Gothic 4: Arcania

Cobalt

New member
Was shocked to see that this has already hit the torrents sites! (since it's supposed to only be coming out next week according to GameSpot)

SO thought I'd set this up and see if there are any reviews floating around on the net or if anyones downloaded and played it...(Based on the last game I wouldn't blame anyone for downloading this and trying it before buying)
 
i was shocked when i tried the demo, really not sure about this one...

Was shocked to see that this has already hit the torrents sites! (since it's supposed to only be coming out next week according to GameSpot)

SO thought I'd set this up and see if there are any reviews floating around on the net or if anyones downloaded and played it...(Based on the last game I wouldn't blame anyone for downloading this and trying it before buying)
 
i was shocked when i tried the demo, really not sure about this one...

+1

It does NOT feel like a gothic game. The demo was very meh, and I didn't even waste my time finishing it. :( I'll wait for Risen 2 thank you. IGN does have a review up btw.
 
The problem is really if you are comparing it to previous gothic games. The game doesn't come close to them. Spellbound is no piranha bytes. If you are just looking for a nice little fun rpg then its a decent - good game. It lacks depth though.

I have the game and so far I would give it somewhere between 70-75% as a game on its own. If we have to taken into consideration that its suppose to be gothic 4 then the score drops to somewhere between 65 - 68%.
 
Last edited:
The problem is really if you are comparing it to previous. The game doesn't come close to them. Spellbound is no piranha bytes. If you are just looking for a nice little fun rpg then its a decent - good game. It lacks depth though.

I have the game and so far I would give it somewhere between 70-75% as a game on its own. If we have to taken into consideration that its suppose to be gothic 4 then the score drops to somewhere between 65 - 68%.

Thanks, your comments tie in with IGN's review (thanks for the link). I've gotta be honest. I love gaming, but games have to be good to really get me. I mean, in the last year, the only games I've really played to completion were:
COD: MW2, Starcraft II, ASsassins Creed II and Borderlands and all the DLC. Oh and Dragon Age (altho after awakening most of the DLC was rather "meh" as well)

I suppose not a bad haul for 2010, but I think I'm going to save my moneys for Fallout: New Vegas and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
 
Fallout isn't a "forced" sandbox as such, at least, Fallout 3 wasn't. There was a ton of stuff to do outside of the storyline, but there was a focused main plot line in the game with some side quests like your usual RPG.

On Gothic 4, PASS! The demo was pretty bad.
 
Fallout isn't a "forced" sandbox as such, at least, Fallout 3 wasn't. There was a ton of stuff to do outside of the storyline, but there was a focused main plot line in the game with some side quests like your usual RPG.

On Gothic 4, PASS! The demo was pretty bad.

I played fallout 3 and didn't like it. It was not story driven like I like my rpg's. I do like obsidian games though so I will wait and see what the reviews show but so far from what I have read its still a sandbox style rpg. Not my cup of tea, I prefer story driven crpg's.
 
Last edited:
It will be interesting to see how New Vegas turns out with some of the old Black Isle crew back at the helm of the franchise.
 
This review from rpg watch is on right on target imho.

The Bottom Line

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.


Pros: The graphics, environments, landscapes, game smoothness, stability, and dungeon design

Cons: Depends heavily upon what pair of glasses you are wearing!

http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=165&ref=0&id=280
 
I can live with it not really being "Gothic" in its truest sense. However I am still a little worried, especially after a buddy wanted to see if it sucked, pirated it, and he is not at all happy. Maybe I will grab the pirate version off him just to make sure, and if it is decent I will absolutely buy it!

NOTE: I do NOT pirate games! And I do not condone it in any fashion. However I am more lenient on the idea of pirating to see if it is a worthwhile purchase.
 
I can live with it not really being "Gothic" in its truest sense. However I am still a little worried, especially after a buddy wanted to see if it sucked, pirated it, and he is not at all happy. Maybe I will grab the pirate version off him just to make sure, and if it is decent I will absolutely buy it!

NOTE: I do NOT pirate games! And I do not condone it in any fashion. However I am more lenient on the idea of pirating to see if it is a worthwhile purchase.

lol @ contradictory apologetics.

