I want to tell you about a moment in Gothic that blew me away. It isn't the flashiest or the most exciting, but it captures the essence of role playing.
Everything about Gothic is 'show' and not 'just tell'. In other games the journey of the character from a weakling to a capable warrior is just a part in a cutscene. In Gothic you actually take part in an adventure, a journey with Baal Parvez that shows the player and the character so much things - the character gains experience points while the player - knowledge about the world and the game's systems.
This is why I'm so saddened by the demo of the remake. It's exactly the opposite what Gothic was. The player character is constantly monologueing without end....
''as i enter the camp , im greeted by a warm pink haze that settles over the swamp and the huts'' yeah , thats probably the weed , Welcome to the swamp camp
I am one of the basically insane people that HAS to complete Gothic at least once a year. I have completed the first two games more than 20 times for sure ;_;
I see you met with Baal Parvez the kind. That was the moment I started to learn the ropes in this game. It was wonderful. Enjoy your first playthrough of Gothic 1. It is a UNIQUE ( in the true sense of the word) experience you WON'T experience again. And the best one, at that. Love your content, and look forward to some more gothic analyses! :)
I can't wait for more videos about Gothic. Let me tell you that as you progress you will love this game even more. Not to mention Gothic 2. You're in for a treat, the first playthrough is the most impactful and memorable. In other comments you asked when to expect similar, brilliant moments. Without spoiling, let me tell you to pay attention to social and economical dynamics between the camps and how it evolves. Get to know each camp, how and for what reason they exist or interactions between them, because having a believable worldbuilding is in my opinion the strongest aspect of this series. I will never forget a certain dialogue/event in the beginning of chapter 4 and the not-so-obvious/inconspicuous (for the average player) impact of it on the colony. The plot in general is very exciting too. And one last thing, don't disregard Diego yet!
Well, if you manage to draw out a shadow beast towards Baal Parvez from the nearby woods (I managed to do do that once, when the game was new), you will see him abandoning you pretty quickly, lol.
@@GamedevAdventures Or if we get them, they are 2D indie titles. Don't get me wrong, they are all great (loved especially Disco Elysium recently) but true expansive 3D titles like this are rare in the indie scene.
If you put down your nostalgia goggles you will find Dragon Age: Origins, Divinity: Original Sin, Outer Worlds and others that are truly unique. They may not have the exact strengths that Gothic I has, but they also don't have it's weaknesses. Yes, there is a lot of dreck in modern video games, but there are still gems to find. Btw, during the era of Gothic I+II you also got shallow shovelware like Morrowind and Oblivion.
@@DrZaius3141 Imagine calling Morrowind shovelware. Even Oblivion wasn't shovelware because that's not what that word means. Shovelware needs to be cheaply mass produced, and Oblivion was anything but cheap - it's just that half of its massive budget went into marketing, making it just regular bad instead (and incidentally a suit driven test bed for all sorts of crap that brings down modern RPGs). Morrowind though? A massive, handcrafted and legitimately unique gameworld (as opposed to Oblivion's deliberately generic nonsense - nonsense that actually goes against earlier lore)? A gameworld which you need to actually travel and explore, as "fast travel" is only available between select locations inside towns? No. I don't even like Morrowind and I still object to this.
One of my most favorite moments was getting in the river and realizing that the current can get me somewhere I don't want to be if I'm not careful. Also, the woods in Gothic 1 were f*ckng SCARY.
You can’t imagine how happy I am to see you giving Gothic a chance after all these years. I know it can be difficult for some if they play it for the first time because it looks so old but this is still THE best RPG I ever played.
Always happy to see my favorite childhood game covered by youtubers. I felt kinda the same while playing it for the first time, but it was exactly with Diego at the start, I always viewed your first encounter with him as the first "lesson" he teaches you: "This place sucks, and you're on your own, knowing the right people might help, but don't trust anyone". Personally he's my favorite NPC in the series, together with Gorn, Milten, and Lester. Bonus points: If you actually follow him (tho he walks extremely slow) he does kill the enemies on the road, and you even get the exp from that.
