Arcania: Gothic 4 Reviews
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GamesRadar gives it a 6/10:
Gothic has traditionally been a PC title, and although developer Spellbound has included radial menus to make console players feel at home, this is still a pretty poor conversion and it needs the PC staples of quick-saves, scalable graphics and a mouse to be worth the asking price. If the Gothic series is ever going to be a success on console, Spellbound has much to learn.
GameFocus gives it a 7.0/10:
Arcania isn't a bad game. It just feels like it should have come out a few years ago. An overused story that's poorly delivered, some technical difficulties and a decisive lack of RPG staples make this a lot more of an action game made for the 2006 crowd. Fortunately, the combat is solid and in games like this, that's usually not the case. Overall, Gothic 4 won't stand out on any scale, but it does hold it's own int he middle of the pack. You won't pick this up before grabbing Dragon Age, but if you've already moved past the RPGs released over the last few years, Gothic 4 is an easy going and serviceable runner up.
Eurogamer gives it a 4/10:
Beneath Arcania's often outstanding art direction and technical achievement lies a dry spreadsheet of must-have RPG elements, none of which is sufficiently developed to compel and all of which fail to balance against one another. But its ultimate failing is that it treats you like a heel. It neither mentally nor materially rewards the player, which is absolutely fundamental to an enjoyable RPG.
OXM gives it a 7.5/10:
As difficult as it is for a self-proclaimed story-aholic to admit, the flow of combat and epic exploration is enough to make the Gothic series' console debut an interesting experience, despite the mind-boggling story design. Of course, it also helps that the nameless hero sarcastically pokes fun at the convoluted plot twists and the way a single task always seems to lead to more tasks, even if he never seems to get around to mentioning that whole dead-fiancée-and-vengeance thing.
And GameShard gives it a 7.0/10:
If you're a fan of the series, there's every chance Arcania: Gothic 4 is not for you. It's simple, streamlined, and linear to a fault, and the later parts of the game degenerate to a bit of a grind with little payoff. But the combat is fun, the visuals are stunning, and exploring the landscape is a compelling draw. There's certainly enjoyment to be had here, but Arcania won't satisfy those craving a more open RPG experience.
