Gothic II
by Atari
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Video Game Reviews of Gothic II
Customer Review: Gothic Series are great RPGs
Summary: 5 Stars
I have played both Gothic and Gothic II and loved them both. I am a big fan of RPG's and have played everything from Baldur's Gate to Morrowind and I place the Gothic series at the top of the list.
The control system takes some getting used to, as it is keyboard based and we tend to be used to mouse based systems, but that doesn't make is clumsy, primitive, or bad. It's just different. The main keys you will get to know pretty quickly on are your arrow keys - used for everything from movement to attacking. Space is ready weapon, ALT is jump, and tab is inventory. CTRL + up arrow is use...on just about everything. I would suggest taking some time to get familiar with the system. You get a pickaxe and sword early on, so practice the timing by waving your sword around a bit. To attack hit CTRL + the up arrow. As you progress you will be a better fighter, and it's obvious because you learn more steps in your attack sequence. In the begining, try using CTRL + R arrow, followed by the up arrow for a fluid attack sweep.
The storyline is pretty linear, but the world is anything but. You can and will run everywhere and if you're anything like me you will quickly memorize the paths to certain key places.
Anyway, I will leave the story to your discovery, but don't let the keyboard controls stop you from enjoying this awesome game...its well worth the time and effort.
Customer Review: great game, just inconsistant at times
Summary: 4 Stars
Gothic II is so good, that I am willing to hunt down a copy of the original. However there are some inconsistancies and also some quests aren't very rewarding.
I have not had the fortune to be able to play Gothic(1), however I am ordering a used(hopefully only slightly) copy. I wouldn't buy a new copy unless you can get it for next to nothing(won't happen here on this site). In Gothic 2 as in 1, You start out a weakling with no experience(well, actually you HAD experience but a deamon of some sort gave you brain damage or something and weakened you physically) One thing that bothers me is that sometimes the "good" thing to do is not going to gain you much of anything(even prestege). For instance, the farmer's clothes you toil hard for, and also pay for in the fields, does nothing to gain entrance into the city. Buying wine for the farmers isn't work at all, and costs you more than not doing it so I don't understand the significance. You can easily enter the City in your underware(or whatever that outfit is) bypassing the farm altogether and get a writ or bribe the guard(as documented in the manual, no spoilers here) The " evil favor" is easily corrected and you get a very nice wheapon(better than the farm clothes)+ some big money! I'll say no more. The combat is also laggy, as it involves holding down the left mouse button and hitting the "W" key multible times. The S/A/D keys are your guard, and slash right/left respectively but they hardly work, unless you let go of a target. The arrow keys also work, but it is easier on the arms to use the SAD and mouse. The good thing is, you can take down virtually any beast with a quick "W" tap and some dodging rather than letting it go by chance as in Baldur's Gate or something. Most beginning monsters can be taken down for fish and experience easily(but you pretty much tear up your keyboard doing it).Get a Saitek keyboard/keypad combo, thier indistructable. Go hunting with a partner for free XP. thier are two in town who would willingly go with you on an expedition in the wilds . NPC's are rather Drakonian which means they all hate your guts and this makes it hard to stay alive(even in dialogue). Once you even slightly offend someone he/she/it instantly attacks you and you instantly die(usually without attacking or being able to.) Even self-defense is frowned upon which sucks in real life as well as in this game. If the bar drunkard attacks and you fight back, everyone in the area will bash you until you die horribly. It does not make sense that your "heroic" character who fought a deamon recently and was very expericenced should all of a sudden become a noob. You'd think killing a "Sleeper" would make him wise. Although being a weenie is a good start in RPG gaming terms it doesn't tie up with his previous experience and plottwise it makes no sense. You should play a new charater. A deamon can of course distroy muscle fibers making one physically weak, but the PC is also dumb, foolish and his dialogue choices limited which sucks. Not to mention he can't fight back in town which is unacceptable. Even the Ultima series let you defend if another attacks you! By the way, Ultima is exactally what this feels like, particularly Ultima 1(with good graphics). Your quest is for gold and kicking tookus, not for virtue.