Few RPGs are remembered as fondly as Gothic, a title that helped shape the early 2000s landscape of open-world role-playing with its dark atmosphere, unforgiving combat, and richly interactive world. More than twenty years later, THQ Nordic and Alkimia Interactive are bringing the cult classic back with Gothic 1 Remake, a project that aims to faithfully preserve the spirit of the original while updating it for a modern audience. With the game now nearing release, we took a closer look at how it’s shaping up.
What we know
Gothic 1 Remake revisits the Valley of the Mines, where the Kingdom of Myrtana has trapped convicts inside a magical barrier to mine valuable ore for its war against the orcs. The barrier, however, spirals out of control, leaving the prisoners in charge of their own lawless society. Players once again step into the role of the Nameless Hero, a convict thrust into this brutal environment, where three factions vie for control and alliances determine both narrative outcomes and gameplay progression.
The remake is a ground-up rebuild of the 2001 original, staying true to its branching storylines and sense of open-ended exploration while making key updates. These include expanded questlines, more detailed NPC routines, and traversal options that make navigation more fluid. The combat system has also been modernized, aiming to keep the deliberate pace and tactical weight of the original while smoothing out the clunky edges that newcomers might struggle with. With more than 50 hours of content promised, players will once again shape their fate in a grim but living fantasy world. The game is slated for release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in early 2026.
What we saw
At Gamescom, we joined THQ Nordic and Alkimia Interactive for a presentation and live gameplay session with an advanced build of the game. With the remake nearly finished, we were free to pick and choose locations from the original to revisit, giving us a broad look at how faithfully the team has rebuilt the Colony. The confidence in letting us explore different environments was clear, even with the delay pushing the release into 2026.
What we thought
The first thing that struck us was just how visually impressive the overhaul really is. The Colony has never looked this immersive, with dense forests, crumbling fortresses, and bustling camps all brought to life with striking detail. Lighting and weather effects add atmosphere, and the sense of place that defined the original has been carefully preserved while benefitting from modern rendering. It’s the kind of fantasy setting that feels alive in its grime and grit, setting it apart from more polished high-fantasy worlds.
Combat, long one of the most divisive aspects of Gothic, has been reworked significantly. The original’s system was notoriously stiff, but here the remake strikes a better balance. Swordplay feels weighty without being frustrating, and enemies require timing and awareness rather than blind aggression. It’s still deliberate, and veterans will appreciate that it hasn’t turned into an overly fluid hack-and-slash, but accessibility has been improved enough to welcome new players without losing identity. Traversal has also been expanded, with smoother climbing and movement helping exploration feel less restricted than in 2001.
Story and worldbuilding remain central, and the presentation makes it easy to get drawn into the gritty politics of the Colony. Seeing NPCs follow routines, interact with each other, and react to your choices enhances immersion and reminds you that this is a living world, not just a backdrop. The branching factions also seem poised to retain the replay value that made the original so memorable, though it remains to be seen whether newcomers will embrace the slower pacing compared to modern RPGs.
Ultimately, Gothic 1 Remake feels like it’s arriving at the right time. With the RPG landscape filled with vast but often homogenized worlds, a return to something rawer and more intimate could be exactly what players are craving. Whether you’re a long-time fan or someone encountering the Nameless Hero for the first time, the remake looks set to deliver a blend of nostalgia and novelty that few other fantasy RPGs are attempting right now.
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