Wow, it's so amazing, listening to someone who plays gothic for the first time, since i played it for the first time like 14 years ago. Like i forgot about my first experience with this game, and now i have chance not only to feel it again, but also hear such a good analysis about it. Back when i was a kid i didn't look at gothic in the same way since well, i was just a dumb 8 year old. And now i just know this game so well that it's not surprising me anymore. You have luck to play it now, really unique experience
I just know this game was a hidden gem here in germany and never expected that someone will enjoy this. I like the music and got my retrofeeling back :D
It's a hidden gem everywhere I think. I would never have known it existed - my dad bought it from a bargain bin at a computer store here in Canada back in 2001-2ish. We were not expecting that much game for that little money.
@@FarmerSlideJoeBob What do you mean? The gothic series, especially the two first installments, are cult classics in Poland. I also heard this is true for Russia as well. CD Projekt Red employees were pretty open about how the Gothic series was one of their main inspirations when creating the Witcher.
@@kamilszadkowski8864 From the time when I was playing the gothic games, 1+2+addon, it was just known in germany, where everyone was playing oblivion🤔later on when I was looking on youtube in 2009 about gothic, I was surprised to see videos completly in polish😃 And I also didn't know that the gothic series was a inspiration for witcher. Witcher III was ok to me, I like the quests, the stories and the characters but too me it was too big and didn't got the exploration, where I can be surprised to found something in the world. also battle system was meh, but just because I've been playing demon's souls for so long. I respect the witcher games yes, but it didn't got the natural feeling like the gothic games I mentioned before😔
man exactly I remember going to sect camp with Baal Parvez, its carved in to my memory, and also getting lost after he escorted me in front of camp I died to bloodfilies nearby cuz I couldnt see :D Replayed gothic 1 and 2 at least 20 times since I was 10, 25 now and still replay once a year, truly biggest RPG gem and game that changed everything and affected all the games after :)
The fact that it's this moment that was perfectly ordinary for thousands of players but became so special to you, in fact, highlights the kind of game Gothic is. Despite having a mostly linear main plot, it provides exploration experiences that are unique and personal to everyone.
I love how he will run away if you pull a mob too strong for him to handle, like the shadowbeast lurking inside the woods not too far from the route he takes you. And that he aint immortal like many NPCs like this in other games.
Gothic was the first RPG I played. I played first Gothic 2, that's why of the two games I prefer the second, but both of these games are unique, immersive experiences. I've played many RPG games since that, but to this day they remain my favourite games :)
Not many things in life come close to experiencing Gothic 1 for the first time. I remember running it for the first time with my dad and sister on an old family laptop 14 years ago. Being there, inside the world of Gothic felt like magic, felt like you were actually there as the hero. To this day Gothic 1 and Gothic 2+NotR is my favorite game. It was being made since around 1999 so it's an old game but they sure did get it right. And they sure did put all their heart and talent into it, and it shows. I wish I could erase part of my memory so I can play Gothic for the first time again.
I know I'm late, but I just recently found your channel :D Anyhoo, I've been playing Gothic since 2002 (I think) when my best mate had it and we obsessed over it - although he wasn't too much into the exploring and therefore stuck to the Old Camp mostly. Actually, my copy of the game is his - when he lost interest, he sold it to me. I'm still playing today and it's still one of my all-time favorite games - only topped by Gothic 2 and still head and shoulders above Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim and all the others. It's moments like meeting Baal Parvez that give the game so much depth. Many characters aren't just another quest-giver, but have their agenda, their personality and all. It makes the game really dense and alive, and a fun experience even in 2022. I don't think there are many games that are still fun after more than 20 years - and that is despite the fact that from a technical and graphics point, it wasn't "top tier" even when it was brand new.
This! Is one of the best explanations about one of the many subtleties within the Gothic Franchise. I hope you get to enjoy Gothic 2 as well which in my opinion is better, for something's.
I would recommend playing Gothic 2 Returning , in stead of G2 Gold or NOTR (Night of the raven) , G3 is somewhat different , but still enjoyable ( tho in my opinion G1 and g2 are close best , both . ( RETURNING (MOD )HAS some LORE and events that are added on top of the original game as a ... reference to the old game and it make the experience a whole lot more COMPLETE , sort of say .... there is also "Dark mysteries" MOD for G1 that has the same ( concept as returning has for G2 ) , it is nice , from the lore point of view , it makes the game more FILLED with Life.