(which is always a good start). I have a feeling that by Gothic III you will have to answer to Innos for your misdameners and senslessly beating people up, and like Ultima IV, you'll have to prove yourself in a benevolent way(but that is just a hunch). The best thing about this game is the guilds. You can start over at anytime with a new charater and it is the funest part trying to get a regular job and making it to the top. Mercenaries are hard to join and as mentioned above is inconsistant as you get killed instantly if you don't level up to 5 or someting. By that time, you've already joined the Milita becasue it is impossible to travel the dangerous lands if you are anything but level 5 which you can't get to without gaining EXP in town(by getting a job and joining the Milita). Mercenaries are funner as you can stab people in the back without consequence and of course stealing will not keep you from being elite in your class. Figthing rats is not going to get you to LVL 5 to become one, however. Insidently, if you don't join the thieves guild you die! You cannot fullfilll the quest to kill the thieves unless you are a very high level, I don't see how this is easier in joining the ranks(as mentioned by the Guard Captain) than just getting a job hunting wolves. The music is beautiful, no complaints there. It always sets the mood wheather the spanish gitar in town or the chimes in the monestary or the obo and flute of the wilderness, it always sets the mood and is not loud or obnoxious as in other games. The V/O talent is pretty good even the PC gets a voice, and a good one Many of the different NPCs speak in various American accents, Anywhere from NYC, New York to OKC, Oklahoma and a few Minnasodans, Texans and others making it a diverse and cosmopoloten world. But they in no way detract from the Gothic setting and although don't seem appropriate it oddly enough works well in this game.
The graphics are better than most modern games, not because of cutting edge tech, but in the quality of the drawings. Much like Ultima 9 very detailed by the artists rather than just depending on 3D modeling as in most other games. I would even compare Gothic 2 to Morrowind. In richness and detale, it is second to none! The sound is the same, great! Very detailed ambience which is very important and most games also lack. The monster lurking noises come through as many as 7.1 speakers but only if you have it. You can usually catch a firebug or a lurker behind you in the exact position hiding in the trees, couldn't ask for more than that! Gameplay is the best part and the most important part as mentioned above I explaned it. You can also cook, forge swords, and other fun things as well, just as in Ultima. The game is very addictive and I just can't get away, despite the laggy controls and inconsistant quests, I would recommend it to anyone but play the first for familairity with some of the characters. Lee especially. Gothic 2 is avalable here from J&R, but Gothic 1 is only availble from separate sellers. It is worth it to pick up a copy of both games! I wouldn't pay 79 bux for the new one though. I want to rate this over all 5 stars but this editor doesn't allow it!
Customer Review: An RPG player
Summary: 5 Stars
Although I rated this game at 5 stars, it does not mean that the product is perfect. Let me explain. Voice acting is below par. Dubbing some characters with assorted local American accents is odd and inappropriate, to say the least. The game becomes choppy sometimes, however, in my experience such occurrences are infrequent. All this said, I should admit that the amount of fun I had with Gothic II is immense. Although I enjoyed playing the Baldur Gate series and some Final Fantsy games, Gothic II stands out and really shines. Character development gives you a lot of freedom, even after you join a Guild. The graphics are very friendly and give you a wonderful point of view. After you set up the controls (forget the original Gothic layout from the prequel and customize them per some very helpful suggestions from the Internet), and after you get used to them, you will appreciate the flexibility they give you in choosing your own, unique combat style. Initially, you will be very seriously challenged by the adversaries, but it makes the game more attractive than any other RPG's, where you are a master adventurer from the very beginning and everything depends on the quality of your weapon. Not that you should not get a good weapon, by all means you must upgrade at the first possibility, but your fighting style and proficiency are very important and you can work on them. Some quests are extremely hard and you may try to tackle them after you build up your skills and experience. If you choose a Guild, you cannot leave it (except for the Tieves' Guild, which you can join in addition to your main affiliation). I am taking extra efforts not to add any spoilers to this review, therefore, I will be brief. The game is great, it has a replay value if you select a different Guild next time, it has a very good story and gives you a lot of freedom in character development. A great value for your money, too. Good luck playing.Customer Review: Excellent and underrated
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished playing this game and found it surprisingly good. Actually, it's one of the top 3 computer roleplaying games (RPG) that I've played (along with Morrowind and Baldur's Gate 2). Although it can be a bit frustrating in places, Gothic 2 is an enjoyable gaming experience which I highly recommend.
