John’s driving along, unsure if Fanny’s even alive after some disaster. He’s relieved to hear her voice when she calls, just as she is to hear his. There’s no mention of Alex, which makes us have the sinking feeling that this one’s a continuation of the ending where Tyrak managed to consolidate his dictatorial regime. But if that isn’t the case, we’re wondering what life across the border has brought to a family of choice, and about all the new faces and places they’re bound to go as they find their way back to each other.

Of course, we’d love to know if Zoe plays a part in all of it after Road 96: Mile 0 gave us some lovely insights into how she thinks and made her a more nuanced addition to the franchise’s cast in the process. All will be revealed in due course, but until then, we’re going to try to figure out the significance of that sticky note in the teaser.

New features are inbound for the open-world RPG, including Photo Mode and Marvin Mode. The latter is most infamous for cheats, as players could use the free camera, conjure any items they desired, and much more to become all-powerful in the original. How it will work in the remake remains to be seen, but it’s an exciting prospect.

Of course, other modes with “alternative progression” are also coming alongside the mod kit, providing even more ways for players to customize their experience. A timeline for these updates has yet to be confirmed, but if that wasn’t enough, Alkimia has another game in the works. It’s planned to be announced at next year’s THQ Nordic Showcase. Maybe it can appear alongside Darksiders 4, which has yet to receive an update since its announcement in 2025.

Stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime, check out our review for Gothic 1 Remake. You can also learn more about why it proved successful, despite various issues.

Promising new locations in an “unseen corner” of the game’s world and “unexpected twists,” the titular Prisoner is joined by the Soldier. The two must work together to survive, though there are teases of something even more foreboding (as if the flamethrower-wielding enemy wasn’t bad enough).

The Prisoner marks the first chapter of this new storyline, with the remaining two also focusing on the Soldier and Prisoner. How will their tales intertwine with the base game? We’ll have to wait and find out.

Reanimal is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Developed by Tarsier Studios of Little Nightmares 1 and 2 fame (Supermassive handled the third entry), it focuses on The Boy and The Girl as they venture across a nightmarish landscape, desperately trying to save their friends.

Unlike Little Nightmares, the platforming and exploration take place on a fully 3D plane. You’ll only control one character, but co-op is supported with a Friends Pass allowing another player to join without owning the game. Check out our review for more details.

Among the titles appearing are Way of the Hunter 2, Wreckfest 2, The Guild: Europa 1410, the recently announced Expeditions: Samurai, Fatekeeper, The Eternal Life of Goldman, and Titan Quest 2. Three of the above games are currently in early access, which could mean details on the next update (in the case of Fatekeeper) and potential release dates for Wreckfest 2 and Titan Quest 2.

Otherwise, you can expect “long-awaited reveals” and “exciting new looks at fan-favorite franchises.” Would that include Way of the Hunter 2 and Expeditions: Samurai? Possibly. Is there any hope that Darksiders 4, announced last year for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, will potentially appear? Considering it’s perhaps the publisher’s most anticipated title, one would certainly hope, but it may be early days yet for extensive gameplay.

Regardless, we’ll likely hear more about these titles and others afterwards, since Gamescom 2026 returns later in the month. It runs from August 26th to 30th, with Opening Night Live premiering on August 25th. Stay tuned for more details and updates in the meantime.

A lot of critics, players, and creators, apparently. Alkimia has just dropped a new accolades trailer for its ground-up remake of the original Gothic, a game that’s grown into a cult classic over the years. We were pretty impressed by what the remake had to offer in our review, but were wary of its flaws and shaky performance messing up its chances of being truly successful.

We’re happy to swallow that bit of humble pie, though, as Gothic 1 Remake seems to be doing quite well for itself, the nostalgia blending well with the visual and system upgrades that the remake has brought to the table. We’d say it’s time to celebrate, but it’s probably a good idea to hold on to anything that could potentially mean the difference between life and death in the Valley of the Mines.

The trailer’s below if you want to check it out before you decide whether you want to dive in, or if you’re looking for a bit of validation after a thoroughly good time getting lost between the three camps. And if you haven’t played the original, then take heart as Gothic Classic launches on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One.

