The original Gothic games played an important role in the history of PC RPGs. Pioneering the RPG subgenre affectionately nicknamed ‘Eurojank’, their immersive worlds and open-ended style attracted a legion of passionate fans. While the third game in the series saw a change of emphasis, titles such as Risen and Elex continued the legacy. It was therefore a huge disappointment when longtime developers Piranha Bytes closed down in 2024, just one of a number of victims of the Embracer Group’s irresponsible purchasing spree.
Fortunately, the legacy of Piranha Bytes games can still be seen in the indie scene and particularly through the long-awaited release of a full Gothic 1 Remake by Alkimia Interactive. Having now been hands-on with the first playable demo – available today via Steam Next Fest – I can spill the beans on how it holds up to the original, both in terms of nostalgia and more recent memories of the game.
The original Gothic saw you follow the journey of the iconic Nameless Hero as he was thrown into the magical prison known as The Colony, in which prisoners are forced to mine for precious ore to supply the Kingdom of Myrtana with weaponry to fight off the invading hordes of orcs. This is such a classic fantasy story that still has resonance some 24 years later, but the real draw of the game was the freedom it allowed you in your adventure.
Gothic holds a special place in my own memories, but having replayed it in part recently it is clear where the ‘jank’ part of the subgenre came from. Gothic’s controls were an acquired taste at best and the ease with which you can venture off the path and meet instant death is a far cry from the handholding approach of more modern titles. My main hopes for the Remake were for it to improve the former, but still maintain the challenge of the latter and the demo goes some way to demonstrating that this has been achieved.
Rather than offering the start of the game itself, the demo takes the form of a prologue with a separate character in the spotlight – Nyras (who plays a small role in the original game; a nice nod to longtime fans). The demo is very aware that this could be seen as a big change from the original and most of the loading screen tips serve as confirmation that the Nameless Hero will be the protagonist in the full release. This defensiveness feels a little overdone, but it’s understandable. Nyras also finds himself thrown into The Colony, but the world is deliberately much more closed off in this demo.
Graphically, this remake is obviously a million miles ahead of the original. While not at the very cutting edge of modern graphics, it is far more detailed and benefits from beautiful lighting and design. Animation is much smoother and a vast number of extra animations are included allowing for quality of life improvements such as being able to pick things up without having to sheathe your weapon. There is still a sense of stiffness in the movement though and I hope that this is being refined before the full release.
You can talk to other returning characters, such as Diego, and these show a high level of detail and good voice acting. Background dialogue is suitably earthy and it feels like a land occupied by suspicious criminals. There isn’t a great deal of content here (in many ways it’s a proof of concept and the main game has developed a long way on a separate path since this build) but you get to follow a couple of questlines and carry out some exploration.
Your first challenge is to find a weapon and there are an encouraging number of ways to achieve this. You can either dive into the large pool at the start of the map, explore the caves, or find a sword near the first quest NPC. A weapon is essential, though, as even the most minor of enemies can kill you in seconds. This danger is particularly apparent if you rush headlong into combat with multiple enemies so it’s clear that the feel of the original has been maintained.
Fortunately, the changes aren’t restricted to the graphical details. A far more modern inventory system has been added which feels much more user friendly than the original – though it’s not really utilised in this demo. You can loot a vast number of items still, although there wasn’t a sign of the risk and reward stealing mechanic that is so important to the original. Controls feel much more in keeping with modern games but, as mentioned above, the animations leave it feeling a little stiffer than the original, especially in combat.
All in all, the Gothic 1 Remake holds a lot of promise, looking set to retain the feel and challenge of the original whilst updating the interface and graphics to appeal to modern gamers. It remains a crying shame that Piranha Bytes are no more, but Alkimia seem to be honouring their legacy in all the right ways.
Now to replay the original on Switch before the Remake is released. Weirdly it’s the version that works best for modern controls…