Preview Arcania: Gothic 4 Preview

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Gothic 4: Arcania; JoWood Productions

<p>Hooked Gamers <a href="http://www.hookedgamers.com/pc/arcania_gothic_4/preview/article-742.html" target="_blank">put up a preview</a> based on GamesCom info.</p>
<p>Learn why the lack of mini maps and quest arrows is fucking hardcore:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Gothic games have always targeted a hardcore RPG audience, mostly due to the lack of aides such as mini maps and directional arrows pointing towards your currently selected quest. <em>ArcaniA</em> will ship with a number of aides, including said mini map, but leaves it up to the player which of them he switches on. An overall map shows your location on the large island that makes up most of the game world. Jowood describes the game world as a 'natural barrier open world' which translates into large, isolated areas that can be accessed only when you are ready for them. Readying yourself means taking quests, gaining experience and leveling up your character. One example given of such a barrier was a bridge guarded by a bunch of thugs not willing to let you pass unless you carry out some jobs for them.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p><em>ArcaniA: Gothic 4</em> may in some ways be a reboot for the series, but it shares much of the DNA of its predecessors. And from what we were shown at Gamescom, only the strong and wanted DNA strains were brought along. To prove that <em>ArcaniA</em> is still very much a Gothic game, Jowood even promises the return of iconic NPCs such as Lester and Diego. And with no less than seven unique factions to piss off or impress, there is plenty of trouble to be found too.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/99493-arcania-gothic-4-preview.html">10 years Gamebanshee, rejoice!</a></p>

 

[Konjad]

If I had any hopes that it's going to be a good game - they're gone now -_-

 

[SharkClub]

So, they're targeting the "hardcore RPG audience" (whilst adding in loads of Oblivion-style hand-holding), decided that they should put it on consoles to accomplish that, and then rebooted it because consolefags never played the first 3 Gothic games?

 

[Der_Unbekannte]

If I would rage about all the rageable bullshit in this preview it would take all day.
But I have to go into a Bierzelt in a few hours so I won't do it.


Gothic is dead. Rest in peace

 

[Darth Roxor]

ArcaniA will ship with a number of aids

Fixed.

 

[Archibald]

Wtf with all these faggots claiming that they are targeting hardcore rpg fans. Is it new marketing strategies? Mainstream gamers want to be hardcore so they`ll buy this game in hopes that they`ll become hardcore? WTF IS THIS SHIT.

 

[Mastermind]

Looks good. If I buy this one I might actually play past the first 5 minutes. Maybe I should give gothic 2 another chance though, I know i have it around here somewhere.

 

[Jaesun]

Gothic is dead. Rest in peace

The Gothic series died after Night of the Raven.

 

[zeitgeist]

Wtf with all these faggots claiming that they are targeting hardcore rpg fans. Is it new marketing strategies? Mainstream gamers want to be hardcore so they`ll buy this game in hopes that they`ll become hardcore? WTF IS THIS SHIT.

Basically yes. Hardcore is being used as a marketing buzzword that plays on people's sense of self-worth and the need to belong, and to define themselves as better than the majority. This wouldn't be surprising or anything given that the same kind of marketing is used in a lot of industries (take audiophiles for example), but what makes it especially ridiculous is that pretty much any kid with a console thinks of himself as a hardcore gamer nowadays, and the labels have lost their meaning entirely (if they ever had it in the first place).

 

[KalosKagathos]

Gothic is dead. Rest in peace

The Gothic series died after Gothic 1.

Fixed. Risen was p. cool, though.

 

[Stereotypical Villain]

Yeah, Risen sure gave me a ris-

*sounds of a lynch mod approaching*

 

[bhlaab]

I love this sort of marketing doublespeak

"Of course it's the same Gothic you know and love! Now let us explain in detail how we threw everything that made the series what it is into the garbage"

 

[Luzur]

you can only be hardcore if you are born before 1990, and know how to load CRPG's from 5,25 discs, so adding in lots of shit in my Gothic games does not change a thing.

and its going to be out on console too? not even close to "hardcore".

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

you can only be hardcore if you are born before 1980, and know how to load stuff from audio-casettes, so adding in lots of shit in my Gothic games does not change a thing.

and its going to be out on console too? not even close to "hardcore".

fixed

 

[Luzur]

cassettes? Press Play On Tape, totally streamlined.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

bro this shit took half an hour and odds were an reading error occured midway inbetween beep beep beep

 

[Ferdosi's apprentice]

Well, I don't know why Spellbound is creating this new addition. not only except legend of Sherwood and maybe Desprados, they don't have any major successful game, they have no XP in creating RPG's. I am really worried about the quality of this game...
And why they are creating this for consoles? wasn't Risen on 360 a failure?

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Did you ask Ferdosi for permission, before you requested an account? I'm just asking because I didn't want to piss him off.

 

[Lumpy]

One example given of such a barrier was a bridge guarded by a bunch of thugs not willing to let you pass unless you carry out some jobs for them.

Oh, and you can bet said bridge connects two well-garrisoned towns of the same kingdom, yet none of the guards notices that their kingdom is completely split in half my a bunch of bandits.

 

[Ferdosi's apprentice]

Did you ask Ferdosi for permission, before you requested an account? I'm just asking because I didn't want to piss him off.

Well, I didn't ask his permission, but I'm sure he'll be happy ( at leastI hope so ) to have an awesome guy like me as his apprentice.

 

[Morkar Left]

From a technical point of view I expect them to deliver better quality than Piranha Bytes are being able to do. And I expect Arcania will sell better than Risen because of its streamlining. But I´m definitely not interested in the game after reading about the changes that are not optional.

 

[coldcrow]

What technical problems did Risen have?

Imho that is simply the best looking, well optimized arpg the rpg devs graced us in the last years.

 

[Morkar Left]

Risen is probably the most bugfree game from PB. But Models etc. look a bit weird (eg. hands). But I can´t judge too much there because I only played the demo. PB has always released somehow crude, unpolished games (bugs, interface) but overall with excellent atmosphere and gameplay.

 

[Twinkle]

Heh, I had way less technical problems with Risen compared to "AAA" trash like Oblivion or Failout 3 which crashed regularly and required messing with codecs. Also, they had shitty character models too and it didn't hurt the reception.

 

[Kosmonaut]

There was this game breaking but with some NVidia cards where, at the sunset, the world was covered with some kind of fog and you couldn't see nothing. It was pretty annoying.

 

[Der_Unbekannte]

There was this game breaking but with some NVidia cards where, at the sunset, the world was covered with some kind of fog and you couldn't see nothing. It was pretty annoying.

But was fixed pretty soon, afaik.