My thoughts on the Gothic Remake Demo
Before I share my thoughts on the Gothic Remake Demo, I wanted to share a bit obout my personal history with the Gothic franchise - a series that holds a special place in my heart. Gothic was one of the first RPGs I ever played, right alongside Heroes of Might and Magic III.
It all started back in 2006. I remember very vividly, discovering a random CD left over from my brother - a CD of Gothic 2. I was very excited to pop it into the computer’s CD player (yes, those were the days when computers had CD players). Unfortunately, I soon found out that the CD was just one part of a multi-disc set, meaning I couldn’t actually install or play the game. Young me was utterly disappointed that the game with dragons and epic adventures would remain just out of reach.
Fast forward a little later: my brother set me up with Gothic 1 (alongside with Heroes of Might and Magic III), and that was the day I got sent to the colony. I was so inexperienced that I died to the molerat across the bridge. What left the biggest impression on me wasn’t just the challenge - it was watching my brother play the game with ease. I remember him climbing a ledge near the abandoned mine just to grab the Seraphis herb, and then fighting a goblin. I was in awe. At that moment, I vowed to myself that one day, I will complete Gothic, no matter how long it took. And indeed, it took me nearly a year to complete the game - thanks to my very questionable build, rookie mistakes and poor knowledge of the English language.
The original Gothic
Gothic 1 was developed by the German developer Piranha Bytes and released in 2001. For me, the game set the bar high for what an RPG should be. Its gritty, atmospheric world design and attention to detail stuck with me. Every NPC was fully voice acted and the AI was also impressive for its time - if you blocked someone’s path, they’d tell you to move and if you drew your weapon, they’d immediately warn you to put it down. The dynamic day and night cycle and weather system made the colony feel alive. During the day, the inhabitants would gossip around, blacksmiths would forge weapons or people would just smoke. During the night, every person would return to their hut and spend the night there. Even now, years later, I’m still amazed by what the developers managed to achieve back in 2001.
First Impressions
Disclaimer: I’ve spent countless hours in the original game, so naturally, I might be a bit biased. The remake has a lot to live up to, and while I try to be as objective as I can, some of my excitement might come from years of nostalgia. Since I have a lot of experience with the original game, I already know how certain mechanics are supposed to work, how to approach the world, the npcs, and how to get the most out of the experience. Newer players might miss certain details, as the game doesn’t provide any hand-holding and doesn’t railroad the player.
After waiting for the demo to drop on Steam, I downloaded it the moment it became available. As soon as I launched the game, the main theme started playing and I was injected with pure nostalgia. It felt like a direct shot of Gothic straight into my veins. I just sat there, for a few seconds, listening to the soundtrack…
Anyway… I hit “New Game” and was greeted by a familiar face - Diego. After a quick introduction, I was free to explore.
Right away, I noticed the controls and animations had a certain weight to them. Movement felt a bit “heavy”? And it took some time to adjust, but after playing for a while, it started to feel more natural.
Visually, the game is very impressive. Even on medium settings, the graphics looked great. I spent some time tweaking the settings to find the balance for my system, finally settlling on a mix of medium and max settings. The game ran well, though the exchange zone felt a bit dark, so I adjusted the contrast a bit for better visibility.
Leaving the exchange zone area, I headed towards the waterfall and dived in. Unlike the original, the underwater area has life - tiny crabs scuttling on the bottom. And you can actually pick-up items underwater.
Continuing down the canyon, I encountered my first ladder. Climbing it felt a bit finicky, requiring me to position myself properly to trigger the animation, although later I couldn’t reproduce the issue. But what’s a Gothic game without weird ladders? I met Orry, a fellow inmate willing to share some info for the price of a bevvy.
Further ahead, I stumbled upon the abandoned mine, now open and explorable. Inside, I found molerats and a bow, making me wonder what other areas are expanded in the remake. Gothic’s world always felt rich in terms of lore and expectations, but a lot of the areas in the original game were just barren without anything happening and I really hope the remake fills in some of those gaps.
After exiting the mine, I headed down the mountain path towards Drax, where we hunted some scavengers together. He also gave me a quest to find his missing hunter partner, Ratford, who was searching for another missing man - Jorik. 
Further down the path, I met Kirgo - a really nice guy. We had a duel, and after he absolutely wrecked me, he taught me how to properly use one-handed weapons.
After increasing my one-handed skill, I immediately noticed a huge improvement in how combat feels. It became much faster, and I could finally chain attacks.
On my way to find Ratford, I started climbing the rocks near the abandoned mine, and to my surprise, I found the Seraphis plant my brother picked up so many years ago. That was such a great nostalgia xp bonus.
When I finally met Ratford, he was skeptical of me and didn’t trust me right away, which makes sense in a world like this. I explored the area further, fighting molerats, scavengers and even a goblin! I died a few times, as expected. Eventually I found Jorik. After reporting it to Ratford, he finally warmed up to me and let me stay at their camp.
That pretty much wraps the demo. I won’t spoil the ending, but I’ll say it was pretty good.
