[FLASHBACK] How to discover your destiny – “Gothic II”

Sequels are often worse than the original. However, I get the impression that in the case of games it is exactly the opposite – the sequel often beats the original, due to a higher level of technological advancement, improved animation and, in many cases, more extensive content and in-depth characters. This is how I remember the second part of the cult Gothic game in Poland , simply titled Gothic II . Did this impression persist after many years?

I will not beat around the bush – just as I played the first  installment with flushed face , in fact, the one that I was looking forward to from the very beginning was the second part. It was from her that my adventure with Gothic began , it was thanks to her that I became interested in the series and I feel the greatest sentiment towards it. Anyway, the best proof of my love for her is the fact that despite the fact that the game is longer than the number one, I completed it in a much shorter time, not hesitating to transform into a real no-life … It’s time to find out if it was worth it.

 

“One man changed the fate of many hundreds …”

Significant to Gothicand most likely what makes it stand out from other games is its unusual, unparalleled atmosphere. This atmosphere is felt after starting the game – the characteristic music and the image of the main character fighting the dragon, and later also the orc, while loading the save, neatly introduce us to its world. This is followed by the monologue of the necromancer Xardas (which I think any fan of the game can recite from memory), during which the magician reminds the player of the events from the first part, i.e. defeating the Dreaming demon, and makes him aware of their effects, such as the destruction of the magic barrier. Unfortunately, the man behind these accidents, although he survived, stuck deep underground and Xardas decides to bring him back … And this is how another adventure in the universe beginsGothika.

 

“Because you are destined to wear this amulet …”

The game begins where Xardas brings the hero from the Barrier back to the outside world – in his new tower. Here again we play the role of the Nameless One who, although sore and weakened after the fight in the Temple of the Dreamer, survived and must again take part in the fight for the fate of the world. The necromancer, having already become his mentor, assigns him a new task – his goal is to obtain a powerful, ancient amulet, called the Eye of Innos, thanks to which he will be able to chase away the evil that has fallen in the Mining Valley after the Dreamer has been banished. He explains to him beforehand what happened just after the victorious fight in the underground temple – the demon, though defeated, in the last desperate act summoned a whole army of dark creatures to finish his work. At its head are dragons and it is with them that the Unknown must face, wanting to restore balance not only in the Mining Valley, but also on the entire island of Khorinis, over which the specter of destruction hangs. The Eye of Innos is to help him in this, reaching which will become his main mission for a long time. The artifact is in the possession of the paladins stationed in the nearby city – royal knights and warriors of the god Innos. This makes the task much more difficult, especially since the hero, until recently a convict, formally does not have any status or membership of any guild. The protagonist must therefore find a way that will allow him to access the amulet. Thus, a new journey of the Nameless Hero begins, which will take him further than he could have imagined … The Eye of Innos is to help him in this, reaching which will become his main mission for a long time. The artifact is in the possession of the paladins stationed in the nearby city – royal knights and warriors of the god Innos. This makes the task much more difficult, especially since the hero, until recently a convict, formally does not have any status or membership of any guild. The protagonist must therefore find a way that will allow him to access the amulet. Thus, a new journey of the Nameless Hero begins, which will take him further than he could have imagined … The Eye of Innos is to help him in this, reaching which will become his main mission for a long time. The artifact is in the possession of the paladins stationed in the nearby city – royal knights and warriors of the god Innos. This makes the task much more difficult, especially since the hero, until recently a convict, formally does not have any status or membership of any guild. The protagonist must therefore find a way that will allow him to access the amulet. Thus, a new journey of the Nameless Hero begins, which will take him further than he could have imagined … until recently a convict, formally does not have any status or membership of any guild. The protagonist must therefore find a way that will allow him to access the amulet. Thus, a new journey of the Nameless Hero begins, which will take him further than he could have imagined … Until recently a convict, he had no formal status or membership of any guild. The protagonist must therefore find a way that will allow him to access the amulet. Thus, a new journey of the Nameless Hero begins, which will take him further than he could have imagined …

 

A new, intriguing game, a new, not very intriguing storyline

Comparing the plot summary of this part with the plot summary of the first part, you can immediately conclude that there is not as much going on in it as in the original. And indeed – years later, I must finally say that the plot is actually a minus of this installment. One of the greatest advantages of the first game was the story – unpredictable, intriguing, with lots of twists and turns (often turning the game upside down and influencing the further actions of the Nameless Hero), the true meaning of which only becomes clear in its second half. Here, from the very beginning, we know what our main task is. Interestingly, just getting the Eye of Innos is a mission for half of the game (it is undoubtedly the longest main quest in Gothic II) and basically everything that happens up to then comes down to the hero taking possession of the divine artifact. It is true that in the meantime there is a twist in the form of its destruction by the servants of Evil, but we are able to fully repair it. The only irreversible result of these events is the death of the character, which is insignificant to the Nameless Hero, so in fact little changes.