You probably spotted it on Metacritic with its current 73 Metascore, briefly glanced at a few summaries from the 23 reviews, and didn’t give it much thought. After all, for many, Laufey, E-Day, Wolverine, and whatnot garnered way more attention and traction. Suffice to say that landing during one of the more eventful Summers of Gaming didn’t do it any favors.

If you watched our review, where we gave it a 6 out of 10, you’ll see many similar grievances. Bugs, audio issues, crashes, and, if you’re playing on PS5, the lack of a 60 FPS option. Which may not sound all that bad until you realize that even the PS5 Pro version is capped at 30 FPS. And on top of all that, a melee combat system that felt too clunky, to the point where it often felt better just to let other NPCs do the fighting for you.

That’s not even getting into all the unique quirks that make Gothic…Gothic. For example, humans can’t kill you – thanks, prison colony formed from a king’s war effort gone awry – but they will take your valuables. And considering how utterly weak you are from the beginning, scrounging for every last advantage and coin you can muster, it’s enough to make anyone want to give up. Play an easier game. Maybe return to that Hardcore playthrough of Kingdom Come: Deliverance that you’ve been meaning to finish.

So why then did Gothic 1 Remake sell over 500,000 copies in its first week? Why did it peak at 77,731 concurrent players on Steam? For that matter, with all the different bugs and issues that it has – including but not limited to balancing changes based on the first major post-launch patch – why does it have a “Very Positive” rating with 81 percent of the currently 3,603 reviews recommending it?

Nostalgia is a hell of a you-know-what, and the gaming industry knows how to capitalize. Re-releases, ports, remakes, Anniversary Editions, remasters, sequels, expansions that launch over a decade later – you name it. It could be viewed cynically, especially when the sum is vastly underwhelming next to each part, but we have seen some of the best games in the past decade because of this. Look at Resident Evil.

However, each project has a different goal, and that often includes toning down or outright eliminating some of the more contentious elements. Make the combat smoother. Make the player feel stronger. Make the world less obtuse. After all, this is an open-world game, right? Why try to keep anyone from accessing all this content, or seeing all the pretty visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5?

But that’s the thing with Gothic. The friction, the unevenness, the clunkiness – it’s all a core part of the game’s identity. It’s one of the earliest examples of what would be referred to as a genre of incredibly ambitious games developed by European studios which lacked the finer degree of polish seen in your average big-budget blockbuster, but delivered on the gameplay. To revamp and remove all of that is essentially taking away everything that players loved about the original, rendering it a facsimile with prettier skin.

And one of those key aspects is making the player weak from the very start. Nothing is given to you for free. You could call it brutally unforgiving because it is – that’s the point. But step outside your own personal realm of suffering, and there’s also this feeling of incredible freedom. Of being able to explore this massive world, interact with just about anyone and push the boundaries of what you’re capable of.

That’s even reflected in the combat. If you look at the various development diaries leading up to launch, you’ll see the lengths Alkimia went for the remake. Sure, the graphics were important, but the combat diary is especially insightful. For example, your character becoming stronger is more than just numerical – it’s reflected in their attack animations. They’ll start out looking like a novice and over time, begin to really implement advanced techniques into their repertoire. And as with the original, the goal is to pay attention to the world, your enemies, and your own strength to understand how to progress.

Which applies to the world as well, by the way. If you’re going in blind, then you won’t know what decisions lead to which consequences, which camps to ally with first (or last) or even how to survive. Is it a test in patience and sheer will, combined with judicious save-scumming? Yes – because that’s how it could be in the original, until everything fell into place.

Believe it or not, there’s a joy in such gameplay, which formed the core appeal of Gothic back in the day. And just like then, it’s not for everyone. Some want a comfy open-world role-playing experience with a strong focus on storytelling; waypoints that tell them where to go at all times; checklists of activities to complete; and buttery smooth combat that makes you feel powerful out of the gate. It’s one reason the Assassin’s Creed series continues to see strong sales, especially after the shift towards a more action RPG-like design.

That’s all well and good, and in the same vein, you’ll find plenty who enjoy the likes of Crimson Desert, which encourages getting out in the world and discovering things on your own. Or offering extensive freedom right off the bat and letting you loose to decide where your journey should end up next. Plenty of titles exist on this open-world spectrum, and it’s arguably why the genre continues to remain so popular.

