The core idea behind Gothic 3 is that the player’s actions within the game’s enormous open world affect how the conflicts play out. Think of it as being like Oblivion, but you can choose to help any of the game’s factions achieve their ends at the expense of others. This system is good in theory, and to be fair, Gothic 3’s world is brilliantly realized in many respects. Sadly, the game is just no fun to play.​

It is perilously easy to compare Gothic 3 to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Realistically speaking, the only time the two games should be mentioned together is in a context like: “Boy, Gothic 3 sure sucks. I want to play a real game, like Oblivion.” Gothic’s biggest draw – exploring a wide-open landscape – is utterly suffocated in the armpit of its numerous problems. With a futile combat system and an array of crippling technical issues, Gothic 3 is almost amusing in its failure. The visuals appear lively enough at a glance, but looking at the game any deeper reveals a dead world inhabited by poorly executed good ideas. Heck, I’m even sorry I had to write this review, since it is now published evidence that I spent time playing this embarassing trash.​