Gothic 3

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Gothic 3 is a single-player, open world fantasy RPG with a good plot, gameplay, graphics, and music. However, it is poorly optimized and full of bugs, requiring lots of grinding. Released as a sequel to Gothic II, it offers an immersive and atmospheric experience in a richly detailed fantasy world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,789 reviews

story137 positive mentions

stability116 negative mentions

Immersive open world with a vast environment to explore.
Strong community support with patches and mods that enhance gameplay.
Engaging character progression and skill system that allows for diverse playstyles.

Combat system is clunky and often leads to frustrating stun-lock situations.
Numerous bugs and performance issues, even with community patches.
Repetitive quests that often feel like generic fetch tasks.

story
674 mentions
20 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story in Gothic 3 is often criticized for being weak and lacking depth compared to its predecessors, with many quests feeling repetitive and generic, primarily revolving around fetch and kill tasks. While some players appreciate the open-world exploration and the ability to shape their own narrative through faction choices, the main plot is described as minimalistic and poorly integrated, leading to a sense of disconnection from the overarching storyline. Despite these criticisms, the game still offers a vast world filled with quests and lore, appealing to those who enjoy immersive RPG experiences, especially when enhanced by community patches.
- “Gothic 3 has a lot of cities, and a lot of missions.”
- “The story is a continuation of the Gothic series, but I was disappointed with this part.”
- “The story is interesting, I went through all endings (at least I think so) and I'd recommend this game to anyone.”
- “The story is barely existent and not fleshed out at all, especially compared to the tight and dense predecessors that had great characters, heart, and a memorable progression.”
- “The main story is simplistic, has little to no dialogue, and barely any depth.”
- “The quests are fetchy and boring.”
graphics
198 mentions
29 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics of Gothic 3 have received mixed reviews, with many players acknowledging that while they were impressive for their time in 2006, they have not aged well compared to modern standards. Some users appreciate the game's visuals and atmospheric environments, particularly with community patches that enhance graphical fidelity, while others criticize the character models and overall design as outdated and lacking in detail. Overall, the graphics are seen as a step up from previous installments, but still fall short of contemporary RPGs, leading to a consensus that they are serviceable but not exceptional.
- “The graphics are brilliant for its time and still just about hold up today.”
- “The visuals are incredible.”
- “For a 2006 game, the graphics have held up well, and are something along the lines of the first Witcher or Morrowind.”
- “The art style was changed drastically, and suddenly the orcs don't look scary anymore. Diego, Lester, and Milten look really bland, except for Gorn, and the new voice actor for the protagonist just felt really weird and uncanny at the same time.”
- “Intro is horrible; graphics are far inferior to Gothic 1 and 2, which is quite a feat considering they're 20 years old. Orcs look nothing like they used to; they're cartoon characters now.”
- “The graphics are glitchy, and the controls were a little better (but not by much). The graphics were improved, but the story was more interesting.”
gameplay
181 mentions
22 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Gothic 3 has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clunky combat mechanics, frustrating stamina system, and numerous bugs that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the expansive open world and the depth of RPG elements, others feel it fails to live up to the standards set by its predecessors, leading to a repetitive and at times tedious gameplay loop. Community patches have been suggested as a way to improve the experience, but many still find the overall gameplay lacking compared to earlier titles in the series.
- “The gameplay is still gothic-like, and the world and music are as beautiful as ever.”
- “Despite the bugs and issues, I had tons of fun with this game, and even though it is not as grey and dark as Gothic 1 and 2, the graphics, the story, the gameplay, the complexity, and the whole atmosphere they created have blown my mind away.”
- “Gameplay is fun and challenging, the story is cool, the scenery is amazing, the graphics are still nice even with today's standards, and the enemies make hilarious sounds when you attack them.”
- “The gameplay is so ridiculously broken that fights usually have only two outcomes: you die because you get stunlocked or you managed to stunlock your opponent and spam the mouse until they die.”
- “The combat mechanics are decent, but they do feel clunky and sluggish at times.”
