Gothic 1 Remake takes the 2001 cult classic RPG and brings it to the modern era, without changing much else. The inconsistent enemy placements and unforgiving early combat are still present. Whether this is good or bad depends on you.
You’re an unnamed hero, dumped into the colony, required to prove your worth. Guards exploit you, fellow miners beat you, and the wildlife overwhelms you. Rising from nothing, you must navigate the unique political landscapes that are the Old Camp, New Camp, and Swamp Camp to build your reputation.
Gothic 1 refuses to hold your hand. Coupled with the jank from the original, you’re left with a game that will feel unfamiliar to those who’ve not played the 2001 copy. It’s difficult by design, not only with enemies, but in how little it tells you. No maps unless purchased, no map markers unless manually placed, and no fast travelling unless you acquire the right spell.
Quests are where the game shines, not in writing, but in design. The factions each face different social issues, each with different moral consequences. You begin in the Old Camp, which is the largest between the three, but that doesn’t make it any bit fairer. Guards try to extort you for their ‘protection’. NPCs try to beat you if you don’t have ‘protection’. Ores and reputation are needed to navigate the corruption and get ahead.
The Swamp Camp follows a new god, focusing on spirituality. Proving your devotion is key, but ultimately, they’re drug addicted cultists. Finally, the New Camp, where sheer strength and capability determine who is in power. These are the people who rejected the ways of the Old Camp.
While I did focus on the Old Camp, Gothic doesn’t block you from engaging with the other camps. Specific NPCs in the Old Camp will guide you to their camps, which I highly recommend. They act as guards and distractions, eliminating enemies along the path and netting you some nice experience and loot along the way. While the camps themselves are memorable, the overarching story and most characters rarely leave much of an impression.
Melee, ranged, or magic combat are available, and its enjoyment depends on how much you engage with the system. Levelling and investing learning points to improve your abilities and learning how flow states work is critical. The system highlights the rags-to-riches journey of a nobody to a hero – Early you’re weak, later you’re a force to be reckoned with.
In the beginning, ranged is the way to go, but after levelling enough, I switched to melee. While full magic builds are possible, this isn’t the playstyle I used for my first run, but I’ll surely use it for my second. One of the differences between the original and the remake is how early you can access magic – Here, early enough, one of the fire mages rewards you with a spell.
Unfortunately, combat is one of the weakest areas of the game due to how slow and clunky it feels, even with the newly added difficulty options. Further, due to certain enemy placements, it can quickly become frustrating. The quest that has you exploring a goblin cave perfectly highlights this frustration. Too many enemies, too little vision, and a very slow pace of play – It wasn’t fun.
Branching armour is a game changer, and one of the things I liked most about the remake. Instead of the tiered armours in the original, we now have customisable armours. While blocking and dodging are important, upgraded armour does a lot in keeping you alive. One small change I’d like to see is that upgrade paths were restricted to story progress, rather than the size of your Ore purse. I’d also like to see earlier upgrades make subsequent upgrades cheaper.
The most evident change from the original is its presentation, both visuals and audio. Models are more advanced, textures are clearer, and the lighting is phenomenal, especially as the sun rises and falls, its light gently peering through the trees. Coupled with enhanced ambience and sound effects, such as wind blowing, and you’re left with many moments where you stop to take it all in.
These enhancements, coupled with the world design, make it feel much more lifelike. Small crabs and insects scurry around rivers while alligators roam nearby, wolves hunt scavengers in forests, and goblins call caves their home. NPCs complete their routines at camp and travel between roads, and even the occasional rock concert – It all makes this fantasy world feel natural.
One early moment stood out for me. The game advises you early to stick to the road and warns you of engaging multiple enemies at once. Being a seasoned veteran, I ignored this advice, only to be reminded how dangerous the world can be, regardless of what gear you have equipped.
I encountered a pack of five wolves, and low on healing items, I quickly retreated. As they chased, I ran into a group of bloodflies, and naturally, they targeted me instead of the wolves. Then, the scavengers appeared and chaos ensued. The wolves chased them in all directions; the bloodflies weren’t sure what to do, and I slowly picked off the stragglers. It was amazing to see all the systems interacting seamlessly.
Unfortunately, bugs still cause issues. While my game wasn’t crashing, NPCs would decide to refuse to talk to me unless I quick-loaded or returned to the area after some time. Similarly, the jank from early days was still present, detracting somewhat from the experience, but nothing I wasn’t prepared for.
This is a game for those who played the original, or those seeking an RPG that won’t hold your hand. Persevere through the jank, the outdated design choices, and the lack of explanation, and you’ll be rewarded with a genuine sense of accomplishment. It doesn’t chase modern RPG trends, and that’s exactly why it’s a must-play for me.
GOTHIC 1 REMAKE REVIEW
Gothic 1 Remake is a faithful representation of the original. It’s rough around the edges and still plays like it’s from the early 2000s, but endure through the rags-to-riches opening and you’ll enter a world like no other.
PROS
Preserves the feeling of the original perfectly
Improved voice acting and visual fidelity
Difficulty options
CONS
- Combat may be too dated for some to enjoy
- The beautiful visuals come at the cost of performance on weaker systems
- While fans will love it, first-timers may find the lack of hand-holding hard to overcome
Reviewed on PC. A review code was provided by the Publisher for purposes of this review.
