Suddenly and without notice, THQ Nordic recently released the playable demo of a remake of the role-playing classic Gothic. In this way, the publisher wants to tap the fans' interest and, if they are blessed, expand the prototype to full game. The question inevitably arises whether such a project is a good idea at all. Is Gothic still competitive in times of Cyberpunk 2077? Why was and is Gothic so popular today? We used the demo to answer these questions.
That should have surprised the fans in December of last year: The publisher THQ Nordic suddenly published the playable prototype of a remake of the role-playing classic Gothic – without prior notice or explanation. This "Vertical Slice" was free to download for all users who have a game from the developer studio Piranha Bytes in their Steam library.
A remake of the cult game Gothic is currently under development, we took a closer look at the Playable Teaser.
Although the demo is not from Piranha Bytes itself, but rather from a new studio in Barcelona, both the surprise and the joy within the fan base were great. After all, it was synonymous with the indirect announcement or at least a hint of a complete remake of Gothic. A little bit of disillusionment followed a little later, since the prototype is not only graphically but also playfully very different from the original – after all, we are dealing with a real remake and not just a visually polished remaster version.
But what the demo clearly showed: The desire in the community for a new edition is huge. Why is that? What distinguishes Gothic from the fact that many fans call it a classic? To do this, we have to travel back a few years – 19 years.
Not a classic fantasy role-playing game
When Gothic came on the market in 2001, it initially did not only cause cheers, but above all raised eyebrows. This was mainly due to the – for the time – somewhat unusual scenario. Instead of quoting the typical role-playing clichés like elves, dwarfs and pretty fantasy landscapes, Piranha Bytes shipped you into a world that is as dark as it is rough. The nameless "hero", who is actually nothing more than a prisoner, has to assert himself in a prison world and fight there for naked survival.
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A hallmark of Gothic is the sometimes very shirt-like tone, which was very unusual for that time. So it could happen that someone wanted to knock another character's mouth. This bitter note ran through the entire game and provided a distinctive charm.
The hand-made game world also contributed to the striking atmosphere, which looked less empty and dreary than many other role-playing venues of the time. Among other things, this was due to the numerous NPCs, each of which was interesting in its own way. They either needed help with a quest, could teach the hero a helpful skill, or just had something entertaining to tell.
This seemed very organic and invited to further explorations off the main paths – there was always a lot to discover, which was not just a decoration or a means to an end. Piranha Bytes also impressively demonstrated with Gothic that large, extensive role-playing games did not have to come from overseas.
Not all of the gold that shone so seductively at first glance – especially when it was released in 2001. Gothic was initially plagued by numerous bugs, players complained about the unfamiliar combat system and the stubborn mouse controls and anything but optimal inventory. Nevertheless, the positive aspects prevailed, so that the game quickly secured a place in the role-playing Olympus – to this day.
Is that enough today?
As distinctive as Gothic may have been at the time, today the question arises: Does a remake of the classic really have to be made? After all, some of his gameplay mechanics are now pretty dusty. And many of the points that were still striking at the time are by no means anything special – like the coarse language or the somber staging. Especially in view of such stifling competition from sprawling open-world role-playing games like Cyberpunk 2077 & Co., it is at least questionable whether such a classic can still “function” today – romantic nostalgia and fan service are left out.
Sure, a few examples from the recent past have shown that remakes from once-loved classics can still ensure considerable sales figures today – see Resident Evil 2. That is why the Gothic demo does a lot differently than the original. The development studio in Barcelona has, among other things, turned the fighting system upside down and makes the nameless hero appear a little more chatty. While this could counteract some of the original criticisms, it could also upset the conservative part of the fan base. Should THQ Nordic actually take this risk or rather let the classic age with dignity? We would like to pass this question on to you – the fans.
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