Gothic coming to the US

Xicat Interactive has announced that it will publish the English language version of the medieval action role-playing game Gothic. According to a company representative, the final release date has not been decided, but the game is expected to be in US stores this holiday season.

Gothic, which was previously released in Germany, is set in a medieval prison colony divided into three warring factions. Players begin the game as a prisoner with no skills, and as the game progresses, the character can evolve and gain status within the prison hierarchy. The game features four character classes--thieves, warriors, magicians, and psionics--as well as 25 different types of monsters and more than 250 non-player characters.

The game makes use of an innovative visual feedback system that lets players judge characters' moods and reactions based on their facial expressions. Similarly, players can judge how skilled characters are at a particular activity by watching them perform the action--the smoother and more efficient their motion, the more skilled the characters are.

Gothic was developed by Piranha Bytes, and it is expected to arrive in stores this holiday season. For more information, take a look at our previous coverage of the game.