let me past?" "Not until you've found a hat I dropped in that orc-infested cave in the north." "Oh, all right then,"... And so on. This is ArcaniA - a beautiful-looking game with absolutely no intelligence. The world is populated with clones who completely ignore you (unless you're supposed to talk to them) and are even oblivious to battles raging around and through them! Enemies chase you to the edge of their range then return to their posts making battles a simple matter of picking them off one-by-one because if things get tough you can always move out of their area. To compensate for poor AI, enemies nearly always appear in groups - and you don't meet more challenging baddies as the game goes on, just bigger gangs! But that's okay, peppering enemies with an almost unlimited supply of arrows and hacking furiously is quite fun - at least it makes some kind of sense. But there are so many elements of the game that are just plain daft. Why does every goblin carry precisely 13 pieces of gold (or whatever)? Why does no one care if I loot their home right in front of them? Why can I carry dozens (or hundreds) of weapons? (Have you ever tried to lift just one warhammer?) Why can I eat 20 sour apples in the middle of a fight without getting stomach ache? But having said all that, I've enjoyed playing ArcaniA and I think it was 30 quid well spent. The graphics are excellent and the weather effects are amazing - and the frequent rain and storms help take your mind off the dire AI. I just find it frustrating that nearly five years after Oblivion showed how to make a fantasy RPG it's only the prettiness that's moved on.… Expand
  28. dbrown1986
    Jul 28, 2011
    6
    Arcania. The newest installment in the Gothic series produced by JoWood exclusively, deviates quite far from the classic adventures that are apparent in the first three games. It seems that without Piranha-Bytes at their side, JoWood is not performing well and is slowly killing off the Gothic series with a plethora of bad sequels (Forsaken Gods and now Arcania). While the game has many aArcania. The newest installment in the Gothic series produced by JoWood exclusively, deviates quite far from the classic adventures that are apparent in the first three games. It seems that without Piranha-Bytes at their side, JoWood is not performing well and is slowly killing off the Gothic series with a plethora of bad sequels (Forsaken Gods and now Arcania). While the game has many a new features that fully complement it, there are still many things lacking or otherwise cut from the final production. First, THE PRO'S: You'll find that a wonderful new musical score, that complements the environments and certainly provides a good setting is present. Dialogue is somewhat well-performed for some of the NPC's. The Graphics are a shave close to that of some of the next gen style that is apparent these days. JoWood has included a WoW-Like quest-tracking feature as well as detailed direction in the quest lines. The inventory system is suppurb! The story is somewhat well fasioned. THE CON'S: Repetitive model use. Some dialogue is very shrill and annoying. There are numerous graphical glitches that are still apparent everywhere (Alpha Masking & Displacement), the quest lines and story are too linear and the story still cuts quite a huge deviation through previous canon throwing out a great deal of Gothic's history. The character development is too undercut and linear not opening up a lot of options or balance. OTHER NOTES: *Retail version does not load through Steam, which prevents the use of the Steam Overlay. X-Fire works fine however. *It handles being Alt + Tabbed. Final thoughts: Worth the time, but I would wait until the price tag goes down.… Expand
  29. DeGreZet
    Sep 21, 2011
    6
    This game have really great graphics but only this is great.... Missions is lineal adn sometimes boring. All is too much simplifcation and this is big minus. Town and village and all game world is no live..... This is no bad game bad i no advice this game Gothic series fans........ 6/10
  30. CoolDadTx
    Aug 27, 2012
    6
    This game is really Gothic in name only. It is nowhere near as hard as the previous games nor does it use the level up system of previous games. Overall I found it a really, really easy game especially compared to previous versions. Honestly it wasn't challenging at all. I died once the entire game. This is certainly not the Gothic we love.

    The story is pretty good but the combat    This game is really Gothic in name only. It is nowhere near as hard as the previous games nor does it use the level up system of previous games. Overall I found it a really, really easy game especially compared to previous versions. Honestly it wasn't challenging at all. I died once the entire game. This is certainly not the Gothic we love.

    The story is pretty good but the combat is so simplistic it doesn't even deserve to be called an RPG. It is more like an action RPG. If you just pound on the mouse button you're going to win every battle with little loss of health. Every time you hit somebody it stuns them so I went through most battles, including the final boss, without them so much as taking a swipe. This is really sad because early on you learn about blocking and breaking blocks but they are useless skills.

    The skill system is pretty simplistic too compared to previous games. At level up you just add a couple of points to a handful of skills and you're done. No real room for creating unique characters. You become overpowered early on such that most of the game is a complete yawn fest.

    The monsters are interesting until you realize they all do the same thing: hit you with a weapon, cast a spell or shoot you with something. Even the boss battles are nothing more than them hitting the ground to knock you over. There was so much potential here...

    The biggest gripe I have with the game is its poor travel system. You have access to teleporters but they are really just to get you back to where a quest is due. You have no control over where they go nor can you use them to speed your way through the world. Expect to do a lot of running, which is dog slow. Even worse is that in the main city you'll find that there are wooden walls set up to prevent you from reaching your destination without having to run all the way around the city. This is invisible walls at their worst. Often you can see the very goal you are trying to get through but a wooden wall blocks the way. Evidently a sword swing hero can't climb over a wall or just break it down. This means you'll be doing a lot of backtracking.

    Overall this is not a real Gothic game. They simplified everything to the point of being too easy and boring. Eveything that made Gothic a good series, such as the unforgiving combat, is gone. In its place is an action RPG that is mediocre on its own but a real letdown for the Gothic series.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. Eurogamer Portugal
    Apr 20, 2011
    50
    If you seek a simple game with breathtaking scenery and a ridiculous number of weapons and armor, then Arcania Gothic IV is for you.
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  2. Absolute Games
    Jan 15, 2011
    35
    Besides the handy automap and the journal, the only other positive thing about Arcania is that it's at least better than Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods.
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  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 13, 2011
    70
    Arcania is more of a restart of the series then a regular sequel – some dedicated fans will be disappointed by its overall simplification but it does not make Gothic 4 a bad adventurous experience. [Issue#197]
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