Booting up the Gothic 1 remake is like the trojan horse opening up and out of it pours out plastic surgery visions of your past, but they all hate you. Seriously, I mean they really hate you. It’s such a bizarre and amazing experience. I was only 7 years old when Gothic 1 came out. But Gothic 1 is what taught me what weed is. Those cult dudes in the woods are chill and seem like nice people. D.A.R.E. stood no chance against Gothic 1. This demo slice is not the original game’s intro. Rather a new story that follows an inmate on their first day in the prison colony.
If you’ve never played Gothic 1, it’s tough to explain what made it so great. It’s like the STALKER of RPGs. A Eurojank release with absolutely amazing depth, immersive world, RPG mechanics, and atrocious English dubs. It’s remains a cult classic for a reason and is deserving of a proper remake. Trying to play Gothic 1 on modern hardware is….a challenge. Remaking the game makes perfect sense. Even at this stage, the remake looks great. It’s a treat to see the game remade with modern graphics.
Everyone in Gothic 1 is still a dick. They so hilariously hate you. Just woke up that morning and said: “I’m gonna be mean to everyone I see.” So if you live in the northeast US, this game will feel like home to you. Sure, the Souls games are hard, but they don’t hate you. Gothic actively hates you as the player. You’re not a special chosen one here and the game is so much better for it. You’re just a dude. A nameless dude. In prison. Having to fight just to be able to sleep somewhere safe at night. This never changes either during Gothic 1. You always stay just a dude, but you as the player get better. That’s the beauty of it.
Pro’s
- It’s a Gothic 1 Remake
Cons
- It’s a Gothic 1 remake (this is really a pro in disguise)
I was 7 years old when the first Gothic released. As a baby idiot, I could never beat the game. The ever evolving immersive sim elements of the game were too much for my growing brain. But now, as a full blown mannish boy, I was prepared. I knew I could conquer this demo. I set out, being careful to make sure I grabbed any healing items or food I could find. I foraged berries, I scoured cliffs for hidden goods. My goal? Finding a safe spot to lay my head during the night. I quickly stumbled on a camp, my character murmuring that I need to find who made the camp before I can call it my home too. Seeing a fire at the camp, I cooked all my food in preparation for any coming fights. Outside the camp, I found a pickaxe and a torch next to a mineshaft opening. Feeling brave, I made my way in the cave, lighting my way with the recently acquired torch. Spotting two rat like animals, I quickly went at them with my pickaxe. Easily defeating them, I thought to myself: “HA! I can do this game now. This won’t be hard at all.
Making my way out of the cave, I spot a hunter off the road. After some dialogue, I discover the camp is his. In exchange for me fighting a bunch of monsters with him and finding his lost friend, he’ll let me share the cozy camp. I weighed my options. “I just killed those rats easily,” I thought to myself. I followed that line of thinking to the only logical conclusion. How bout I just kill this dude right now and not waste my time finding his friend. Emboldened by my own stupidity, I took my pickaxe and swung while his back was turned. The pickaxe lazily grazed the man. The man turns to me, hits me once and I splatter on the ground. Then just to make sure I’m dead, the man finishes me off on the ground in great detail.
I then realized I hadn’t saved that entire time and there are no autosaves in Gothic. 10/10 experience.
The Gothic Remake is coming to Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S during 2025. You can play the demo now as a part of Steam’s Next Fest.
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