I, however, advocate piracy. JoWood received three sales from me and Piranha Bytes four; all because years ago I pirated Gothic 2 on a whim and fell in love with it. Freedom of data and information. As long as I support public libraries, I will support piracy.
 
Hah! Yeah I guess I am almost saying two things. What I am trying to get across is that it has been years since I pirated anything, that, and I generally look down on piracy. There are considerations I will make given the right set of circumstances - such as if you are not sure about a title, just can't track down a copy, or previously owned it and something went wrong.

I find it pointless getting too anal with piracy, but I can not accept people who do it just because they can, or the ones that claim they can't afford it so it's fine (life does not work like that).

As for freedom of data and information, I also cannot agree with that. Ideas are worth something, and data while relatively insubstantial has hard effort behind it. Just because it cannot easily be quantified in comparison to physical outcomes does not forgo its monetary worth.

While I can understand the analogy of libraries, I think it is a misleading example. The books are bought which I am sure creates some returns for the creators. Also the primary need of a library is not entertainment but rather as a facility for those who want / need to learn. Gaming does not benefit society in the strictest sense like say a library does.

Gaming is an expensive industry to keep going, and it needs much of the revenue too keep the pace many expect. Games are not information, they are entertainment, not all data should be free, payment needs to go to those who put the effort into compiling and creating the data.

We live in a world where the metaphysical can shape the physical, so why should it not have worth?

GAH! And so starts yet another piracy debate. Perhaps we should end it swiftly by just agreeing to disagree? :p
 
Last edited:
Hah! Yeah I guess I am almost saying two things. What I am trying to get across is that it has been years since I pirated anything, that and I generally look down on piracy. There are considerations I will make given the right set of circumstances - such as if you are not sure about a title, just can't track down a copy, or previously owned it and something went wrong.

I find it pointless getting too anal with piracy, but I can not accept people who do it just because they can, or the ones that claim they can't afford it so it's fine (life does not work like that).

As for freedom of data and information, I also cannot agree with that. Ideas are worth something, and data while relatively insubstantial has hard effort behind it. Just because it cannot easily be quantified in comparison to physical outcomes does not forgo its monetary worth.

While I can understand the analogy of libraries, I think it is a misleading example. There you pay for a service which I am sure creates some returns for the creators. A game library I could deal with, but until a book costs 500mil to create I am not convinced.

Gaming is an expensive industry to keep going, and it needs much of the revenue too keep the pace many expect. Games are not information, they are entertainment, not all data should be free, payment needs to go to those who put the effort into compiling and creating the data.

We live in a world where the metaphysical can shape the physical, so why should it not have worth?

Much of your argument which highlights your distaste toward piracy hinges on the mistaken idea that people who pirate all willy-nilly would've bought something if they couldn't have pirated it. There are a billion factors to take into consideration, not least of which is that if piracy (theoretically) didn't exist, people would still loan games from friends. As far as publishers and developers are concerned, that still doesn't constitute a sale for them and could just as easily be considered lost revenue. If people didn't lend games to friends, they'd sell them. People who would rather buy second-hand games for whatever reason would still fail to constitute a sale.

You are against the freedom of data and information based on an argument that would dually apply to libraries across the world. My analogy isn't misleading--it is accurate. Libraries thrive, mostly, on books donated by the public. Their income doesn't stem from late fees, but from government support--which your taxes contribute to. Publishers and authors don't see a cent from books shelved in libraries. A popular book that might go for R100 at Wordsworth could've been read over 30 times in the timespan of one year. That's R3,000 in "potential" income lost to the author and publisher. However, that's 30 people, of which some may just have become your biggest fans and proceed to buy your books.

Piracy of software and games is no different to a library. There is only one tangible difference--piracy affords a limitless number of what a library can only hold a limited number of. Instead of only one person being able to take out a book at a time, any number of people are able to pirate a game. Where in a library, only one person might come across something they find a new passion for over a year whereas online, any number of people--potential buyers--can come across underrated, unknown or niche games and a cult following of guaranteed buyers begins. Look at Two Worlds, look at World of Goo, Gothic, under-appreciated games like Planescape, Arcanum and the like.