- “This is the worst game I have ever played in my life; it has no story, it's full of bugs, every single loading screen lasts for about a minute, it has lag spikes on high-end modern PCs, it has terrible gameplay and well... everything else.”
music
158 mentions
61 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised as one of its standout features, with many reviewers highlighting its atmospheric quality and emotional depth, often comparing it favorably to soundtracks from other iconic RPGs. However, some players find the combat music repetitive and intrusive, detracting from the overall experience. Despite mixed feelings about other game aspects, the soundtrack consistently receives accolades for its beauty and ability to enhance the game's immersive world.
- “The music is beautiful; you can easily realize the love they put into the soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is spectacular, one of the best soundtracks if not the best I have ever heard for any video game.”
- “Kai Rosenkranz is a genius when it comes to creating atmospheric music that fits spot on into the game.”
- “The music is draining/annoying so I turned it off completely as it ruined the atmosphere.”
- “The only good thing about it is the music, but playing a bad game to enjoy music is questionable.”
- “The music feels intrusive and annoying.”
stability
119 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The stability of Gothic 3 is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and performance issues that hinder gameplay. While the game was notoriously unplayable at launch, community patches have improved its stability, making it more enjoyable for some players today. However, even with these patches, many still experience persistent issues, suggesting that the game remains a challenging experience for those who are not prepared for its janky nature.
- “It was difficult to run years ago, but it runs great today.”
- “I downloaded patch 1.5 and the game is not buggy anymore.”
- “I have to say if you install the 1.75 beta test patch, it's more or less bug-free to a point that it feels like the game it should have been when it was released.”
- “The game is notorious for its glitches and crashes, which can break the immersion and frustrate the player.”
- “A buggy, unfinished game ridden with performance problems despite the best efforts of talented modders.”
- “Even with the latest community patch, the game is rather buggy and unbalanced.”
optimization
68 mentions
6 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
46 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with numerous reports of severe performance issues, including frequent stuttering, lag, and game-breaking bugs, even on modern hardware. Many players recommend using community patches to alleviate some of these problems, but overall, the game's technical shortcomings significantly detract from the experience. Despite its potential, the poor optimization remains a major barrier for players seeking a smooth gameplay experience.
- “Always play with the latest community patch, content mod, and the mod that improves performance for the actual amazing experience.”
- “An old school RPG that was crippled at launch by bad optimization, but was made into a very good game by community patches.”
- “World is massive, the game is terribly optimized, but if you account for the fact that you can go into every building in the game and pick up every item and sit on every chair without a single loading screen, it kind of makes sense.”
- “The biggest issues that there are with the game are its optimization, in which it is not uncommon to have big stutters every now and then, either because there are a lot of things going on or a big chunk of the map is loading in. I have played this on both a low-end laptop and a decent computer and I have had stutters on both machines.”
- “This version is defunct, full of game-breaking bugs, has loading times for saves around a few minutes (every time you reload your save), awful performance, and constant FPS spikes (one big world turned out to be one big slow and ugly world).”
- “Even on today's generation of computer components, there are numerous performance issues.”
atmosphere
58 mentions
64 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, with many players highlighting the exceptional music and detailed world-building that enhance the experience. While some reviews note that it may not reach the atmospheric heights of its predecessors, the game's diverse environments and engaging soundtracks create a captivating fantasy setting. However, there are mixed opinions on the overall presentation and quest structure, with some feeling that the atmosphere alone cannot compensate for gameplay shortcomings.
- “The atmosphere in this game is so damn thick you could cut a slice of it and cook it over a campfire.”
- “The game's atmosphere is also worth noting, with a dark and gritty tone that immerses the player in the game's world.”
- “The excellent open world with several climatic zones and wonderful fantasy atmosphere.”
- “The music is draining/annoying so I turned it off completely as it ruined the atmosphere.”
- “We visit a town, do generic quests of fetch/purge/kill with mere scraps of any story or even atmosphere relevance attached to them for reputation points...it's pretty much like there are no gothic-like quests in Gothic 3...then we move on to the next town in the world and we repeat that until we run out of towns.”