But there’s nothing quite like Gothic. Plenty of other titles in recent times have attempted to capture its same feel and unforgiving style of gameplay (Of Ash and Steel comes to mind), yet inevitably fall short. The world-building, the overarching design, the progression, the freedom, and how it all works in unison to push you from “relative nobody” into someone that matters, and could very well upset the current status quo.

From the very outset, Alkimia understood the assignment – retain everything that fans loved about the original, right down to the dark fantasy aesthetic and grunginess – and delivered what they wanted. Even if it would feel clunky or unwieldy compared to what most gamers are used to.

We don’t really know the lifetime sales numbers of the original Gothic, much less how well it sold in 2001. So while it’s easy to claim the remake achieved these numbers purely based on the brand name, I think it’s more than just fans turning up for that hit of nostalgia or the desire for days when game worlds didn’t feel so utterly guided. It reflects an audience of RPG fans that want something different, even if it can be more punishing than they’re otherwise used to. Not everyone is going to like it – much like the original, they may just leave after the first hour and only return years later when everything finally clicks. But the fact that Gothic 1 Remake can pull that off while staying true to its roots is worthy of praise, warts and all.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that I could now dive into the adventure, complete with a makeover from Alkimia that aimed to let it take the spotlight amongst a bevy of great RPGs in the current generation of gaming platforms. It’s been a mixed bag, with the joy of unbridled, unguided discovery being marred by technical issues that have no business being in a game that’s clearly aimed at a modern, very discerning audience.

I always pick the good news first, and that’s what we’re going to do with this one. From the very beginning of your time with the Nameless Hero, you’re more or less left to your own devices as you try to survive King Rhogar’s prison/mining colony, the magical barrier that keeps you there acting as a grim reminder of the circumstances that have unfolded since the mage’s botched attempt to create their own version of an electrified fence.

The game wastes no time in setting the stakes, tasking you with delivering a letter to a mage within the Old Camp, one of three major factions within The Colony. You get a small introduction to what life is like within its confines from a helpful member of the camp before you get to begin exploring a world that’s as brutal as they come.

I’m not kidding when I tell you that this one’s as hard as any of the games I’ve played over the years, and that’s counting a bunch of Soulslikes that have had me at my wit’s end with some enemies and bosses that they’ve thrown my way. Most hostiles in this one can take you down in one or two hits, while you don’t even get a starting weapon to take them on with.

An NPC you meet along the way did tell me that I was going to need weapons and armor before I was ready to explore the world, but they were less than helpful when I asked them where I could find them. That’s kind of a pattern in this one, and the lack of the usual markers and helpful indicators that point you in the right direction was a very refreshing change of pace.

"Quests are designed in a way that gives you multiple possible approaches, if you can sniff them all out."

This is old-school game design, and it’s a very enjoyable part of the experience on offer. Of course, I must concede that it could be a detail that puts you off the experience depending on your individual preferences, but I personally love games that allow me to put in the hard work to reap the rewards.

Quests are designed in a way that gives you multiple possible approaches, if you can sniff them all out. And each option comes with trade-offs that you’re going to have to live with. For instance, an NPC whose approval I desperately needed to get past the guards at a gate told me to deal with a member of the New Camp who had been running a bit of a scam. I dealt with the man in question by leading him out of the Old Camp under the pretence of wanting to sign up with his faction, only to turn on him when a group of scavengers attacked us. Problem solved.

I returned to camp, stopping to meet a weapons vendor along the way. He wasn’t too happy with what I’d done as I put an end to his supply chain. He assured me that he wasn’t going to vote in my favor if he was asked if I was going to be a good fit for the Old Camp. Details like that make this world feel alive, and it’s what has made Gothic memorable to me.

However, I’m also going to remember it for a lot of frustrations and heartbreaks. I’m not going to forget how I lost nearly three hours of progress thanks to the lack of an autosave system coupled with frequent crashes, a combination that soon had me manually saving my game at every turn. That’s an omission that I believe is a missed opportunity, and a way to truly let the game combine its welcome old-school vision with a bit of modern convenience.

