ArcaniA
Arcania: A Gothic Tale
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Steam
A spin-off to the legendary Gothic series initiated back in 2001. While the creators of the franchise, Piranha Bytes, focused on developing the Risen franchise, the latest Gothic was developed by Spellbound Entertainment, known for the Realms of Arkania trilogy, among other titles.
Arcania: Gothic 4 for PC, PS3 and X360 is the fourth installment in Gothic – a famous cRPG series. Unlike the previous games, this one was not developed by Piranha Bytes Studios. After some vicissitudes, the publisher of the series, JoWooD company, decided to pass the development of the game on to Spellbound Studios, creators of such titles as: Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive and Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood. They gained some experience in developing major RPG titles in the 90s (Das Schwarze Auge trilogy, also known as Realms of Arkania).
Arcania starts off ten years after Forsaken Gods (a Gothic 3 expansion), in which the Nameless Hero, foreseeing an imminent conflict between the leaders of Myrthana – the realm that was previously reclaimed from ors’ hands – decided to intervene once more. As a result of these events, the hero finally took the rule on his own declaring himself a king and taking the name Rhobar III. The player takes on the role of a new character, who is called the Nameless Hero too. He wants to take revenge on the king for invading his home village set on a small Feshyr island and slaughtering all its inhabitants. The actual game is set on the significantly larger area of Arcania. In his quest for revenge the main character is helped by Diego, our good old friend from the previous game.
Throughout the game the player-controlled character is mosly fighting countless battles against monsters (including goblins, giant wasps, orcs, shadowbeasts, crawlers, snakes) as well as intelligent opponents. Depending on the chosen character class, combat may come down fencing (warrior), shooting enemies from a safe distance (archer), or treating them with a variety of spells (mage). In time, the main character grows in strength, unlocking new abilities ascribed to several different categories (including a series of strikes, the sea of fire spell, or the ability to take enemies by surprise). A significant influence on the Nameless Hero’s performance also has his equipment, looted from enemies, purchased from merchants, or crafted by himself. In the latter case you have to possess appropriate recipes or schematics, as well as components needed to create a particular object.
The storyline is linear, so you visit in-game locations in certain order. To unlock another world area it is usually required to aid someone or eliminate a group of opponents. Interestingly, some main quests may be completed in several ways. There is also no shortage of side quests as well as missions that require you to discover various secrets (including statues of Innos, and the forgotten graves).
Arcania: Gothic 4 for PC, PS3 and X360 uses a graphics engine called Vision Engine, also known from The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom and Helldorado. The game uses third person perspective.
An important feature of the game, is that the camera automatically moves away from the Nameless Hero each time he starts a fight, which is helpful for overwatching the situation on the battlefield. In his adventure the main character visits many interesting places across Arcania; among others these are: Stewark – a town built on a cliff – vast areas of Silverlake, treacherous swamps, or the jungle inhabited by wild beasts.
Last updated on August 14, 2015
Last Update: November 29, 2010
Arcania: Gothic 4 Game Guide
This is an unofficial guide to the Arcania: Gothic 4 game. You will here a very detailed description of all quests (main and some less important, side quests).
Videos and Screens
[0:19] ArcaniA Polish audio samples #3
[0:35] ArcaniA Polish audio samples #2
The main pros of the game
- Engaging Combat System: Many users noted that the combat system is straightforward and easy to understand, with some improvements over previous Gothic titles. The action-oriented gameplay is appreciated, especially when facing tougher enemies.
- Visuals: The graphics, especially for a game released in 2010, were generally praised for their beauty, including weather effects and environmental design.
- Entertainment Value: Some players found the game enjoyable and entertaining, especially for fans of the Gothic series, despite its flaws.
- Infinite Inventory: The infinite inventory system was highlighted as a positive feature for players who enjoy collecting items.
The main cons of the game
- Technical Issues: Many users experienced crashes, especially on Windows 11, and reported bugs that hindered gameplay.
- Lack of Depth in RPG Elements: Players criticized the simplification of RPG mechanics, including a reduced number of spells and skills, and a lack of meaningful choices in quests.
- Linear Gameplay: The game was described as overly linear, with a lack of exploration and freedom compared to earlier Gothic titles. Missions often felt repetitive and guided.
- NPC Diversity: There were complaints about the lack of variety among NPCs, with many sharing the same character models, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Open World Exploration: Players missed the open-world feel of previous Gothic games, noting that the game felt more like a series of linear paths rather than a cohesive world.
- Crafting and Item Usefulness: The crafting system was seen as underdeveloped, with many items collected throughout the game feeling useless or unnecessary.
- Interactive NPCs: Users expressed disappointment over the lack of interaction with NPCs, particularly the absence of a stealing mechanic and limited reactions to player actions.
- Consequential Choices: The game lacked meaningful branching paths in the narrative, with choices having little impact on the overall story or gameplay experience.
Summary
- Overall, while ArcaniA has its merits, many users feel it falls short of the expectations set by its predecessors in the Gothic series, leading to a mixed reception.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 9671 votes. 13587 players anticipated the game.
9
GAMES
in Gothic Game Series
Game Series
Gothic Series
A cult series of action RPG games set in a fantastic world. The series was created by German studio Piranha Bytes but over the years other development teams have also worked on it, such as Trine Game Studios, Spellbound Entertainment and Alkimia Interactive.
9 video games
ArcaniA Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows October 12, 2010
Xbox 360 October 19, 2010
PlayStation 3 cancelled
Developer: Spellbound Entertainment AG
Publisher: JoWooD Entertainment AG
ArcaniA System Requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz, 2 GB RAM, graphic card 512 MB (GeForce 8800 GTX or better), 9 GB HDD, Windows XP/Vista/7
Game Expansions for ArcaniA
Arcania: Fall of Setarrif
Expansion
RPG
October 24, 2011
Standalone expansion to the game Arcania by Spellbound Entertainment, continuing the tradition of the legendary Gothic series. The expansion offers us a completely new adventure, which can be played with both the hero imported from the base game and three new heroes: a warrior, mage and hunter. The story of the game takes us to Setariff - a once thriving settlement controlled by a sinister demon, banished from the body of King Robhar III.