ArcaniA: Gothic 4
Review
Set out to avenge my murdered family, and succeeded
by Davneet Minhas
reviewed on PC
Hour 6
Anyway, compared to all those games, ArcaniA feels old and slow. Its world is divided into a few regions, which act as tiny open worlds you can explore. But to move on to the next region and progress through the game, you have to complete quests for people who can unblock the right pathway. The problem is that these quests aren’t story-driven, they’re simple favors for people who have some power. And worst of all, they always turn you into a gofer. For the second time, I’m not an errand boy.
Even if a quest does have some story attached to it, it’s completely independent from your own and the looming threat of the crazed king. You are just passing through the world, from one region to the next, never making a connection and never leaving a mark.
I keep waiting for something to happen to pull me in. It could be an interesting character or an epic battle, doesn’t matter. I just want to be excited and immersed. Please something happen.
Hour 8
No, that exciting moment hasn’t happened yet. But, I’ve discovered my hero is a masochist. He hasn’t slept in what seems like weeks. He doesn’t eat, and worst of all, he jumps into every goblin-stuffed cave or orc-filled ruin he can find. It’s 3 A.M and he won’t stop. He constantly wants to reveal one more section of the map, jump into one more goblin-filled cave, kill one more skeleton archer, and collect one more insignificant piece of loot. He may not have to sleep, but I do.
Gothic 4 certainly delivers the most basic and addictive RPG mechanic: Kill stuff, collect loot, repeat. But really, what RPG doesn’t?
Oh, and I was right about The Witcher – its combat is much deeper and more satisfying. Its combos are much more complex and varied, and it requires you to switch between different styles mid-battle to fight different opponents.
In ArcaniA, my combat style hasn’t changed since I began. I shoot arrows at the creature until it’s close, then paralyze it with a lightning bolt, and then wail on it with a sword or axe or whatever melee weapon I’m currently using. I’ve used this same tactic to effectively battle everything from furry wolves to massive stone golems. That’s kind of silly. I mean, a creature made of rock shouldn’t be as susceptible to wooden arrows and lightning bolts as a cuddly animal. Well, the wolves aren’t that cuddly, but you understand.
Hour 16
Eight hours later, and that moment still hasn’t happened. But I do feel a change. The gofer quests have stopped, for the most part. Now, I’m actually progressing through my own story.
I’m on a prolonged chase, moving from area to area trying to catch up with this thief. I feel a crescendo coming. I’m not an errand boy!
Hour 18
It’s over. I win. I’ve revealed every area of the map, crawled into every cave, and accepted every menial task – at least every one I could find. ArcaniA was interesting and a little exciting during the final hour or two, once the main quests became more story-driven and ancillary concerns disappeared. Still, I don’t think sixteen hours of drudgery is worth two good hours.
Maybe drudgery is too harsh. What Spellbound did, it did with polish. It executed the RPG genre’s most basic mechanics well. Every object in the game is meticulously detailed and all the interfaces are easy to use. Not once did the game crash, and I never encountered a broken quest or even an errant pixel.
But I also never encountered a memorable moment. I never experienced an epic battle or even felt challenged. I started out with the purpose of avenging my murdered family, and then I succeeded. Everything in between seems so inconsequential and forgettable.
Sadly, the most interesting thing about ArcaniA: Gothic 4 is its tone maps.
6.9
fun score
Pros
The landscapes are stunning.
Cons
Gameplay feels stale and dated.
