An action-rpg that provides plenty of action but very little role playing.
GAMEPLAY - The combat is definitely the games strong point, and while it doesn't really do much to separate itself from the pack it is enjoyable enough to provide entertainment for fans of the genre. Melee combat consists of hacking away with your weapon, with the occasional dodge or block. Ranged combat works well and can cause decent damage. That's not to say the combat is flawless however. Switching back and forth between Melee, Ranged, and Magic is somewhat clunky. Casting magic spells was a bit cumbersome as one has to press LB and an assigned direction on the d-pad to pick a spell, and then press RB to fire it. Most players probably won't even bother with magic as the swords and bows do just fine. Speaking of which, the game doesn't really ever force the player to use strategy to win battles. Generally it's just a case of attacking, blocking and perhaps taking an occasional swig of a health potion to get past pretty much any enemy. There is a decent amount of good loot to uncover though, and a basic crafting and alchemy skill that allows forging weapons and creating food and potions. There are no carrying limits or shortage of inventory slots.
Unfortunately a weak point is the navigation and questing system. The game puts targets on the minimap to signify quest objectives. These targets only show up when the character is already close to the objective however, and the directions that come from questgivers are rarely more detailed than "find this landmark and turn left". As one can imagine, this leads to plenty of confusion when it comes to figuring out exactly where to go, especially for underground objectives. One of the positive features is that once an area is loaded (and these areas are huge), load times are practically absent. Combined with the use of teleportation pads, getting around is fast and efficient, helping to offset some of the frustration from the limited map.
Overall this is an action RPG that places much more emphasis on the action over the RPG. The opportunities for role-playing and skill development are fairly minimal. There are several skill bars that represent different abilities, and players will gain three skill points to dole out to these abilities each time the character advances a level by gaining enough experience points through either combat or completing quests. Stil, most players will find more value in attaining better equipment over bumping up the stats.
GRAPHICS/AUDIO - Visually, the world of Gothic 4 can be quite striking at times. Detailed and unique environments are mixed in with more generic fantasy fare. The lighting is mostly very solid and makes the colors of the world really come alive. Character models look decent at first glance, but in motion look a bit robotic. Unfortunately, the game suffers from many of the same glitches that plague similar games in this genre when ported from the PC to console. Be prepared for enemies to get trapped against objects, floating dead bodies or equipment, and the occasional framerate stutter (especially when facing multiple enemies). Aurally, Arcania is a mixed offering. The voiceovers are fair at best and really bad at worst, but it's not much of an issue. The soundtrack is pretty quiet but it works, and the effects aren't bad.
VALUE - Arcania should take most gamers about thirty hours to finish. This isn't much compare to RPGs such as Fallout 3 or Oblivion but is more in line with games such as Mass Effect 2. Achievements are a bit more generous than the usual RPG, after my first playthrough I collected 700 points.
SUMMARY - Arcania certainly isn't a bad game for action-rpg fans, it's just that it pales in comparison to a number of other better made games. An average story with some technical difficulties and a lack of any deep RPG elements make it feel a bit outdated. Fortunately it does have enjoyable combat and interesting areas to explore. I can't really recommend paying full price for this but if fans of the genre can get it for a reasonable price it can be decent time waster until games like Dragon Age 2 or the next Elder Scrolls comes out.