The Story Timeline Order of Gothic Games
Gothic is a franchise of RPGs (role-playing games). In general, Gothic games feature an open world which can be discovered by the player character, as well as multiple quests to be completed, enemies to be fought, and a main storyline to be unveiled. Gothic games are acclaimed for their world building, immersion and seamless RPG gameplay with adventuring. The first Gothic game is often referenced as being an inspiration to many later RPG video games.
The first Gothic game, which is called Gothic, or Gothic 1, was released in 2001 and already featured many of the hallmarks by which the series of games is known for, such as open world, ruthless NPCs, and RPG gameplay.
What Are Gothic Games Like?
In general, Gothic games are open world RPGs, with hack and slash combat gameplay, many NPCs to talk to, and skills to be learned. Gothic games are known for seamlessly integrating open world adventuring with RPG gameplay, a reason why these games are often cited as inspiration for later open world RPGs of the games industry. Gothic games often feature a ruthless, medieval world.
Gothic games remarkably feature a breathing, living world, which served as inspiration for many later open world RPGs. The game worlds of Gothic video games often include NPCs with their own routines, such as working and sleeping. Indeed, the immersion offered by Gothic games is often credited to their world building and impressive NPC habits.
Gothic games typically feature a vast amount of lore which can be accessed when talking to the different NPCs that inhabit the game world. NPCs will often talk about their daily lives, as well as about the world they live in.
In Gothic games, NPCs fight monsters independently of the player, which provides an impressive sense of immersion in the game world. This game "ecossystem" is comparable to what is also seen in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video games, with dynamic NPC interactions that take place in the game world.
One important distinction between Gothic games and some other RPGs is that quite often monsters in Gothic games do not respawn. Instead, after they are defeated by the player character, they do not reappear in the game. In each chapter of the story in the game, new monsters spawn in the world.
Is There an Order to Play the Gothic Games?
While the Gothic games can be played and enjoyed in any order, some games are directly related to each other, story-wise, such as Gothic (2001), Gothic II and Gothic 3. Other games, such as Arcania: Gothic 4 and Arcania: Fall of Setarrif, tell a story which is not directly related to the other Gothic games. Other games, such as Risen, are not clearly related to the Gothic universe, and for this reason, could be played theoretically in any order. In regards to Gothic (2001), Gothic II and Gothic 3, it is suggested to play these games in the chronological story order presented in this article, while it is true that they can be played and enjoyed in any other order.
The Story Timeline Order of Gothic Video Games
This is the story timeline order of the Gothic video games. This is not necessarily the chronological order of release of these games, but rather, the chronological order of the different events that happen in these games, organized in a reasonable chronological order. This is the suggested order in which to play these games for players who want to know the Gothic games universe in the chronological order in which the story events take place.
Gothic 3: The Beginning
Gothic 1 | Gothic (2001) | Gothic 1 Remake
Gothic II | Gothic II: Night of the Raven
Gothic 3
Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods
Arcania: Gothic 4
Arcania: Fall of Setarrif
Gothic 3: The Beginning does not refer to the beginning of the game Gothic 3, but rather to a video game called "Gothic 3: The Beginnig", which is set before the Gothic 1, also called Gothic (2001).
Gothic 1 Remake, while being a different game than Gothic 1, also called Gothic (2001), tells the same original, main story presented in Gothic 1. For this reason, while they are different games, it makes sense to include both Gothic 1 and Gothic 1 Remake as the same entry in my chronological story order list.
Gothic II: Night of the Raven is an expansion to Gothic II, introducing new elements to the game and expanding its universe, while also telling the same original, main plot of Gothic II. For this reason, I have included both Gothic II and Gothic II: Night of the Raven as a single entry in my chronological story order list.
Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods is a standalone expansion to Gothic 3, taking place after the events of that game. It is important to note the following difference: Gothic II, Night of the Raven, is an expansion add-on to Gothic II, which expands the Gothic II game world and the game as a whole. While Gothic II: Night of the Raven adds new story elements, this new storyline is seamleslly integrated into the gameplay of Gothic II. Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods, on the other hand, is a new story that takes place in the same world and is told after the events of Gothic 3. For this reason, it makes sense to include Gothic II and Gothic II: Night of the Raven as the same entry in my chronological story order list, while I added Gothic 3 and Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods as two separate entries, as they tell different stories.
Are Arcania Games Related to Gothic?
Arcania: Gothic 4, as well as Arcania: Fall of Setarrif, take place some years after Gothic 3. For this reason, not only are Arcania games set in the same world as previous Gothic games, they are also set in a similar time period, and take place after Gothic 3, chronologically.
At the same time, the Arcania games are often considered to be an independent spin-off series, unrelated to the Gothic games besides the similar gameplay. For this reason, the canonicity of the Arcania games is often questioned. Whether the story events of the Arcania games are canon or not, what is clear is that these events, if true, take place after Gothic 3, chronologically, and this is the focus of this article.
Is Risen Related to Gothic?
There are elements in the Risen games that may connect them to Gothic. At the same time, there is not a clear indication that the Risen games are set in the same universe as the Gothic games. For this reason, I can only say that it is possible that the Risen games are set in the same universe as Gothic games, while at the same time it cannot be clearly proven.
What Is the Main Difference Between Gothic and Risen Games?
While Gothic games and Risen games have a similar gameplay and feature open worlds, perhaps one important difference between these two game series is their setting. Gothic games are mostly games set in medieval worlds, while Risen games are games inspired by the Age of Sail period, while also featuring some medieval elements.
If you are interested in the story timeline order of RPG video games, you may also be interested in checking out the story timeline orders of Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher.
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