Returning is on par with bad sonic fanfiction and Dark Mysteries is even worse. (Although i hold a certain level of respect for the latter as it isn't filled with stolen assets lmao)
It is true that the mods are broken here and there , but in an Overall experience , Being able to swim longer when naked and drowning from fatigue when wearing a Steel Heavy armor blow my mind , getting thirsty and hungry and tired , having none of the masters in Korinis talk to you until you gain some reputation , adding that much content and triggers , the Orc Saga ( sort of say :)) ) it's amazing and also the assassins and merchants guilds are filled with great story and content that blows your mind , so many hidden mysteries and story , It has many new locations and small references to G1 and to the Lore / History of the Gothic story ... even if maybe not cannon , it is wonderful to see the game in that perspective , it makes the whole game , a master peace ( if only there was an English version of it , and a good DUB )
Not to mention the new crafting facilities and all new abilities that you are able to learn , and there are Texture and Graphics addons that would make the whole game look amazing , I recommend it as a MASTER PEACE of RPGs , Ever . ( I love Witcher 3 , but that is mario, without the amazing Graphics it has ) the game itself (G2 R ) it's amazing . I hope it gets more and more updates and fixes.
I think it is better if he experiences Gothic 2 NoTR without returning or any other story changing mod. That is because experiencing the original gives a better idea iof what the original game truly is. Besides that, returning has a bad google translate translation in all the dialogue it adds in English.
Really fun listening to how your experience with gothic impacts you just how it did me:) Never found a game that does the same that gothic one and two did for me. Great games with amazing atmosphere:)
I do annual replay of either g1 or g2 just to find something new, some new approach every time i play it. Immortal game indeed. Well, i guess i will play it twice this year, since i saw this appraising video. Thanks pal
back in the day I barely had any games, and i was allowed to buy one. I picked this game. Never before saw ads, reviews, or anything on it, got it because I liked gothic art. It was amazing
Best Pc Game Of ALL TIME!, I decided to play gothic 1 again and as always i found something new, everytime i play i find something random or didn't know! and have so many great memorys of this and the 2nd
and I would like to say some things about my fav moment in Gothic's plot which is when you're abandoned by your camp, but you find understanding and acceptance in the complete opposite one. and the main person in that place becomes your close friend with which you can later go and slay the fucking king😈
Another nice detail is that the group of lizard at the beginning of the descent are not in range of Parvez but when you want to came back from the swamp camp they are in middle and are a problem for the player
Traveling is so much more meaningful when it entails commitment. It's the same reason why Dark Souls 1 will always stand above the rest. I'm also reminded of characters like Laurentius and how valuable a friendly face is in an oppressive world.
This was my first rpg i´ve ever played. Hearing this makes me wish i could go back and play it for the first time. Because to me Diego was always a friend and basically everyone from the swamp camp (apart from lester) was just another one of those wierd cultist. Maybe i would think different if my first experience would be today as an adult.
7:12 20 years later and I still remember that across that bridge there's a nasty surprise, a Goblin's nest. They will tear you apart in milliseconds. Exploring in Gothic is really dangerous ahahahah. I finished Cyberpunk 3 days ago, I barely remember a thing.
I played this game 20 years ago. Never needed the Swamp Man to fight for me. I built up my experiences killing the scavengers and the weaker creatures. Also, before you even reach the Old Camp, in the early part of the game, you can easily find juvenile scavengers that are very easy to kill. You just have to avoid the tougher enemies and kill the weaker ones. I never once got frustrated.
Thats true. Of course when you know gothic like your own pocket you can handle everything, but at the beginning i really used Parvez and i had almost equal feallings to yours
I a young slav, I played Heroes of might and magic 3 and Gothic as a kid. While other people were playing warcraft. I always tought warcraft was better. But it wasnt when I tried it.