Lumping every pirate into a category of people who couldn't be arsed to buy something is a misrepresentation of the facts--of reality.

I have a collection of approximately 135 games in mint condition. Many of them I played as a teenager and all of them I've bought when I reached adulthood. Many of those sales would never have seen the light of day if I hadn't pirated them and grown to love them. Gothic is my favourite example because it is a series I am (was) insanely passionate about. There are many who share my story.

Condemning freedom of data and information is nothing short of censorship and trying to herd people like sheep. Piracy has a place and I will always support piracy because the alternative is a rather sick form of conservative society.

I cannot agree with the dehumanisation (which is ultimately what it is) of piracy as though it's some evil, backward thing criminals do to steal profits from the corporations. Piracy is not the same as counterfeiting intellectual property with the intent to financially profit from it, however much bureaucracies would like to you to believe that. It is to gain an experience. Whether that experience plants a seed in someone's mind that causes them to become part of a loyal following (and ultimately a guaranteed income) or whether it burns a fiercely bitter taste in the mouths of the beholder, it opens up the potential of a sale every time your game is pirated. Someone who has a fiercely bitter reaction to a bad game has lost nothing and won't be entirely against trying a new game by you later on, another might perceive adoration and buy all your games and proceed to pre-order sequels.

Your market, at the end of the day, is not the teenagers or people who cannot or will not buy your games--it's us. Blaming piracy as though it is some bane on your sales is laughable at best and a mockery of your market's intelligence at worst.

I will always, always support piracy. 135-odd games in my collection so far, I like to think I have the right to stand up for one of the biggest reasons I found and fell in love with almost all my games in the first place as well as the right to proceed to laugh off the idiocy of the lost-sale logic.

GAH! And so starts yet another piracy debate. Perhaps we should end it swiftly by just agreeing to disagree? :p

Only saw this after posting. I'm all for agreeing to disagree, as long as a certain nihilist can appreciate that it's not a black-and-white matter :D
 
Last edited:
Why did you post and then remove it? However, what you said kind of gave me a better idea of your stance on the matter...

Honestly I do not have the patients or inclination to carry this on. I still disagree with much you are saying, and I have never seen this as black-or-white.

I am off to steal a BMW "to gain an experience", maybe then I will buy one?

Aside from some horrible nails-on-chalkboard sensation after reading "patients," I just have to point out, for the millionth time, copyright infringement isn't theft. As Wikipedia states, "...but an instance where a person exercises one of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner without authorisation." Your analogy is another misrepresentation of the facts :/

I do agree with you though, no patience or inclination to indulge in a discussion with someone who attacks a straw-man.

You could've argued any number of valid points--that piracy also potentially infringes on the more significant "marketing rights," if you will, of developers and publishers as well as legitimate customers by making spoilers known before the release date. Many argue that piracy takes away the "right" of a publisher/developer to market a game to you. Surely that stands to reason that that infringes on your right to make an informed decision?

You could've argued that piracy creates a market for crackers or even that piracy creates the illusive necessity and controversial market for DRM which only serves to victimise legitimate publishers.

But no... instead you decided to compare chalk and cheese. I'm disappointed, nihilist-san :(
 
Why did you post and then remove it? However, what you said kind of gave me a better idea of your stance on the matter...



Aside from some horrible nails-on-chalkboard sensation after reading "patients," I just have to point out, for the millionth time, copyright infringement isn't theft. As Wikipedia states, "...but an instance where a person exercises one of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner without authorisation." Your analogy is another misrepresentation of the facts :/

I do agree with you though, no patience or inclination to indulge in a discussion with someone who attacks a straw-man.

You could've argued any number of valid points--that piracy also potentially infringes on the more significant "marketing rights," if you will, of developers and publishers as well as legitimate customers by making spoilers known before the release date. Many argue that piracy takes away the "right" of a publisher/developer to market a game to you. Surely that stands to reason that that infringes on your right to make an informed decision?

You could've argued that piracy creates a market for crackers or even that piracy creates the illusive necessity and controversial market for DRM which only serves to victimise legitimate publishers.

But no... instead you decided to compare chalk and cheese. I'm disappointed, nihilist-san :(

The only thing I have against piracy is selling the pirated games to make profit and buying fake games.
 