However, the problems don’t stop there. I appreciate the effort to recreate the game’s visuals, and there’s certainly a lot to like about the new lighting system and upgraded textures. However, the lack of a performance mode is something I find very hard to ignore, especially in the face of a combat system that relies quite heavily on reading enemy animations and responding to them within windows that are far too narrow even on the easiest difficulty option there is.

"The XP thresholds you need to unlock levels are quite high when you think about how difficult it is to whittle away at enemy health bars, and getting your character’s stats to a place of comfort is going to be a steep climb up a hill that has danger at every turn."

Your hero’s combat prowess is almost negligible in the game’s early hours. Couple that with enemies whose animations aren’t telegraphed as well as they should, and you’ve got a recipe for needless frustrations that actively hinder your progress. That’s especially egregious when you consider that it takes a while for you to get your hands on some decent armor, although I will concede that getting your hands on a weapon is comparatively easier once you know where to look.

With that being said, the game’s melee combat is too clunky for my taste, and it often comes down to chugging healing items while dealing with attacks from enemies that can end you with just one badly-timed parry. Ranged weapons served me a lot better, and I found myself relying on my bow (and a bit of magic once you unlock it) over my sword for the most part, or getting NPCs to do the fighting for me.

The XP thresholds you need to unlock levels are quite high when you think about how difficult it is to whittle away at enemy health bars, and getting your character’s stats to a place of comfort is going to be a steep climb up a hill that has danger at every turn. There’s a lot of room for improvement on the combat front in this one.

That’s a pity, considering that human enemies that defeat you in combat don’t kill you outright, but loot all of the valuable stuff you’ve spent hours gathering to fill their own pockets. In a title where combat was more balanced, that’s an opportunity to go back for a rematch and regain your lost valuables. In Gothic Remake, it’s just better to take the loss and move on, and that’s a real shame.

Crashes and wonky combat animations aside, there were other issues such as NPCs randomly appearing out of thin air, while others would get stuck in their own animations without dialogue windows popping up when you interact with them. Both problems were frequent enough to be noticeable, and definitely took away from the impressive visuals.

"On the technical front, this one comes with too many annoyances that constantly interrupt the experience in ways that can have you giving up on it altogether."

The audio was similarly buggy, often cutting off into total silence at several points, or including the chatter from other characters in crowded spaces during a one-on-one dialogue that forced me to turn on subtitles just so I could keep up with what was being said. For a remake that was meant to usher this one into the modern age, there’s a lot of problems from an era of gaming I thought we’d left behind for good.

It’s now time to answer the question that I’m sure you’re all asking: would I recommend this one to you? Personally, I’m going to persist with the adventure and hope for updates that fix the issues that I’ve highlighted here. But I wouldn’t recommend paying full price for this one in its current state.

The story is absolutely riveting thanks to how well-written each character, and the world at large is. But on the technical front, this one comes with too many annoyances that constantly interrupt the experience in ways that can have you giving up on it altogether. There’s a lot to love about Gothic 1 Remake, but the game constantly works against itself in ways that make it hard to recommend.

If you’re a seasoned veteran of The Colony, you’re probably going to find its issues easier to ignore than a newcomer. But if this is your first time with this one, know that this remake is a superb visual overhaul that fails to hide a plethora of issues that make it hard to engage with. But for those of you who persist, you’re in for a look at what games used to be like back in the day which could have you quite immersed in a story that continues to pull its weight even today.

I’d wait for a sale on this one, as much as it pains me to say it. But like The Colony, modern gaming is an unforgiving place, and Gothic 1 Remake stumbles far too often for it to stand tall amongst its competition.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

The studio has confirmed that Gothic 1 Remake hit a peak of almost 78,000 concurrent players on Steam on June 7th. Since then, the title has gone on to get more than 15,000 user reviews on the platform, averaging out to a “Very Positive” rating.

“Alkimia Interactive and THQ Nordic are thrilled by this initial success and extend a heartfelt thank you to all players who have entered the colony so far – and especially to all of the long-time dedicated fans who have supported the Gothic franchise over the past 25 years,” wrote the studio. “This milestone could not have been possible without such a passionate community.”

