Leave Arcania Alone!
Leave Arcania Alone!
Review - posted by VentilatorOfDoom on Thu 14 October 2010, 10:57:46
Tags: Gothic 4: Arcania; JoWood ProductionsRPGWatch reviewed Arcania: Gothic 4. Their reviewer figured - or at least pretended to have figured - that as the successor to Gothic 3 in the spirit of a classic RPG, one would find ArcaniA to be a very disappointing release. On the other hand viewing Arcania only through the lens of a classic RPG is unfair.
The difficulty lies in that reviewing ArcaniA only through the lens of a classic RPG is unfair. It is important to remember that a classic RPG is not the game Jowood intended to release. ArcaniA is one of the first major releases by a leading developer using a solid graphics/game engine aimed at the new "Casual RPGer" mass market that all the top RPG developers seem to think is their future -- customers who demand simplicity and easy accessibility in order to try RPGs. Kamaal Anwar, Producer for ArcaniA, summed it up very clearly for RPGWatch -- "...The challenge studios face is to avoid chasing away potential fans with too many possibilities and too much freedom. Some gamers more accustomed to jumping into games in short bursts may find the lack of a clear direction daunting".
Well, if they intended to not make a proper Gothic game but a game that provides next-gen popamole brainless fun... I guess it's OK then! I bet this game will help build a new generation of RPGers who will soon want to try traditional RPGs! So basically, we should be thankful.
Your reaction to ArcaniA will vary widely depending upon what pair of glasses you are wearing. If you are a new or casual RPGer, then ArcaniA is a fun game that you will enjoy greatly. Even for classic RPGers it will be a nice game to have if you can afford it for when you do not have the time for a more immersive RPG. At the other extreme, if you are a fan who hopes to continue the Gothic series with the same game mechanics and experience you had back exploring Myrtana and Nordmar, then you will be sorely disappointed with ArcaniA -- for it is a very different game than you would expect. As a classic RPGer somewhere in the middle, caveat emptor.
Read the whole thing here.
Spotted at: RPGWatch
The difficulty lies in that reviewing ArcaniA only through the lens of a classic RPG is unfair. It is important to remember that a classic RPG is not the game Jowood intended to release. ArcaniA is one of the first major releases by a leading developer using a solid graphics/game engine aimed at the new "Casual RPGer" mass market that all the top RPG developers seem to think is their future -- customers who demand simplicity and easy accessibility in order to try RPGs. Kamaal Anwar, Producer for ArcaniA, summed it up very clearly for RPGWatch -- "...The challenge studios face is to avoid chasing away potential fans with too many possibilities and too much freedom. Some gamers more accustomed to jumping into games in short bursts may find the lack of a clear direction daunting".
Your reaction to ArcaniA will vary widely depending upon what pair of glasses you are wearing. If you are a new or casual RPGer, then ArcaniA is a fun game that you will enjoy greatly. Even for classic RPGers it will be a nice game to have if you can afford it for when you do not have the time for a more immersive RPG. At the other extreme, if you are a fan who hopes to continue the Gothic series with the same game mechanics and experience you had back exploring Myrtana and Nordmar, then you will be sorely disappointed with ArcaniA -- for it is a very different game than you would expect. As a classic RPGer somewhere in the middle, caveat emptor.
Spotted at: RPGWatch
