The PC Single Player RPG genre looks to be booming after the release of the successful Elder Scrolls: Oblivion earlier in the year and now another of the most popular series of the past 5 years returns in Gothic III.
In Gothic III you play as the unnamed hero of the series, which means that unlike Oblivion, you do not get to create your own character. However, he starts with a clean slate and you are able to customize his skills as you see fit. Want to be a powerful fighter? Thief? Mage? It is all up to you and the skill choices you make as the game progresses.
The story of the game has the orcs overrunning human lands. The game is non-linear and much like Oblivion, you can do as you see fit. You are not required to save the humans at all. You can choose to help them or help the orcs crush them or take no sides. You get to do missions for both camps and some other "neutral" partners as well. The game spans seven and a half square miles of territory split into three realms. It is not as large as Oblivion, but no small thing either. Since the story is non-linear, decisions you make will affect which of the three endings you get. After you beat the game, a summary of all the key decisions that led to that ending will be shown, which will help you deciding which things to change on your second play trough to get to a different ending.
Much like Oblivion, towns are heavily populated and townsfolk have their own schedules. However, they are not as repetitive as Oblivion, since townsfolk do not do the same things each day. Instead, they might finish doing their task early and have time to spare, so they will look for something to do. They are also more interactive towards you, refusing to talk or even running away if you have your weapons drawn, among other little details. From this population you can recruit companions. The four main companions from the previous games will be back and it is your job to find them in their civilian lives and convince them to rejoin you. In addition to them, you can also recruit other people and even pay mercenaries to join you on a certain quest.
Graphics are HOT by the way...
With non-linear gameplay, hot looking graphics and a story so big it will take 40 hours if you rush through it, Gothic III looks like it will keep RPG fans busy for a long time and will be one of those must play titles of the year.