One thing i like is that ac odyssey gives you option to play without minimap. Wish it wouldnt just plaster tips on the screen too but its close enough. But a game like gothic where you have to go to places or have map to be able to navigate properly will never be made. Too many people been "brainwashed" with the minimap thing. I played gta online so mutch i only use minimap to find where enemies come from or if someone is coming after me
another thing here if i remember correctly if you follow diego at the start he will attack scavengers that's attacking you but you will not xp from it unlike with baal i get that this is a feature in the game that you only get xp from companion kills not just any random npc who something near you but it felt like that to me when to come to diego
the meta strategy is to go with escort to swamp and then back to old camp only to travel with escort to new cap for exp from luring all the creatures to escort
I have done several playthroughs in gothic 1 and I ll be damned if i ever went with that guy to the swap camp, i never had this dialogue with him for some reason
to be fair to diego, those 2 scavangers where you picked up the sword are the only enemies between the exchange and the old camp. and where you met bloodwyn is a different recruiter, this time from the new camp, who brings you there same like parvez. so more r less you have safe journey to any camp you want, after the enemies are defeated they won´t come back (some new ones spawn in each new chapter though)
The new Camp was always the most difficult to get into joining, outside the Mainquest, to me if you didnt know where it was and how to get there safely without getting killed. I really miss Gorn, liked him the most of that Group of Friends.
The first two Gothic games are easily some of the best RPG games of all-time. Although I generally enjoy RPG games, the more recent ones such as The Witcher3 or Skyrim, they don't quite give the adventurous atmosphere that the Gothic games provide. Gothic doesn't hold your hand, it doesn't try to overcomplicate things, it creates a *realistic* gameplay system. What I mean by that is, no 'quest markers', no 'fast travel', you're given little information for many quests - you have to learn the world yourself or you will fail to complete many quests, you have to FIGHT to get stronger and better at the game, ect. Games such as Skyrim may provide an enormous exploration experience, but it's rather repetitive, and is far from the intelligent geography of the world of gothic. Gothic prioritises execution and does not try to be innovative, rather, it uses simple, logical concepts to create a satisfying gameplay experience. The only downsides to the Gothic games right now are, 1. Their age. Eventually we may need a complete game remaster as mods can only go so far to prevent crashes and glitches. 2. The practicality of modding Gothic. It's rather inconvenient, even with a mod manager such as Spine, as for one, most mods lack game descriptions, and two, very little information on what mods are/aren't compatible. Modding Gothic is very time consuming. I think the best part about Gothic is that you *feel like you have responsibilities*. They push on you the weight of what will happen if you *don't prove yourself to a camp*. I'm probably the only one, but the game rather feels like having parents who have high expectations for you and you don't want to fail them. Diego sorta feels like that parent/guardian. The difference is, it's an enjoyable and interesting experience, not a negative one.
Have you tried chronicles of myrtana? Its a standalone and free on steam, you will love it! It takes place on a different Island and the protagonist is also new.
this so crused for me to hear english dubing of gotich games but i am so glad that pepole outside of germany and poland aprciete that game becose that was part of my childhood and in terms part of my live
just a little advise if be at old camp theires a smith, could be hard challenge but if you rob him off you have more than enought loot to have an easy start
the smiths chest is a freeby, no one cares if you rob him and with the steel in the chest you can easily afford some decent gear, training and potions, not to mention keeping one of the swords for yourself ;)
*spoiler for rest of Gothic* I think the contrast between the actions of Parvez and the people from the Old Camp is even more genius from a world-building perspective when you consider the behind-the-mask, cult-like true nature of the Swamp Camp, and that by giving newcomers to the Colony these small moments of respite from the grim reality of your imprisonment they score potential new followers for what is essentially a demon in disguise. The Old Camp is awful, but it's awful in an upfront sort of way, while the Swamp Camp is a bit more insidious, luring you in with safety and weed but in actuality the management is just as bad.
I don't know about translated version, but my favorite moment in the original German version is talking to the smith in the Old Camp. "I only make swords for guards, and you're no guard. So shove off. ...you ass."
There is actually form of fast travel in this game. It's just that it's not something free, as it's basically in-game magic. Also by the time you can get the first teleport rune, you have some kind of self-sustainability and knowledge of the game's world.