- “The atmosphere sucks.”
humor
30 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as a mix of unintentional comedy from poor voice acting and glitches, alongside intentionally funny quests and dialogues. Players find the campy and sometimes cheesy writing, as well as the absurdity of certain gameplay mechanics, to be a source of amusement, making the overall experience entertaining despite its flaws. The game's quirky characters and humorous interactions contribute to its charm, making it a memorable and enjoyable RPG.
- “But I learned this series from a streamer and decided to give it a go because it was hilarious seeing him get screwed over by people in Khorinis Harbor.”
- “The game's strength is, like in every Piranha Bytes game, the hand-crafted world and the rugged, funny characters and dialogues.”
- “It's buggy but the glitches somehow don't bother me as much and half the time you'll be too busy laughing at the campy dialogue anyway.”
grinding
22 mentions
9 % positive mentions
5 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being slow, tedious, and repetitive, with many players feeling that the effort required to progress is not rewarding enough. Players often find themselves stuck in monotonous fetch quests and combat scenarios that can become frustrating, leading some to resort to cheats to bypass the grind. While some appreciate the character customization that comes from grinding, the overall sentiment is that the game demands excessive time investment for minimal payoff.
- “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding, but the sense of achievement is incredible.”
- “It's a real shame that the progression is slow and tedious, and I just can't see myself sitting here for 15 hours trying to get the requirements to use a slightly better sword or an extremely unrewarding perk.”
- “Especially the tedious fetch quests, awful and unfair combat, and most of all a very shallow and boring world to explore.”
- “The quests are highly repetitive and tedious.”
replayability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is considered to have high replayability, particularly due to its strong progression system and engaging gameplay, though some players feel that it may not be as compelling for multiple playthroughs. While many users express enjoyment and the potential for long-term replay value, a few suggest that the story may not be as captivating as in previous titles, impacting their desire to replay.
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “With these two factors, I'd say the replay value is high in the long term.”
- “Great game, hours of fun, highly replayable!!!”
- “I'm sure others would find this to be replayable, but I think once is plenty for me.”
- “Overall, the progression system is one of the game's strongest sides, allowing for a fair bit of replayability with the above caveats.”
- “I feel like there's a lot more replay value than in the previous games, but the story isn't as great as theirs.”
character development
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally praised for its rewarding and open-ended nature, allowing players to shape their characters freely within a true open-world RPG framework. However, some users note that the system can be complicated and may require external resources to navigate effectively, while others criticize issues like AI performance and quest completion challenges that can hinder the experience. Overall, the character development system is seen as a strong aspect, especially when enhanced by community patches.
- “The character development is not too complicated, and feels rewarding.”
- “Very good character development system.”
- “A true open world RPG, open character development and free choice.”
- “The system for leveling and character development essentially requires using an FAQ to sort it out and keep it straight.”
- “AI is really stupid, the fighting system is too broken for character development, making it impossible to complete some quests, and what's worse, it's very easy to get a game crash.”
- “The character development is not too complicated and feels rewarding.”
emotional
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a lack of emotional engagement in Gothic 3, with many players feeling indifferent to the game's challenges and narrative. While some appreciate the soundtrack and voice acting, the overall experience is often described as uninspiring and frustrating, leading to a sense of wasted time rather than emotional investment. The game's shortcomings in storytelling and character development further contribute to its failure to resonate with players on an emotional level.
- “Strong, soft, emotional, climatic, sensitive... just something that would be the soundtrack of your life.”
- “Voice acting is well done, not too crappy or just text reading or too emotional, though there is a lack of women and other people.”
- “This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's probably one of the reasons Gothic isn't more popular - it doesn't pull on people's heartstrings or get you emotionally invested at all.”