"Gothic" is a legendary computer role-playing game released in early 2001. This timeless masterpiece was developed by the German company Piranha Bytes. The localization in Russia was handled by the studio Snowball Interactive, while the publishers were 1C and Russobit-M.
Briefly about the plot: we find ourselves in a prison with no way out, and we need to find that very exit. King Robar needs swords made from magical ore for his war against the orcs, which can only be mined in the mines of the valley. It seemed practical to use the prisoners for this purpose, surrounding the colony with an impenetrable magical barrier. However, it is impenetrable only for those inside. The prisoners, in turn, did not waste any time and quickly figured out the situation, seizing power in the colony. Thus, we end up in a prison ruled by convicts.
There are three large camps in the colony that we can join.
Old camp – The largest and most powerful, as it controls its own mine and exchanges the ore mined there for goods from the outside world. Moreover, it is significantly easier to join the old camp than the others.
New camp - A refuge for thieves and mercenaries. This camp also has its own mine; however, all the ore mined there is piled up with the aim of blowing it up later to destroy the magical barrier.
Swamp camp – Also known as the camp of cultists. The cultists inhabiting it believe they can escape from the colony if they worship the local deity – The Sleeper. The atmosphere of the game is shaped by several factors: the development of the world and story, as well as the gameplay.
The game world is well-developed: it's genuinely interesting to travel through, and the NPCs that inhabit it, despite the game's considerable age, successfully imitate life. It is also worth noting that the presence of the barrier creates an interesting sensation of confinement. When you start playing, the controls are striking. Any action in "Gothic" is performed by pressing two keys at once: Action + Direction. It is believed that this system is a result of the game initially being developed for consoles and later ported to PC.
Another significant feature of Gothic is the NPCs. Most of them were created with care, so we can find true friends, loyal allies, a mentor, and numerous enemies. The role-playing system in the game is simple but interesting at the same time: we feel each improvement immediately, not after several levels of ability. We can upgrade characteristics and skills. Strength and agility are necessary for using certain weapons, while mana is needed for casting spells. Skills such as one-handed and two-handed weapons, bows, and crossbows directly improve proficiency levels. Each of these skills has 2 levels of upgrade. In addition to combat skills, we have access to skills of a hunter, thief, blacksmith, and others. Despite the apparent simplicity, the role-playing system makes you think about what kind of hero you want to make your nameless protagonist.
The combat system is quite standard, but it won’t let you get bored. Additionally, you can learn to fight better than just by button-mashing, so there's plenty to upgrade even without the role-playing system. From all that has been said, it follows that "Gothic" is not just a game, but a true work of art.