I have a question only for real fans! Gothic II Night of the raven (second chapter, colony) you are escorting Diego through the passage, but you do a detour to bring him to that exchange area where you first met him in Gothic 1(Nostalgia Bonus). At that moment he is telling that this is the place you first met. Attention, question: Diego them say the line : [...]There was something else... ehh anyway. I will do rest path on my own[...] What was “something else” he tried to remember?
This game is still of the old school. It dares to just throw you into a very dangerous world where you feel weak. It is punishing sometimes. You stumble upon the wrong person or monster and it will just shred you. On the other hand you feel growing stronger. Monsters do not scale with you and have no levels. You will not run into a weak looking monster in lategame and get killed just because it is some high level monster that just has a differnt paint scheme compared to weak monsters from the start. When you first run into scavenger, boars, wolves, minecrawlers, snappers or orcs you will learn to fear them because they outclass you. Later you feel so much more poerfull when you surely but slowely get stronger and plow your way through monsters that have terrified you just a few gaming hours back.
I finally realize why I've started Gothic and put it down three times. I've always tried to venture out without Baal, gotten crushed and frustrated and then quit. It's time to reinstall.
And did you have fun with Gothic? Actually, that is the thing that makes Gothic interesting, as you are really frustrated in the beginning but experience progress fast. Killing monsters easily that torn me apart before is just so satisfying. I don't judge you for putting Gothic away due to frustration. When I played Gothic 2 the first time it frustrated me way too much (even though I played Gothic 1 before) and I put it away for some time. After some try and error, I got back into it and it is my all time favorite now.
@@Empobaer Definately! I gave it another try a few days ago, and following Baal Pervez early was the best decision ever. That, and getting the Onehanded skill from Scatty asap. My first run I wasted those early skill points on hunting skills and couldn't even hold my own against a pair of scavengers
Poor Diego, I never knew that someone should think about him like that! Is it the English voice, does that change him so much? I always considered him the fatherly figure in this adventure.
the analysis is accurate even for the german version. he doesn't help you out of kindness but for his personal gain. he is not as bad as some of the guards sure, but that doesn't mean that he is the good guy either.
@@tommerker8063 Nobody in Gothic helps you out of kindness because it's not a cliched fantasy setting. Still, he helps you more than most even if you don't do the only thing he wants from you.
@@tommerker8063 For me he was the fatherly figure because he raised me in that prison , as he was the first who taught me about it and allowed me to improve my attributes. Also throughout the whole story he stayed relevant, playing an important part to ultimatively escape the prison. Also let's not forget, even a father expects something of his children, even a father does not act out of kindness.
ludonarrative harmony. exposition by applied game mechanics. this is what games should focus more on now that we actually have realtime raytraced PBR. graphics is fine, dudes, get at least partially back to these kinds of gaming-medium specific tools...
I was pretty sure that in the original version of the game you didn't get experience points when a companion killed an enemy, instead of yourself. But maybe I'm wrong Can someone confirm?
How is the choice to follow Parvez more "real" than other choices just because you are less self-sufficient? Isn't that even more of a false choice? It's like the choice between eating and not eating when you're hungry. Why would you not eat? It feels like you were softly railroaded into following him, because it would be way harder to keep going it alone. I'm not saying that the moment is less impactful, but it definitely feels like the game really wanted you to follow him, so it set you up to be in a really undesirable position if you didn't.
Game devs need to reject political correctness and marketing and return to hand crafting what they themselves find interesting and enjoyable again. The developement is so much centered aroud what the players want or what the devs think the players want. And discovering as a player what you designed yourself is obviously unsurprising. The whole concept of 'achievements' on steam is just an unfunny joke. There need to be real achievements in the game which dont generate an icon in your steam app, but are real achievements you can show off to your friends. Also think about secrets... in the times of the internet, a secret is not a secret for long... so now you as a dev have to be damn smart to design a secret that is not found immediatly and posted online. You have to hide things in your game that could possibly be found only years after release. This is what keeps people engaged. Real difficulty, real creativeness and the will of the designer to actually challenge the audience.
