The game is on rails, however not completely linear. I liken it to the World of Warcraft / MMO approach. Basically each area is a zone that you have to explore and complete before moving on. It's an ok approach, but definitely alien to the Gothic trademark.
Anyhow, the game is enjoyable, but so far not nearly as good as Risen. That might change as I get further into Gothic 4 since I haven't really seen the full gamut of skills / scrolls / potions / etc at this point.
My most hated thing so far: The night vision potion creates an incredibly bright ball above the players head. This destroys your own natural night vision and can actually induce headaches as the ball is so bright that you have to strain your eyes to see around it. A terrible design for night vision, for proper night vision see Everquest:Ultravision. Any implementation should make it easier to see at night, not harder.
My favorite thing: The waves from the ocean. I know it's corny and adds almost nothing to the game, but the waves are really well done and I found myself watching them from the beach for way too long.
Anyhow, the game is enjoyable, but so far not nearly as good as Risen. That might change as I get further into Gothic 4 since I haven't really seen the full gamut of skills / scrolls / potions / etc at this point.
My most hated thing so far: The night vision potion creates an incredibly bright ball above the players head. This destroys your own natural night vision and can actually induce headaches as the ball is so bright that you have to strain your eyes to see around it. A terrible design for night vision, for proper night vision see Everquest:Ultravision. Any implementation should make it easier to see at night, not harder.
My favorite thing: The waves from the ocean. I know it's corny and adds almost nothing to the game, but the waves are really well done and I found myself watching them from the beach for way too long.