Gothic 1 Remake’s release was celebrated with a launch trailer that showcased the enhanced gameplay and new visuals for the title. Just a couple of days before the release, Alkimia Interactive had also released the intro cinematic for the RPG, giving us a look at how the opening moments of Gothic 1 Remake will play out thanks to its modern visual fidelity.

Leading up to its release, while Alkimia Interactive had spoken about wanting to bring in some improvements to Gothic with its remake, the studio had also noted that it wanted to hang on to some of the original’s aspects that help improve its immersion. Among these was the decision to not include a minimap.

“You don’t have a minimap,” explained game director Reinhard Pollice in an interview, “we very strictly kept that. We were thinking about making it optional, but we felt like even that doesn’t feel right. If you want to know where you are, just open your map. You will find out.”

He also revealed that the studio had discussed the idea of adding more content to help fill out the world of Gothic 1 Remake. Among the content discussed would have been a card minigame, and even possibly a fishing minigame. However, the decision was ultimately made to not do so, since they weren’t necessary for the core Gothic experience.

“We were debating about doing some minigames to fill it up more,” he said. “Having a card minigame, or maybe some fishing minigame. Who knows what the future holds for Gothic; maybe we’ll do them one day. But we didn’t see them as a priority thing. We felt like they’re not really needed for the core experience.”

Where it did bring in some changes, however, is in its approachability. Noting that the original Gothic could be a rough game for beginners, Pollice revealed that Gothic 1 Remake includes a more fleshed-out diary-style quest log that gives players a better idea of what they’re supposed to be doing. Similarly, the crafting system has also seen some expansion, with new alchemy and scroll-inscription systems.

For more details, check out what’s new in Gothic 1 Remake.

Of course, no one says you can’t have such an experience while still retaining the fantasy veneer, as Fatekeeper has done. The problem is that despite an admittedly stunning world and impressive use of lighting, the core combat execution leaves much to be desired, especially when it’s all that’s really there. For now, at least, but we’ll get to that.

Plot-wise, a lot isn’t explained, and you’re thrown in with little more than a loading screen narration to explain the set-up. From what I can understand, you’re on an island that’s witness to sudden slaughter, and en route to Haven, you have a Spirit Guide – a talking rat – who helps guide you. Upon reaching there, it’s essential to enter this ancient portal for training, which is a physically rending experience, and then return. Why didn’t we just hit some wooden dummies instead? Unclear.

"Though I brought up The Elder Scrolls and Kingdom Come with regards to combat, don’t let that fool you into thinking that Fatekeeper adopts their approach to world design. It’s as linear of an action-adventure as you can get, funnelling you down a very fixed path with very little deviation."

Anyway, it’s off to Mar Guran and its city, braving hostile creatures like the Vrog to access something called the Moon Gate while learning more about the Underdwellers – and the factions they split into.

There’s…something to the world-building, but it’s not in the dull exposition meted out in the loading screens or the banter between your character and the rat. It’s through the environments, which consist of ruined structures, some overgrown and now occupied by the Vrog as they attempt to stop your advance. Discovering massive statues of ancient figures that still stand guard or descending into the Waterways, finding piles of skulls and corpses before encountering what made them, is far more enthralling than simply being told what’s going on and why you should care, especially since your character’s motivation and the necessity of a Spirit Guide are both so excruciatingly vague.

Though I brought up The Elder Scrolls and Kingdom Come with regards to combat, don’t let that fool you into thinking that Fatekeeper adopts their approach to world design. It’s as linear of an action-adventure as you can get, funnelling you down a very fixed path with very little deviation. Which is repetitive in the early going since it feels like the standard rollercoaster protocol – keep all hands and feet inside the ride, barring the peaks and valleys that you’d expect. Things do open up past the first hour when nearing Mar Guran, especially in the larger rooms where you need to dodge arrows and do some platforming to access the two levers necessary to open the way forward.

However, at other points, it’s simply about slaying the Vrog on the ground while archers pelt you from above, as reinforcements occasionally arrive. Otherwise, prepare for stretches where you’re gathering materials, opening chests and coffers, and occasionally happening upon campsites to save and alchemy pots for mixing potions (which actually feels neat since items and ingredients can have different effects depending on whether they’re brewed or used as is).