The next step is defeating the dragons, which we also realize before leaving the Xardas tower. It’s only in the last two chapters of the game that things really start to get interesting. Dragons make us understand that they do not act alone – they also have their master, whose lair is located on another island, located many miles from Khorinis, and this reaching it turns out to be the most intriguing part of the RPG. It is true that the Irdorath Court itself – the temple of the god of darkness Beliar, in which the lord of dragons resides – resembles the Temple of the Dreamer, but the meeting and conversation with the so-called The Dragon of the Revenant seems to reward us for that. The real twist, however, is only the very end of the game. Xardas arrives on the Isle of Irdorath, consuming the power of the defeated enemy and announcing to the protagonist, that … he became Beliar’s servant! He also reveals to him that everything he did back in the days of the Barrier was aimed at becoming his chosen one – just as The Nameless One is the chosen one of the god of light, Innos.

The ending of Gothic II is somewhat open – the protagonist sails out onto the continent, and this, combined with Xardas’ alleged betrayal, is the starting point for the third part, in which the necromancer’s motives are finally clarified. The acceleration of the action in the last stage of the game and its one and only twist (shown in the addition only in the form of cutscenes) is not enough to make the plot of the second part remarkable and at least similar in complexity to the original (the Night of the Raven expansion is a bit diversified , but more about that) another time). Not to mention duplicating the scheme of joining three groups and choosing one, again with power, mercenaries and a religious order… I see what you did there, Piranha Bytes!

 

New world, new possibilities

To be honest, the plot of Gothic IIthat’s basically the only thing about this game that can be considered a minus, especially when compared to the number one. Because everything else is much better than the original. In fact, this is the part that can be called fantasy RPG. First of all, we have a much larger, richer world at our disposal, consisting of not one, but two or, if you count the addition, three different lands. In the basic version of the game, we travel through the main part of the island, where most of the action takes place, and the well-known Mining Valley, although it looks a bit different. This time we get to know the entire island of Khorinis, where the former Penal Colony was located, including its inhabitants, culture and even ancient monuments. Finally, we have a real, lively city here (due to the fact that it is the only city on the island, also called simply Khorinis), where ordinary inhabitants who devote themselves to everyday life, have their own problems, not related to the fight between good and evil. We have the Innosa Monastery, which is the seat of the entire religious community with a function analogous to our Church. We also have a clear political background. Namely, due to the rebellion of the richest farmer, who does not want to give his goods to the royal army that currently manages the city (which is manifested, among others, by employing mercenaries to protect the lands), the townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be … having their own problems not related to the fight between good and evil. We have the Innosa Monastery, which is the seat of the entire religious community with a function analogous to our Church. We also have a clear political background. Namely, due to the rebellion of the richest farmer, who does not want to give his goods to the royal army that currently manages the city (which is manifested, among others, by employing mercenaries to protect the lands), the townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be … having their own problems not related to the fight between good and evil. We have the Innosa Monastery, which is the seat of the entire religious community with a function analogous to our Church. We also have a clear political background. Namely, due to the rebellion of the richest farmer, who does not want to give his goods to the royal army that currently manages the city (which is manifested, among others, by employing mercenaries to protect the lands), the townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be … performing a function analogous to our Church. We also have a clear political background. Namely, due to the rebellion of the richest farmer, who does not want to give his goods to the royal army that currently manages the city (which is manifested, among others, by employing mercenaries to protect the lands), the townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be … performing a function analogous to our Church. We also have a clear political background. Namely, due to the rebellion of the richest farmer, who does not want to give his goods to the royal army that currently manages the city (which is manifested, among others, by employing mercenaries to protect the lands), the townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be … townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be … townspeople and farmers live in an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear of civil war. In addition, after destroying the Barrier, gangs of bandits roam the forests and roads between farms, so traveling between important points of the island is not as safe as it used to be …

Finally, the Gothic universe is deepened by the pantheon. Admittedly, it is already outlined in the first part in the three-volume book The Wisdom of Gods(the acquisition of which is in no way related to the main plot, which means that it can be overlooked), but only here we meet the followers of all deities and, most importantly, we feel the real influence of these deities on the world. The mine of knowledge on this subject is Vatras, one of the so-called mages of water, from whom the Nameless Hero can learn that there are three gods – Innos, the god of fire and light, Adanos, the god of water and order, and Beliar, the lord of darkness and death, and learn a lot about them. The most important one is that the first and the last one for centuries are fighting a fierce battle with each other, and Adanos stands between them, trying to keep the world in harmony. It is not difficult to guess that our hero is part of this conflict (in the third part, it is clearly defined as the war of the gods). Anyway, during the game he is often referred to as the chosen one, be it Innos or Adanos, who, according to many, is supposed to restore the balance between Good and Evil. This, combined with the faith of the people on the island in the influence of deities on their lives, proves the importance of the latter in the game world.