The reason I deleted the post was because I realized this would go nowhere, I felt my original post was redundant and a reactionary reply, rather than a controlled one. That is why it got deleted. I do it all the time. It was up maybe for a few seconds before you jumped on it.

And Ly, honestly I do not give a shit. Your ideas on what is acceptable are overall moronic. While I can certainly agree with some points, or find them interesting, I cannot agree with the over-arching idea that piracy is A-OKAY! And I never said it was black-and-white just go re-read my posts.

You should go and spend a vast amount of time and money into a game only to just have a large chunk taken away because of piracy. Piracy SHOULD NOT exist, but this is not a perfect world. It hurts the industry more than helps it. You focus on the relative few that are introduced to something new then proceed on to buy the product, when I can almost guarantee that is not the case for most people that pirate. People like you just give them ever more excuses to do something they should not. And I do not give a toss about what the wiki definition of copyright infringement, regardless, people who work HARD on something are getting shafted in MANY instances.

Data should NOT be free because not all data is equal. Even then, it takes time, money and effort to compile data, create game / book or whatever, and in most cases for someone to take that away is repugnant. Like I said am flexible in some cases, but you failed to notice. For a large factor of the gaming populace piracy is NOT about "trying" something, its about getting it free or cheap!

Honestly Ly, I am shocked at how little you know about the world beyond your own needs. If YOU worked in the industry and got hit by the effects of rampant piracy you would be singing a vastly different song.

This is going to be my last post on piracy in this (and perhaps all) topic(s), because I feel it is pointless and a waste of time.

Back on topic I plan to get Gothic 4 since I can deal with what the reviews have said.
 
And Ly, honestly I do not give a shit. Your ideas on what is acceptable are overall moronic.

Feel free to substantiate why. You're really more than welcome to back up your claim that my ideas are "mornic" --all you have to do is prove it.

You're aware of how easy it is to pirate music, I'm sure? Takes a fair bit of effort, lots of fascinating things involved in its compilation and whatnot. Did you know that a study has found that people who pirate music are ten times more likely to buy music than those who don't?

And I never said it was black-and-white just go re-read my posts.

Oh, I'm sorry. Obviously I misunderstood:
I find it pointless getting too anal with piracy, but I can not accept people who do it just because they can, or the ones that claim they can't afford it so it's fine (life does not work like that).
How can you be grey if you say that it's unacceptable that people who pirate (bearing in mind that it's the ones who do it because they can who er... do it) but in the next breath claim that your stance is grey?

Then you continue to say:

Piracy SHOULD NOT exist, but this is not a perfect world. It hurts the industry more than helps it.

But of course, your stance is grey. You also go on to claim that piracy hurts the industry more than it helps it. What facts do you base this on? These "facts" evidently don't apply to the music industry. These "facts" also seem to thoroughly integrate themselves in the mindset of one who seems insistent that piracy equals a lost sale. Again, prove that a pirate would've bought something they pirated in the first place had piracy not existed.

In another discussion I had with someone, they cited some woman who said she pirates music but that she'd never buy music. The logic of she would never buy music was thoroughly lost on him.

You focus on the relative few that are introduced to something new then proceed on to buy the product, when I can almost guarantee that is not the case for most people that pirate.
You mean people like me who are the actual market that developers and publishers should focus on? The.. erm.. what's it called again? Oh, of course, that's it--the potential customer--that little frequently overlooked individual who happens to be part of their income.

People like you just give them ever more excuses to do something they should not.
Indeed, once again, people like me who happen to be the customer--the person who buys games, the person whom you should be marketing to and not, in fact, the pimple-faced teenager with twenty bucks to his name or the people who would rather buy booze or whatever than games in the first place.

And I do not give a toss about what the wiki definition of copyright infringement, regardless, people who work HARD on something are getting shafted in MANY instances.

And thereby the law of what copyright infringement is as opposed to stealing is meaningless to you. So why bother continuing the discussion in the first place if legality, facts and personal experience are meaningless to you?

Data should NOT be free because not all data is equal. Even then, it takes time, money and effort to compile data, create game / book or whatever, and in most cases for someone to take that away is repugnant. Like I said am flexible in some cases, but you failed to notice. For a large factor of the gaming populace piracy is NOT about "trying" something, its about getting it free or cheap!

