I was wandering through Polish mountains and got lost. I asked the local shepard, where are we?
He said, it's Gothic 1. Then I realized, we are at the peak.

Where do i start? I think its best to begin with the technicalities first.

I have re-played this game in 2025 through the Unreal Beta (Unreal Engine 5 Remaster, not Remake from Alkimia Studios thats coming soon in 2026 or sth) You can activate it in the Properties Section of the Game. and man was that a joy.

I was a little child, around 7-8 years old when my older brother and his friends were playing it like zombies. It was the early 2000's, best times to be alive. Only Nerds used to have a Computers back then and everybody that loved RPG's in GERMANY was hypnotized by Gothic 1. Rightfully so.

It was ahead of its time, and still to this day - sets a gold standard for RPG's and many modern game development studios can learn from this genius game.

It is one of the most authentic games out there. Map design is Genius. Small but VERY well thought out. Gameplay, especially with todays standards, can appear difficult at first but as soon as you get used to it, the game delivers the best atmosphere ever in video game history.

Characters in this game are top notch. Exploration and the level-up system are unique. Learning skills and attributes are very realistic. Very quickly your survival instincts will kick in because you are in a world where nobody gifts you anything. Believe me, dealing with alot of the Quests will alter your decision making, because the World of Gothic 1 will turn you into a prisoner surrounded by cutthroat-bullies.

The only way possible to overtop Gothic 1 was through Gothic 2 The Night of The Raven. Man these two games changed our lives to the point where I write a review about it 25 years later.

Amazing game !!!