GOTHIC REMAKE

Gothic's spirit remains strong in this fetching-looking remake

- Dominic Tarason

When remaking a game as thorny as 2001's Gothic—a notoriously uncompromising adventure through a high-fantasy prison colony—many studios would look to sand down the rough edges for a sleek modern reboot. Instead, Alkimia Interactive seems to be sticking to the spirit of the original, quirky, unintuitive controls and all.

For those unfamiliar, the original Gothic was, to many, a beacon of hope in a dark era of RPGs. While even the mighty Ultima series faceplanted, Gothic was a surprisingly coherent third-person action RPG with a world that felt dangerous, lived-in and apathetic to your presence. Set within a magical prison colony, you're thrown in, weak, alone and left to fend against hostile monsters while finding your place within the three factions of prisoners within, and maybe even plot an escape while you're there.

The demo for