A new dev diary by THQ Nordic was released today that sheds new light on the anticipated Gothic 1 Remake that’s supposed to release later this year. In the dev diary the developers get a chance to discuss what’s worth keeping from the original, what needed to be changed, and what’s been improved. The diary is very fascinating and the developers kind of get in the muck with problems they saw from the original and how they plan to resolve them.
The video starts with the game director talking about how the original story for Gothic was good, but there are a few things that needed work. Primarily, the story has plot holes, is a bit illogical, and things contradict each other. Often cited as an early example of eurojank, a term used to describe games made in Eastern Europe that are wildly ambitious but fall short on execution, Gothic managed to capture my imagination as a teen and took hold of me for several weeks while exploring its world. Let’s do a quick primer on the original game before we dive further into Gothic 1 Remake.
Gothic 1’s Story
The original game took place in a large, open world medieval fantasy setting. Humans are fighting a war with the Orcs and require magical ore from mines, so the king decides to make a prison out of the mining areas. To do this, the king has magicians create a large barrier around the mine to create a prisoner colony. This backfires pretty spectacularly as the barrier created by the magicians gets too large and covers an entire valley, trapping the magicians inside. As this happens, the prisoners take the opportunity to kill the prison guards and take over the entire colony.
While this is going on, the prisoners deal with ruling a prisoner colony exactly how you expect them to, by forming colonies and creating a colony hegemony framed around where each colony holds their base of operations. With two operational mines, a colony reigning over each, and a separate swamp colony that deals in drugs, Gothic is a fairly ambitious title considering it was released in 2001. Players take control of an unnamed prisoner who received a letter before being imprisoned that he’s tasked to deliver to a group of fire mages. The player will join one of the three camps, and play out a fairly complicated story that comes to a masterful crescendo built around dragons, demons, and surprisingly, political intrigue.
The dev diary itself is very cool as it glosses over some of the story elements to keep things mysterious. Changes are coming down the pipe, but by being brief, the developers can discuss the game’s story without spoiling anything. Perhaps my favorite part, though, is when Hector Fuster, a Senior Game Designer, discusses the economy of Gothic. Showing an Excel spreadsheet (legitimately an important game design tool), he discusses the prices of items in the initial game and how the economy could essentially be destroyed by the player. Then, Hector goes on to describe how the new economy in Gothic 1 Remake deals with liquidity and abundance to deal with a living economy that can’t be so easily exploited.
Gothic 1 Remake Key Features
The Kingdom of Myrtana has been invaded by a relentless horde of orcs. Desperate for powerful weapons to repel them, King Rhobar II orders the mining of vast quantities of magical ore, setting every available prisoner to work in the Khorinis mines. To ensure no one escapes, the King commands his most skilled mages to erect a magical barrier. But something goes terribly wrong, and the magic spirals out of control, trapping everyone inside. The prisoners rebel, transforming the mine into a lawless territory ruled by the Colony’s most brutal inmates. Now, the King must negotiate with these new rulers, as tensions rise among the mine’s factions. Amidst the chaos, the arrival of an unknown prisoner will change everything …
- Faithful Remake – Experience the original 2001 RPG classic fully rebuilt using current-gen technology, preserving its iconic atmosphere while enhancing the gameplay for a fluid and dynamic experience.
- Expansive Gameplay – Immerse yourself in over 50 hours of gameplay, exploring the vast and dangerous world of the Colony. Discover secrets old and new, challenging combat encounters, and unique NPCs, each with their own story to tell
- Dynamic Living World – Explore a vibrant world where inhabitants go about their daily lives: working, sleeping, eating, and fighting to survive, adding depth and realism to this immersive world.
- Branching Story – Choose which of the three factions to align with, influencing how your abilities and playstyle develop and how this true adventure unfolds.
- Enhanced Combat System – Master a modernized combat system that updates the core mechanics of the original, offering a more fluid and dynamic experience while staying true to its deliberate and tactical roots.
- Play as the Nameless Hero – Navigate the fate of a lifelong convict who must survive in a treacherous world filled with wild animals, ancient magic, and dangerous foes.
Personally, I’m very excited about the release of the Gothic 1 Remake, a game that might be impenetrable in 2025, even though it’s available on GoG and Steam. Gothic 1 Remake is currently in development for PC via Steam and GoG, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you absolutely can’t wait to play it, both GoG and Steam have demos up on their game pages. Keep an eye on our front page for more Gothic 1 news.
