Gothic 3 - Review @ GamerDad
 

A new review of Gothic 3 is up at GamerDad. The score is 4/5, and the review finds the gem hidden in all of the problems:
More information.

is txa1265 the Michael Anderson that does the gamerdad reviews?

If so(well, even if not too…), I absolutely laughed at this line:
Does this qualify as the understatement of the year or what? ;)

I must say that the review is of the highest caliber of writing that I have seen in a game review in quite some time, and echoes most of my feelings for G3 from what I have played of the demo to date. Alas, at this point, I picked up NWN2 when best buy had it on sale after Thanksgiving, and am going to force myself to at least finish that game before I look at another, but G3 is definitely on my single item list of games to buy in the next few months.

Hey Mike,

I enjoyed your nice positive, and yet realistic review. My favorite part is the fact that you refused to call by name 'another certain single player RPG released this year'. LOL! Are you THAT afraid of the wrath of your forum buddies for bringing the 'O' into the subject? :lol: ;) (I would be too…actually o_o .)

Yep … that is me …

GamerDad (Andrew Bub) wanted to put further context around the ESRB descriptors because there are so many gray-area games out there. This is a way of doing that … some of us like to make it a bit fun ;)

Nice review, the best Gothic 3 review out ther in my opinion (but that may be because I agree with it).

Yeah many Fanboys here will agree with this review because they like the score,
but well just be honest does a game with so many horrible flaws, no story, boring quests and combat really deserve a score this high? i think no.

Nah - just didn't want it to be a 'Gothic vs. Oblivion' review, and yet felt the need to address the similarities in visual style and overall perceived similarities of the games.

Well done. :cool:

I persoanlly like this bit, even though most don't recognise the acompilishments this represents but getting the info out there is important and of course the reference to the console game, quite possibly the perfect description. :)

"The game is action-based and story-driven, featuring a huge landmass without loading zones or ‘levels'."

The only thing I felt may have been confusing was this line;
"Women don't get much better treatment in this game, but there isn't anything so overt."

It seems to imply they got bad (unfair?) treatment in G2?
As I recall women play equal roles to men, examples are Leader of a Guild (an very tough fighter?) and shop owners.
In reguard to the Brothel, it was clear in NotR which you reference in G2 Gold, women had a choice to leave the Brotel if they chose too, with no negitive consquences.
Now I don't agree with every decision anyone makes man or woman but it was portraied as they worked there by choice.

So if you intended it this way then I disagree, if it's an oversite, no big deal. :)

Great job, keep on Rockin! :)

Edit
Capricorn
"horrible flaws"
Like?

"no story"
If you don't understand the story, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, right?

" boring quests and combat"
Give us an example of a great quest (any game) and a boring one (G3)?
Then give us an example of great combat (any game) and boring combat (G3)?

I agree with cutterjohn. Great review — I think the world of Gothic 3, despite its flaws deserves a reasonable score. It's an interesting, enjoyable game, if a bit buggy. The story in KOTOR and Planescape hooked me a bit more, but I'm enjoying this one as well. And I love the expansive world.

My only complaint with the review (aside from a spacing typo) was its length!! It was too short. I enjoyed the witty style and was looking for more pages!! :)

There are two women in G2 of any importance - the thief master and the innkeeper. The rest (Rosie, Gretta) are whiny downtrodden wives or otherwise not very significant. I really should have highlighted that more - I kind of jumped from mentioning that the brothel was a big player in getting G2 a M to mentioning that women are still not major players in G3.

And to think it is one of the longest reviews I've done for GamerDad in a while - they are targeted to ~500 words total, and this was ~800. In contrast, the other G3 review I have in progress will have close to that much on the combat system alone ;)

Nice review, txa1265. Although a bit on the short side. C'mon, man go for a few thousand words. :)

You have another G3 review in the works? Why is that exactly - will it be based on the game after the next patch?

Mike writes for several sites including this one!!

While I point out in my post that I may like the review just because I agree with it - the score is high enough for me to agree with it because I'm fan, you don't point out in your post that you are on the other side of the barrier, that you are for some reason anti-fan. So your attitude is not honest.

I actually thought it was a huge improvemnt over G1, where women were fodder and subjecated, though in the prison setting it's hard to argue the accuracy.

I saw PB making a reall effort at improving on that issue, attempting to make women more prominate and equal as possible.
To me they weren't all whiny or downtrodden and the wives seemed approiatly balanced.
There was an independent merchant women with her own stall, whom was artiulate and educated enough to offer advice about directions and the land around.
Fenia the wife of the fish monger with her own stall very informative for a non prominate NPC.
Lucia the girl that left the brothel but you may just consider her a thief for the bowel. :)
Elna and Maria the Landowners daughter merchant and wife, sure Rosi was whiny and downtrodden she was playing an abused wife, she was the only one as well.

Like I say I really enjoyed your article and looking forward to your more comprehensive article. :)

I just feel it's important to me personally at least, to recognise PB's efforts, as well. :)

As far as G3 not sure how much PB could do under enslavement again, plus PB said they took out many women cause the hair wasn't looking correct.
I guess in the short amount of time they had to get the game ready.

Anyway thanks again for your article. :)

There was nothing to "improve" on. In Gothic they kept it real, like it would be in this kind of Prison.

The women in Gothic 2 fit well into the type of society that was being portrayed.
Gothic is a man's world and always has been. PB wisely did not try to "PC" up the game by having 50/50 balances of the sexes in all roles. Women are represented, but in "traditional" roles.

I agree, even mentioning the prison setting and I didn't say or imply PB needed to do 50% or be PC.

The improvement came in giving women actual roles, just because it was a prison doesn't mean all women would have one line shared by all and none have plan's of escape possibly to the New camp or Swamp camp or lack complete substance.
It's not like I am the only one whom brought this up, I saw many post in English forums about the women or lack of in G1.

As far as the man's world comment, are you trying to sound like Malak? :p

I guess I know what you mean, sure while this is fantasy though having women in and as part of the game hasn't ruined any game I can think of, you?

BTW, Gothic 3 is really rated "M" despite the big "T" on the cover. When I bought mine it popped up oin the register and the clerk asked if I knew that.

Direct from the ESRB:
So your store is wrong.

splendid work mike.
i am not really familar with the site gamerdad, but it looks like from the frontpage that it is not a avid/harcore gamer site but one that caters to parents who play games(and therefore have less time) and or parents who want to check out games for their kids.
therefore i see mike's review as an example where brevity is exceptable, in addition to being well done.

possibly he is reffering to the international version? i think it got a higher rating internationally than the prior versions which is wierd since the aspyr version is rated 'less' than prior gothics. this could be sewn into the discussion some of us had on the violence and sex topic since gothic 3 has more violence and less sexual topics than the prior ones.