Few games are more deserving of a remake than the original Gothic. Over 25 years ago, this RPG from a small German team redefined the genre’s possibilities with its scope, scale, and unparalleled freedom. Although most people here in the West weren’t even aware of it, Gothic influenced a generation of European developers; its DNA can be seen in everything from The Witcher to Stalker and beyond. Now Alkimia Interactive has taken on the task of rebuilding Gothic for a new generation, and perhaps more importantly, revitalizing it for old fans. The result is a remake that does both, walking a fine line between dedication and innovation while making only a few missteps along the way.
The vast, dense penal colony of Khorinis has never looked better, and you’re completely free to explore it as soon as your nameless convict gets thrown into it. From the frosted peaks to the winding rivers, Alkimia has beautifully rebuilt the colony in Unreal 5, complete with both new content and restored cut content. From the moment I set out until I saw the credits roll, I lost count of the number of times I stopped to stare while climbing a mountain face, standing atop a castle keep, or wading through a swamp, all beneath the huge magical barrier keeping everyone and everything in.
What really sets Gothic’s world apart, though, is its sense of discovery and self-sufficiency. You can go almost anywhere at any level; there are no forced tutorials, map markers, or hard barriers (other than the magical one overhead). The forests, mines, and ruins of the colony are packed with deadly creatures and empowering treasures in equal measure, just waiting for you to exploit them or die trying. Nothing comes free, either; you have to cut deals with your fellow prisoners if you want something even as simple as a map (or you can play a dreadful new lockpicking minigame). Fans will be thankful that Alkimia has firmly committed to the original’s unsparing design philosophy, and lovers of games like Dragon’s Dogma and Elden Ring will feel right at home.
Combat and movement have also been fully revamped for this remake, and both are much more functional… when the poor technical performance isn’t dragging them down. The rigid, clumsy swinging and shooting of the original game has been converted into a much faster, more accurate combo system. Movement is greatly improved over the formerly stiff, tank-like controls. The game still punishes you for mashing buttons and leaves you wide open after a swipe or dodge, but once you’re trained up and the combo system clicks, you can weave attacks and dashes together in satisfying ways.
Even when you understand the game’s combat, however, you’ll still be fighting against framerate drops, wonky hitboxes, and the occasional teleporting enemy. Pervasive technical issues and performance problems are the worst things about this remake in its current state. Even while playing on modest settings, the framerate doesn’t stay stable for long. There are buggy animations, collision traps, and plenty of other annoyances. However, none of these things are truly game-breaking, and it simply wouldn’t be Gothic without some amount of janky charm.
Despite all the games it influenced over the years, Gothic still stands alone. This remake is both faithful and fresh, providing much-needed improvements and wider accessibility in spite of its unforgiving nature and undeniable eurojank (a term the original Gothic helped establish). Newcomers may feel the game is a relic in some ways, but anyone interested in an underplayed yet seminal classic owes it to themselves to give Gothic 1 Remake a shot.