Overall, I was really happy with the demo and the direction its taken. Some things, like animations, could definitely be improved - especially the animation speed. Actions like climbing ladders, starting conversations, sitting down, opening chests, picking up herbs… sometimes felt painfully slow.
Further down the blog, I’ll go into more detail about different aspects of the demo. If you’re interested, keep reading!
Lore & World Building
Spoiler Alert: This section of the blog post will spoil the ending of the demo. Be aware!
One thing that still stands out to me how the original game had this feeling of the occult, a mysterious, almost alien world, where you never quite know how anything works or where anything is. Almost everything felt like it’s shrouded in mystery. I don’t know if this is the nostalgia speaking, but I really hope the remake can capture this and even expand on it. Unfortunately later games, didn’t really feel the same way.
One thing that surprised me early on was how characters were referencing locations from later games, like Nordmar and its ihabitants - the Nordmarians. It helps solidify the world and makes the story feel more connected across the series. It also makes me wonder - what other elements from later games has Alkimia decided to keep?
Another interesting addition is a new rank that wasn’t in the original game. When a character talked about the hierarchy in the Old Camp, they mentioned the Shadows, but also something called a Warder. What’s a Warder? Did I miss something from the original, or is this a completely new rank? It makes me curious whether the faction system has been expanded in any way.
Kirgo also mentions an escaped couple hiding somewhere in the colony. This immediately piqued my interest because it hints at potential extra content or even a new quest in the full game. Will we get to meet this couple, or will they have already met their fate by the time the Nameless Hero arrives? The idea of adding more side quests is exciting, especially since the original game had fewer of them in the later chapters.
The gods Innos and Beliar are also mentioned.
The demo ends with what seems to be a teaser of the Sleeper, now talking? So Nyras hears the Sleeper’s voice on his very first day in the colony? Could this be what drives him to join the Sect Camp and descend into his madness?
World Design
The world design feels new, yet it stays authentic to the original game. While we only have access to a limited section of the map, this small area is packed with detail - from tiny rocks on the ground to clutter like food and drinks scattered on tables. I’m surprised at how much content they managed to pack into this small area for the demo.
The exchange zone at the start of the game has been greatly improved. Unlike the original, it now feels lived in, as if people actually use the lift, and the area is filled with barrels, chests and random goods. ALl of this makes it feel like an active hub rather than just a set piece.
Nearby, there’s a camp next to the waterfall, which seems to be inaccessible in the demo. Hopefully, a path will open in the full game, as it looks like an interesting location to explore.
The abandoned mine is now open, a small but thoughtful addition. Not much happens in the demo here, but it adds to the exploration.
One familiar detail was the hanged body I came across on the road, a traitor, based on the sign. This small environmental detail reinforces the brutal nature of the colony. It’s a hostile prison where danger might be hiding around every corner.
I really hope the full game is filled with more details like this. Small, but effective reminders that the colony is a dangerous prison and that the player should stay on guard.
Characters & Dialogue
The character models are seriously impressive. Gate21 did an amazing job with the character models. From high-quality textures, to intricately designed armor. Visually, the game does a great job at bringing the characters to life. Clothing also has physics, meaning they move as the character walks or fights. It’s a small but noticable detail.
I played the demo in English, so I can’t speak for other languages, but from what I’v eheard so far, the voice acting is really well done. Just like the original game, the dialogue feels natural. Conversations sound like real people talking rather than overly scripted exchanges. It’s not just limited to player dialogue interactions - you can overhear Diego and Whistler chatting at the exchange zone.
My favourite voice so far has to be Orry. He’s got a parched throat, and in exchange for a bevvy, he’s more than happy to share some information. He seems like a decent guy, and his voice acting really sells his personality.
Interactivity & Immersion
Gothic Remake aims to offer a greater interactivity for its players, but there are still some rough edges that need polishing.
One of the first things I noticed is that you can now stomp on meatbugs instead of awkwardly trying to hit them - no more weird sparring matches with a ghost!
NPCs react when you draw your weapon, just like in the original, though sometimes interactions feel a bit delayed, as if the game waits for the current animation to finish before triggering a dialogue. I hope that gets fixed as it can become annoying very quickly.
You can interact with various objects:
- Cooking pans - with a nice animation where the food moves around in the pan
- Ladders - A bit finicky, as you have to position yourself just right and sometimes I had to press “F” multiple times. But hey, it’s not a Gothic game without weird ladders, right?
- Benches & Chairs - you can sit on them
- Hopefully the full game will add even more interactable objects.
Some things that stood out to me:
- No destructible crates or boxes - a bit disappointed.
- You can use a torch as a weapon - cool little detail.
- You can pick up items with your weapon drawn - Personally, this is an improvement over the original game, where you had to put your weapon away first.
- Knocked out NPCs seem to stay hostile - After beating them, they remain hostile and keep attacking. Not sure if this is a bug or a feature of the remake.