When did I say that data should be free? Freedom of data and information implies the right to do with data and information what you will. It implies awareness, it implies autonomy. It is what a liberal society strives for. Of course a developer and publisher should make money, and they are entitled to earn their just desserts. The fact of the matter is that in "the real world" people look before they buy. People vote with their wallets. If your product isn't good enough to stand up to a harsh environment then you will lose out. It's really that simple. Why? Because people want to know what it is they're supporting.

Honestly Ly, I am shocked at how little you know about the world beyond your own needs. If YOU worked in the industry and got hit by the effects of rampant piracy you would be singing a vastly different song.

Talk about gross hyperbole mixed with a fair amount of misrepresentation. Can you say how I would react? Really? Considering my stance on the matter you honestly think that I would change my stance and start blaming piracy for my failures, after everything I've said, instead of finding out how I can better approach my market? Don't be daft. Attack a straw-man all you like.

This is going to be my last post on piracy in this (and perhaps all) topic(s), because I feel it is pointless and a waste of time.
Didn't you say that before as well?

Back on topic I plan to get Gothic 4 since I can deal with what the reviews have said.

I'm sure JoWood will appreciate your buy. Gaming Gods know that either piracy will help or crush that IP because the fans have long since abandoned it.

Oh, and sorry.... Was having dinner :p
 
Ly, you obviously have thought long and hard about your position and articulate it very well. While the few of us will debate the theft vs copyright infringement etc, all very intellectual discussions - I believe (no stats available to back up my theory) that the majority of those who pirate couldn't care less. If they can get something for free they will.

As I have said before - it can become a very intellectual debate, but I see it very simply (being the single braincelled individual I am) that it is wrong. Perhaps being arrested for this many years ago gives me a different perspective ;)
 
Ly, you obviously have thought long and hard about your position and articulate it very well.

Thank you, Fivel-sama. Your kind words are, as always, appreciated :)

While the few of us will debate the theft vs copyright infringement etc, all very intellectual discussions - I believe (no stats available to back up my theory) that the majority of those who pirate couldn't care less. If they can get something for free they will.

I agree, completely, in regards to the fact that they couldn't care less. That's the whole point. When bureaucracies whine about "lost sales," blaming piracy, they over-exaggerate their "lost sales" simply because the sensationalism, had they said that many of those who downloaded in fact proceeded to buy, would've been lost. When I say that piracy is not a lost sale, it are the ones who couldn't care less that I refer to. They are not lost sales, they were never sales to begin with. They are the equivalent of borderline gamers leeching off their friends' collections, playing for a few minutes then deciding it's not worth it. They are people to whom it doesn't matter--there are things they'd much rather spend money on. That implies nothing more than had they been without the means to lend/pirate it, they would've just done without.

I can point you in the direction of a number of people like that whom I've met over the years. The point is simply that they couldn't care less. That's all there is to it.

As I have said before - it can become a very intellectual debate, but I see it very simply (being the single braincelled individual I am) that it is wrong. Perhaps being arrested for this many years ago gives me a different perspective ;)

Then many years ago I wish that I could've stood at your side and fought tooth and claw for your rights to be worth more than bureaucratic idealism.

I agree, the discussion about piracy has the potential to be pretty interesting but it always boils down to one party's self-righteous holier-than-thou ego antagonising matters (not that I am saying that this is necessarily the case with tehNihilist).

As a gamer, I crave for the developers I love so dearly to get as much money as they can. Bring back Interplay, Troika and Black Isle, I would happily lop out a kidney for that. Hell, if I could set up a monthly debit order for a bit of money to be contributed to them then I would, gladly. But the way I see it, piracy has been a boon for gaming and it is through piracy that many realise the magic of old and forgotten games, or even games that reviews have torn asunder that end up being phenomenal.

I can't denounce piracy. Be it people I've spoken to who share my experiences or simply my own experiences that influence my opinion on this, I can't beyond reasonable doubt say that piracy does more bad than good. It just doesn't make sense to me. There are too many flaws in the opposing argument.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top