And because of how the game tracks progress, dying before reaching the next campsite can often set you back by quite a bit. At least it’s nice enough to autosave at stage transitions.

"For some reason, however, investing in any one of these branches locks you off from the rest. I went with melee damage upgrades at first, with an alternate path that could boost attack speed, but couldn’t invest any points in improving my survivability, much less buffing magic."

Since there’s really no other way around it, let’s talk about the combat. It’s weighty and slow at first, which takes some getting used to, but it’s even clunkier when transitioning from a dash to a light attack or dodging into a counter. Your character can guard attacks and perfect parry with the right timing, but it’s almost as difficult to nail as a perfect dodge (and failure to land either of these will very quickly decimate you during the first real boss fight).

Attack speed upgrades do little to offset the overall clunky animations and feel, not to mention the pain of feeling like your weapons have more reach than they actually do. Magic adds an intriguing dimension to all this, especially if you leverage the environment. For instance, telekinesis, which can also manipulate switches to open gates, can pull enemies into pits. The gust spell also does the same…sometimes, when it feels like it, while the ice and fire spells feel woefully underpowered.

While some enemies are dumb enough to handle alone at times, Fatekeeper eventually ups the challenge by throwing multiple at you in later sections. The result is having to adopt a hit-and-run playstyle since attempting to stand your ground, blocking all attacks and counterattacking, isn’t always the best approach given your stamina. I could sometimes find appeal in this, especially when kicking Vrog into pits or pulling a rock thrower from afar and lining up for a homerun with a dual-hander.

But the combat still feels so slow and awkward, and I can’t for the life of me understand the logic behind the enemy archer’s design. Magic does nothing to stagger them, much less move them, and they deal extensive damage at a regular clip. It feels like they’re overcompensating to an annoying degree, given how much easier it is to deal with regular foes.

As you slay enemies, you’ll earn XP to level up and gain skill points. These can be invested in a massive skill tree with paths towards improving your alchemy skill, magic, health or melee damage. For some reason, however, investing in any one of these branches locks you off from the rest. I went with melee damage upgrades at first, with an alternate path that could boost attack speed, but couldn’t invest any points in improving my survivability, much less buffing magic. Worst of all, the game never explains why. So you’re stuck taking minimal buffs to attack speed, even when having more stamina and health would be beneficial.

"Fatekeeper certainly has potential, and despite how utterly railroaded the traversal can be, the environmental aesthetics really do stand out for their atmosphere and fidelity."

Otherwise, from a systems perspective, everything that’s here feels very foundational at best. Developer Paraglacial, a fairly small development team, can certainly build on all this and offer more expansive options beyond the simple blades and sorcery that everyone must adopt. But it first needs to make the actual mechanics of combat feel better, besides fixing bugs and other issues – like some enemies simply standing in place if there are multiple corpses at their feet simply because they don’t know how to go around. I also wouldn’t mind seeing more polish for the performance – even in the opening with DLSS set to Balanced and other settings on High, there would be various micro-stutters throughout, even when otherwise sticking to 60 FPS.

Fatekeeper certainly has potential, and despite how utterly railroaded the traversal can be, the environmental aesthetics really do stand out for their atmosphere and fidelity. For $10, with a 20 percent discount currently available for two weeks, the barrier to entry is certainly very low, and the team seems open to changing its plans for the sake of whatever players enjoy most. But even if you’re seeking a dungeon crawler with more grounded, methodical combat, it’s probably best to wait a while before diving into everything Fatekeeper currently has to offer.

This game was reviewed on PC.

There’s a lot of new stuff to look forward to in this one, and the opening cinematic was dropped a little earlier to let you get some much-needed context as to what’s happening if this is your first time with the classic RPG. For those of you who are returning to it after a hiatus, know that the combat system might surprise you as much as the visual improvements that are clear to see.

Of course, that’s just the beginning, and you’re in for an adventure that’s a treat on both the visual and gameplay fronts. Being a convict was never this promising in our book. The game’s out on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S – check out our feature on everything you should know before picking it up, and how it compares to the original.