I just want to point out that the "casual RPG/RPG lite" crowd certainly does exist, just look at Fable. Fable sold a lot of copies, so the market is obviously fairly big. In fact, it sold a lot more than most RPGs.
Anyway, nice review. I'll pick up Arcania soonish.
I'd say. According to VGChartz, Fable II sold 3.8 million. (
http://www.vgchartz.com/game.php?id=7636) According to the same site, Mass Effect 1 & 2 sold a combined 4.3 million. So yeah, the market for a lite RPG is definitely there.
I appreciate the review, Vox. I seem to view Arcania a little different from most. I've got it preordered for 360 and am expecting I'll enjoy it a lot - my expectations for what it is, especially in comparison to more 'hardcore' RPGs are low. I expect it to be a fun, exploratory romp. Not much more. I'm open to a liter RPG experience and never really figured it'd be in the Gothic vein. A company in such financial dire straits can't afford to make a niche RPG (like the Gothic series)... they need to approach the sales of Oblivion - which sold 5.3 million+. (combined PS3,360, not counting PC)
The problems I'm having with what Arcania is that it is what the devs needed to make for their situation, not necessarily what ALL devs seem to think needs to be done. It's pretty clear on these forums and elsewhere that everyone seems to think it's got to be black or white. Hardcore or dumb. I'm not really getting why it has to be that way. Maybe these devs see it like that, but I don't. Fact is, there's a whole lot of stupid stuff I'm glad other RPGs have eliminated from the Gothic games. But an equally large amount of awesome things the Gothic series added to RPGs as well.
Although I like the option to sleep in a game, I don't think it should be tied into leveling (oblivion) or a key method of health/mana restoration (gothic). I like it because it makes the game more immersive. If it makes the game frustrating (as you can't just sleep anywhere), it becomes a chore and I don't like it.
If quest texts are translated poorly, then the lack of a helpful quest arrow or minimap can make a game nigh on unplayable. Wandering around for hours to find the thing that was obliquely referred to in a quest description isn't fun either.
Something the Gothics have always done badly, imo, is the combat. It's always been stupidly hard at the beginning then almost ridiculously easy mid-way through the game. For some reason, they want you to fight for those XP. I don't like it that way - I'd way prefer a consistent challenge throughout. Oblivion had the idea that auto-leveling would provide this, but it made it just ridiculous. There needs to be a better way, perhaps an AI where if you come back to a lower level after becoming much more powerful, some higher-level creatures will spawn. Or something. But the combat in Oblivion was very good; satisfying and diverse. Arcania's combat seems like it'll be fun, but more as a diversion. Not really with any depth.
The Gothic games also have had pretty poor animation overall. The jumping and running always looked ridiculous, as did the character animations/emotes during cutscenes or conversations. In fact, most RPGs are pretty poor in this area. Arcania's animation seems better than previous Gothics, but Oblivion/Fallout's was always pretty poor as well. As was Two Worlds'. Mass Effects had great animation though.
Their UI and HUD are abysmal - even right into Risen, which was released last year. In 2003, this could be overlooked (though I still don't understand why it didn't have proper mouse support at that point), but to have a clunky, awkward interface in 2009?? Completely unacceptable.
Things I've always loved about the Gothics and wish they'd kept here: having to craft at a specific location. The ability to steal, with consequence. Some sort of factions in the game.
If there is a future Arcania game, I'd like to see the above, plus:
- skill trees, please. Even simple ones would be nice.
- the ability to walk while blocking, with the option to roll.
- dialog trees that are meaningful and have consequence.
Basically, I'd like to see a game that falls somewhere in between the hardcore and the lightweight. I want some depth and replayability, but I also don't mind some of the evolutionary elements that make games less of a chore to play. Maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, but nonetheless, I think it can be done. Like Vox (or someone..) said, perhaps making some of the more hardcore elements options would be successful. Don't want to have to sleep? Turn it off! Want to have consequences for stealing?? Turn it on! Maybe that's the future... an RPG for all players.
Maybe a game that we've not heard much of will fit that niche - like the Reckoning. Perhaps I'm just wishing too much.