The most conspicuous technical aspect of it is the graphics. In general, the layout is practically the same – the appearance of characters, creatures and parts of items known from the first Gothicit does not change – except that it is not that angular anymore, which slightly increases the realism of the RPG. However, the element that distinguishes it from its predecessor is the scenery and the accompanying atmosphere. In the Mining Valley we had to deal with various smaller locations, but all of them could be brought to hills or mountainous rocky terrain and small, though ominous forests (with the exception of a large swamp where the Dreaming Brotherhood Camp was located), and these views did not inspire optimism. This time, due to the greater number of main locations, the landscapes are more varied. In the central part of the island, outside the city and farms, large, dense, untouched forests full of wild animals and lakes dominate, while Górnicza Dolina is this time barren land, a true habitat of evil. Given,

This impression is enhanced by the mechanics, which have been significantly fluidized, as a result of which the characters’ movements are much more natural, and all animations are more effective. Fighting and trading were also improved. Due to the abandonment of a bulky system based on the use of the Control key, skirmishes are not so difficult here and are much more pleasant, while replacing barter with ordinary currency and practically unlimited sale (traders have an infinite amount of money during the transaction) facilitates and accelerates trade. It is also worth mentioning the balance, which is one of the biggest disadvantages of the predecessor – while in the first chapter from the third chapter the game becomes surprisingly easy, here is the right balance. As the player’s character develops, more and more powerful opponents appear in the main locations and it lasts until the last chapter, in which we may still have problems with defeating some of them, so the game seems to be a bit of a challenge until the end, which only arouses interest in her. Finally, we get something that was missing from the original,

In addition to the aforementioned plot, the substantive issues have also been refined. The most noteworthy is the return of the characters we already know from the original – apart from Xardas, at various stages of the game, we also meet Diego, Milten, Gorn and Lester, i.e. the closest friends of the Nameless Hero. In addition, old allies appear, such as the mercenary leader Lee, and certain side characters such as Lares or Angar (formerly known as Cor Angar). Each of them, of course, plays a role in the game (I would even try to say that each has its own plot) and to some extent helps the hero in his tasks. Interestingly, unlike the first one, almost all characters with a name perform some function in the game, either as a possibility to conduct a dialogue other than the standard one, or to obtain information, or do some small mission. Thanks to this the worldGothika II becomes richer and, as already mentioned above, more alive.

Among the opponents, in turn, the dragons from the Miners’ Valley themselves should be distinguished, which, although they speak with the voice of one actor (played by Tomasz Marzecki, known from the role of Xardas), have completely different personalities. For example, the fiery dragon Feomathar is extremely reticent and gives the protagonist only the information he needs. Ice dragon Finkregh, in turn, is so talkative that the Nameless Hero has to silence him out of irritation. It is worth noting that each of the dragons is visually distinctive, which is emphasized by the elements they represent and the colors associated with them – earth, stone, fire and ice, thanks to which they really stand out from other opponents in the game. One cannot but mention the Seekers – dark beings who were former followers of the Dreamer, who succumbed to the forces of darkness. Evidently based on the Nazgl from the works of JRR Tolkien, they also look for the hero, although this time, and spread the atmosphere of fear everywhere, wherever they go, often standing in the way of the protagonist, and the player often making the player furious (as my word may say – even years later they were extremely annoying and tiring opponents). Their biggest advantage, however, is that they are the toughest “standard” enemies, perhaps even more powerful than the orcs, and they largely influence the balance of the game (especially that they appear only in the third chapter, i.e. in the middle of it). more than once standing in the way of the protagonist, and often making the player furious (as I give my word – even years later they were extremely irritating and tiring opponents). Their biggest advantage, however, is that they are the most difficult “standard” enemies, perhaps even more powerful than the orcs, and they largely influence the balance of the game (especially that they appear only in the third chapter, i.e. in the middle of it). more than once standing in the way of the protagonist, and often making the player furious (as I give my word – even years later they were extremely irritating and tiring opponents). Their biggest advantage, however, is that they are the toughest “standard” enemies, perhaps even more powerful than the orcs, and they largely contribute to the game’s balance (especially that they appear only in the third chapter, i.e. in the middle of it).

Of course, the invariable advantage of the Polish language version of Gothic is dubbing, which still holds the level in the two. We can hear not only the already known actors, such as Jacek Mikołajczak, the aforementioned Tomasz Marzecki or Adam Bauman, but also many new ones, including Mirosław Zbrojewicz, Jarosław Boberek and Agata Gawrońska-Bauman, whose perfect empathy with the characters played significantly increases the realism the game and at the same time makes it more pleasant.

 

A worthy successor to the original?

The answer is – absolutely. Even after so many years, I can say that my former belief in the superiority of two over one still holds. Although the plot is not one of its strengths, the overall design, which consists of a larger and richer world, significantly improved mechanics and graphics, as well as a much more complex and interesting gameplay, definitely stands out above the original. Its atmosphere may not be as dark as its predecessor, but more homely, and thus actually more associated with a world where the inhabitants do not face dark forces on a daily basis, but simply lead their daily lives and in which everything runs with its unhurried rhythm – as befits a real fantasy world. In the end, even If the events presented in the game are not so intriguing, then we have the opportunity to direct the fate of the Nameless Hero – a character so original and in its own way charming that following his story cannot seem boring even for a moment. Ultimately, our hero in this installment of the series begins to understand the role he is to play in the history of the world and his destiny, and the path to this is something that you will enjoy discovering over time and which you will certainly want to remember more than once. .