To all haters:Quit your yapping!The maximum score this game could get would be 8.5 but it did not make it there.

User Rating: 8 | Arcania: Gothic 4 PC
And why would the perfect score be 8.5??Because giving the game any more than that is like putting it in the same league as KotOR or NeverWinter Nights or Dragon Age etc. It is a well know fact that this franchise had always a low budger. I mean have you seen the interview of the previous designing team of Gothic, Piranha bytes (Interview was about Risen 2)?Their workplace is like a cheap apartment, with bedrooms turned to offices!Well Piranha Bytes is like that and JoWood or Spellbound are no better!Their budget is low but even on those circumstances they created a nice rpg (YEA IT IS NICE) with many features to keep you playing for some time!Hence no matter who creates the game be it JoWood or Piranha Bytes or SpellBound they would never go Above 8.5 the most! But let's get down to it and prove those Numbskull haters wrong!

Story:You get in the shoes of a brand new nameless hero continuing the events of Forsaken Gods(That was indeed awful!) living in a peaceful island away from the war that the previous protagonist a.k.a Rhobar III is waging, in the name of Unity and Peace.After a plot twist you are found in the middle of things and your Main objective is none other than going against Rhobar the III.(No details for the sake of a spoiler free Review) Many people bashed at the story as non existent and generic etc etc.Well i can tell you that all of those accusations are bull!The story keeps the player's interest in high standards enough for finishing the game with a pleasant feeling of self achievement.Once again this is not KotOR or Dragon Age or Mass Effect so do not expect breathtaking cutscenes or Crazy plot twists!Some of them are there but merely significant to keep u there

7.5/8.5

Graphics: Seriously?Some people dared to even question the graphics??....The game's graphics are based on Trinigy's Vision Engine 7 with some parts of Vision Engine 8 and they are plainly Great!The textures feel colorful and detail-ish while the Scenery gives off the great feeling of i-am-alone-in-a-wonderful-scenery-and-i-can-not-wait-to-explore-it that all previous Gothic games did in the past!When it rains it pours and literally you can see the rain going down your garments and the Objects around you.Character models are very nice but they could use some variety in NPC Faces as it kinda became boring starring at the same goofy peasant face over and over again!Overall the Graphic section get's a score of

8/8.5

Sound:Simply...Magnificent.The Gothic Franchise always kept an awesome profile at this section and Arcania was no exception.The Music is so atmospheric that literally draws you in, while the sound effects are good enough to make you laugh, anxious or excited depending on the situation.The Voice Cast..Well...that is a tough one.The Actors Did their Job and they did it well...But surely they could blow more passion if the developers pushed them more imo (or if they had hired a different voice actor maybe?).Where you cant go wrong is the Protagonist's voice!You have to love his lines whenever they try to put him on trivial guesting :)

8/8.5

Gameplay:Finally and most Important Gameplay! The Fighting system of the Gothic Franchise always left various Feelings with their Bugs and mishaps, but this time they have narrowed down those to minimum!I never, EVER noticed something that would cause me to glitch or break my gaming experience and the fights are quite exciting and enjoyable, from performing flurries to casting fireballs!One bad thing that majority of gamers complained about was the AI!Truth be told the latter is kinda...Unresponsive!This results in you mashing the Left Mouse button to attack and rarely using the Right Mouse Button to Dodge and...That's all : But dont be fooled Raising the Difficulty to Gothic Will make you more wary of the Dodging as the Dmg output of the creatures or stronger opponents will effortlessly kill you on the spot!Well if they connect a hit that is :P The Item usage is constant, but the fact that the world enters a "Paused" state everytime you use a healing pot or generally when you enter your inventory is a bit ridiculous.On the other hand though there is a marvelous mini map and a quest tracking system that will ease you journey a pretty lot! What i really found hilarious though was the fact that people were complaining about the Animations! You can use the "Super portable stove" (lol there is no such thing but your inventory kinda works like one :P) to conjure from Potions to armors in a jiffie without a table or an anvil, but what's the deal even if you do??I mean did you really love Gothic because of the Bed Sleeping and the Anvil Usage?Or Maybe the Sawing and the Sitting???Well if you SO much wanna do those things go to the options and enable RP animations!Jeez!I enjoyed the game for it's substance and atmosphere which the developers almost succeeded in transferring ! I don't really care about not being able to SAW!!

7.8/8.5

Overall the game offers a great experience with enjoyable fights and a decent story that will make you play a little more eveytime you are about to quit it.Collectibles are also there to make you invest more hours in fun searching !Bugs are also there but not so many or frequent to make you frustrated and if you truly are a Gothic Fan, you will have fun with Arcania for all it's great as well as little details as a whole!