Gameplay Mechanics & Controls
Just like the original, the protagonist starts off incredibly weak. He doesn’t even know how to hold a weapon properly - a one-handed weapons are awkwardly wielded with both hands. From what I’ve gathered, you have three distinct sword attacks: a left/right swing, a downward strike and a stab.
At first, you can’t chain attacks smoothly. That changes once you improve your one-handed skill with Kirgo down the mountain pass. After training, you can perform up to three consecutive attacks and the swings become much faster.
The controls take some time to get used to, but they aren’t as bad as I expected. There’s a bit of clunkiness, mostly due to random collisions and getting stuck on the terrain. It definitely has a learning curve - I died to a scavenger (at least it wasn’t a molerat this time). With that being said, I hope they improve on this a bit - getting stuck in a pile of rocks shouldn’t be a thing in 2025.
The animations are generally pretty good, but they just feel sluggish at times. Actions like climbing ladders, initiating conversations, sitting down, opening chests and picking up items take longer than they should. Combat animations will benefit from being sped up, but not just for the player, but for NPCs and monsters. Faster, more fluid animations would make fights feel more dynamic and responsive.
Interestingly, The Witcher 3 introduced an alternative movement setting in a post-launch update after players complained about heavy, sluggish movement. This alternative movement made Geralt’movement a bit floaty, but many players found the increased responsiveness preferable. Perhaps a similar option could benefit Gothic?
Weapons seem to have different damage types. The club, for example, deals blunt damage, while the sword deals edge damage. I wonder if this will be expanded upon in the full game?
I also noticed some strange AI behavior during combat. For example, if you attack Orry, he’ll take out his weapon, but if you step back a bit, he immediately forgets about the fight and goes back to normal. This can be abused to take him down. I hope the AI will get some adjustments in the final game to make it feel less exploitable. Here’s a timestamped link to a video I made, showing this issue.
Another issue with AI I found is that if you use a bow on enemies from a distance, they seem to ignore you, allowing you to snipe them without aggroing them. This could be an unintended exploit, or just a design choice for the demo. Another video example
Food Healing Bug - Food provides a heal-over-time effect, which is a neat mechanic. However, if you save and reloadn while that effect is active, you lose the ongoing healing. It’s a minor issue, but something that might need fixing.
Audio and Music
One of the highlights of the demo is the soundtrack and the return of the original composer, Kai Rosenkranz. The soundtrack is simply stellar and just like in the original, it plays a huge role in capturing the distinct feel of the world. Unfortunately we only get a few pieces of the soundtrack.
The sound design was also solid. I did notice the occasional missing sound effect - like when sliding down a ladder. Other than that, the audio was a very pleasant surprise.
The Technical Part of the game
As this is just a demo and not the final version of the game, many key systems are probably still missing. Features like day-night cycle, weather system, and NPC daily routines are either absent or not fully implemented yet. Because of this, it’s very difficult to guess how the final game will perform or feel in a fully realized version of the game.
I also don’t think it’s entirely fair to judge the game’s performance based on a limited vertical slice like this demo. Optimization often happens closer to release and many aspects could change between now and launch.
I know people will be curious about how the demo performs. Below are the hardware specs I tested it on. The game has multiple graphical presets and I played on a mix between medium and max, as it performed okay-ish and it was a good balance between performance and graphical fidelity. On average, the game ran anywhere between 45-80 fps, with the occasional stutters and dips.
System Specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800x
- GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3
- RAM: 64GB (2 x 32GB) Trident Z Neo DDR4 - 3600 MHz CL16-22-22-42
- SSD: Corsair Force MP600 1TB M.2 PCIe
Disclaimer: My performance measurements are probably not accurate. I’ve never done any serious benchmarking before this and I only did it in case someone asks me how the game performed for me. I tested two settings: one that mixes medium and max settings, and one at just medium. Recording gameplay might have also impacted the results and I didn’t test the settings under identical in-game conditions. So take my benchmarks with a grain of salt.
Medium - Max | 100% Render Scale | 2560x1440
- Average framerate : 69.8 FPS
- Minimum framerate : 20.5 FPS
- Maximum framerate : 89.4 FPS
- 1% low framerate : 29.2 FPS
- 0.1% low framerate : 13.5 FPS
Medium | 100% Render Scale | 2560x1440
- Average framerate : 72.9 FPS
- Minimum framerate : 32.8 FPS
- Maximum framerate : 116.5 FPS
- 1% low framerate : 47.4 FPS
- 0.1% low framerate : 3.7 FPS
Conclusion
Gothic Remake seems to be heading in the right direction. The tone and world design so far feel authentic to the original Gothic. Some characters are skeptical, while others come across as friendly and genuine.
With that said, the demo isn’t without its flaws. I noticed performance issues like stuttering, flickering on the character faces, sluggish animations and some unresponsive AI. These issues are concerning, but I hope it’s just the demo and that the developers will have plenty of time to fine-tune the experience before launch.
Overall, I remain optimistic about the direction the remake is taking. I really hope the final product fixes all the technical issues from the demo and preserves the spirit of the original game. I can’t wait to play the game once it’s fully released.
Visit the Gothic Remake Official Website
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