Gameplay: This RPG is set in a medieval fantasy environment, replete with castles, dragons, magicians, and knights. Your character has just escaped from a prison and is now out in the world to fulfill his destiny. It's the same formula as other such games, but does not come off as corny. You can customize your character with ability scores like strength, mana, sword skills, and lockpicking, but for the most part the character creation possibilities of the game are rather limited. There are only 3 character classes, 3 guilds, about 10 ability scores and skills, and your character is the same person each game (same gender, no name, same basic appearance, etc.).
Similar to Morrowind, the gaming world is huge and will take many hours to fully explore. The game does not have an on-screen automap, so you can easily get disoriented and lost. There are a lot of hidden dungeons and caves, and dozens of NPCs and monster types. One of the real strengths of the game is that it feels alive. NPCs have schedules and lots of animations (like cooking, sleeping, sitting, smoking, mining ore, farming, etc.), and all of their dialogue is spoken. There are night-and-day cycles and climate changes; even the animals and monsters sleep at night. Be warned: the game has mature themes like profanity and a functioning brothel, which also add to its realism.
Gothic 2 is hard at first. Because the game allows you to roam freely, your 1st-level character can easily run into a shadowbeast that can kill him in one blow. Thus, you'll have to pick your fights wisely. (I am not sure why so many people have complained about the combat controls. I really liked the fighting system once I remapped the goofy default controls. Instructions for doing this can be found in the game's readme document, as well as instructions for setting up hotkeys for health potions.) One thing that I really missed was quick-travel options during the first half of the game. Eventually, you'll come across teleportation scrolls to take you to certain areas quickly, but you'll still be doing lots and lots of walking. Additionally, I liked the food system for the game, as well as the alchemy system.
There are really only a few things that I didn't like about Gothic 2, besides the lack of a quick-travel system and an automap or compass (you can buy maps, but have to open your inventory to use them). First, the character creation options are too limited. Although there are many quests, I really wish you didn't have to be the same guy every game. Also, there was a noticeable lack of variety in armors, weapons, architecture, and other things. Compared to Morrowind or Diablo 2, Gothic 2 is kind of sparse in this regard. Finally, while the ending was good, it didn't allow you to go back and finish uncompleted quests or do further exploring. When it's over, it's over. (Hint: don't get on the paladin boat unless you are finished with questing on the mainland). Overall, the game was quite stable and will last about 50 hours.
Graphics: The visuals for the game range from good to great. Most character animations are done decently, and the forest environments are lush and convincing. The water just looks okay, as does the sky. Monsters are well done for the most part.
Sounds: This is a mixed bag. Ambient sounds are done well, and the music is appropriate. However, voice acting ranges from good to awful. Some characters have identical voices, including the several dragons that you'll fight. Also, thunder is not convincing. Overall, there are no big problems in this department.
Replayability/Value: I thoroughly enjoyed Gothic 2 as a paladin and could see playing it again as one of the other two characters. Whlle it does not have the character creation versatility and editor capacity of Morrowind or the item customization of Diablo 2 or the great magic system and NPCs of Baldur's Gate 2, Gothic 2 gets a lot of things right. And for the current price ($10), you really can't get much more value for your money. I highly recommend Gothic 2 to anyone who enjoys adventure games and RPGs.
Customer Review: Worst Controls Ever
Summary: 1 Stars
I've played dozens of PC and console graphical RPGs, and this one has the absolute worst graphical interface I've ever seen. I bought it because of the good reviews, but shortly after installing , I quit struggling with the controls that aren't logical, don't make good use of the mouse and create a feeling of motion sickness from the bobbing screen views and uninstalled it in disgust. What a waste. Doesn't matter how great the content is if you can't play it effectively.