Not as bad as the Haters say; Not as Good as the Fanboys say; More Stable than the original.

User Rating: 7 | Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods PC
Jowood has produced a stand-alone expansion to the G3 universe. Their first mistake was promising fans it would be anything other than "On the Cheap". Their second mistake was producing it "On the Cheap". The game was outsourced to an Indian Company, named Trime. They clearly had not played and did know the backstory of the original G3. The premise and execution of the expansion is on par with a solo fan-made mod. The bugs are rampant, but are not engine bugs, as was the case in the original G3. Instead this time they are quest scripting bugs. For example, speaking to the "BirdMan" before having a quest to speak to the "BirdMan" results in the quest being completed upon being given the quest. The majority of remain bugs ( I can only speak to the English version ) are that the expansion is incomplete. The software was simply not ready for store shelves. The VoiceOvers are incomplete, out-of-sync, not related to the subtitle, multiple actors for the same character, completely wrong for the character, or simply missing. The Subtitles are often typo-ed, incomplete, or simply wrong.

The only significant change in gameplay from the original G3 is the combat system. While nearly everything is still the same, the role of "Endurance" ( or lack there of ) is increased. Once you have run out of "Endurance", you may not strike your opponent. Originally in G3 you merely could not do any significant damage, however you could consistently "StunLock" your opponent against a wall, or other obstacle, and kill him with a thousand paper-cuts. This has been ~fixed~, and yet combat against multiple enemies is now very awkward; After dispatching one opponent, you must now flee to regain your endurance, and then return to the fray.

Simply put, if you were a die-hard fanboy of the original G3, you will endure the issues and be enthusiastic about the expansion. If you were a die-hard hater of the original, walk on by. If like me you are a fan of the entire Gothic Series, and want a last chance to be the nameless hero for several hours, this will do just fine.

It is criminal that Jowood released this product as is, but they are actively patching it. It is also criminal to be charging full price for such an incomplete product. So if you aren't a fanboy, I recommend you wait it out. The price will drop like a hot stone very quickly, and the responsible parties may have a chance to fix the majority of issues.