Games
Main series
''Gothic''
The first game of the franchise was released on 15 March 2001 in Germany, on 30 October 2001 in Europe, on 23 November 2001 in North America and on 28 March 2002 in Poland. The game takes place in a medieval fantasy world, in which humans are losing the war against the orcs. The hero, a young nameless man, is forced to work in the Penal Colony, because of his crimes. In order to continue the fight against the orcs, the king needs to extract magical ore and use it for weapons and armor. Every burglar, thief or other criminal is sent in the Colony to work in the mines, by the king's order. To keep the prisoners inside, the king ordered 12 magicians to create a magical barrier over the colony. However, due to complications, the barrier trapped a much larger territory than originally intended, along with the 12 magicians and the king's forces. Thus the militia blocked inside soon lost control over the prisoners, and the king had no choice but to trade with the convicts. Soon after the convicts divided into several camps, one of which the Man can join in order to survive and advance the plot.''Gothic II''
''Gothic II'' is the second game in the ''Gothic'' franchise, released on 23 November 2002 in Germany, on 13 June 2003 in Europe and 29 October 2003 in North America. It's the sequel to ''Gothic''. The game events continue the ones from the first ''Gothic'' – as the barrier was destroyed, many prisoners escaped; many of them headed to Khorinis with fake titles (since the militia started to search for the escaped convicts), and others remained in the mountains forming groups of bandits. But things aren't quite that good in Khorinis, as many thought – Xardas (the hero's mentor) informs him that a greater evil is now threatening the land – as The Sleeper was banished he made a last call to all his minions to gather in the Valley of Mines.''Gothic II: Night of the Raven''
''Gothic II: Night of the Raven'' is the official expansion for ''Gothic II''. It was released on 22 August 2003 in Germany and on 20 January 2005 in North America and Europe as a part of the ''Gothic II Gold'' package. The expansion introduces a new world to the game called Jharkendar which is located in the northeast of Khorinis. It is an ancient and deserted city, populated mostly by pirates and bandits. The hero opens a portal to Jharkendar with the help of the Water Mages, and after getting there, discovers what threatens the island: Raven, a former ore baron in the Penal Colony who has sold his soul to Beliar, the god of darkness, and is hungry for power.''Gothic 3''
''Gothic 3'' is the third and last game in the main ''Gothic'' franchise and the official sequel to ''Gothic II''. It was released on 13 October 2006 in Europe and on 20 November 2006 in North America. The third part of the saga shows the hero and his friends sailing to Myrtana. After getting there, they discover that the continent has been overrun by orcs which have enslaved mankind. The hero also gets another hint, when he finds out from locals that Xardas, his mentor, is the one who helped the orcs with their evil scheme. Things will change later, when the hero discovers Xardas and finds out that he only helped the orcs for his own purpose. He quests the hero to retrieve some artifacts and kill the king which had imprisoned him in the Colony; after that, they (Xardas and the hero) went together through a portal into an unknown land.Spin-off
''Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods''
''Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods'' is the standalone expansion for ''Gothic 3'' developed by Trine Games''.'' It was released on 21 November 2008 in Europe and North America. Two years have passed since the hero and Xardas went into the Unknown Lands. From there, they were watching over Myrtana – which was destroyed by wars between the factions. The hero could stand no more, seeing that the land for which he almost gave his life for was destroyed, and decided to return. Xardas refused to let him go and tried to explain that eventually mankind will tire of war and peace will prevail. The angered hero refused to listen, and after a great battle which almost killed him, returned to Myrtana to unite it. Eventually the hero will crown himself the new king of Myrtana.''Arcania''
''Arcania'' (also ''Arcania: Gothic 4'') was released on 12 October 2010 as the fourth game in the ''Gothic'' franchise. As of 2011, with the return of the ''Gothic'' rights to''Arcania: Fall of Setarrif''
Announced by Spellbound and JoWooD on 9 December 2010, ''Fall of Setarrif'' is the first standalone addon for ''Arcania'', which was released on 25 October 2011 for PC and 31 May 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. ''Arcania: Fall of Setarrif'' ties up the loose ends of the main game's story and adds yet another chapter to the epic tale. After the demon that possessed King Rhobar III was exorcised, it made its way to Setarrif to find a new host. In Setarrif, which is cut off from the rest of the island, chaos and anarchy spread rapidly. King Rhobar III is troubled by these developments and is afraid of losing the city and some of his companions, which are in Setarrif at that very moment. The nameless hero is therefore sent by the king and must journey to Setarrif… But he has no idea of what lies before him.Other games
''Gothic Universe Edition''
In October 2007, JoWooD published ''Gothic Universe Edition'', a collection pack containing ''Gothic'', ''Gothic II'' and ''Gothic 3''. The Universe Edition was originally released only in Europe, but was added to the Steam store in November 2010.''Gothic 3: The Beginning''
''Gothic 3: The Beginning'' is a role-playing mobile video game produced by German developer Handy-Games GmbH and published by JoWooD Entertainment. It was released on 15 January 2008. The action takes place 140 years before the events in the first ''Gothic'' game, on the island of Khorinis. Xardas (one of the main characters from the original PC ''Gothic'' series), an orphan, raised by farmers, is visited one night by the ghost of Buthomar. The ghost tells the young Xardas about an unknown threat and asks him to find "the other four Chosen Ones".''Gothic Playable Teaser''
''Gothic Playable Teaser'' is a prototype remake of the original ''Gothic'' that serves for community feedback. It was developed by THQ Nordic Barcelona and added toHistory
Speculations on who has the rights for the ''Gothic'' series have made their way around since 2007 until 2011, when Mike Hoge, co-founder ofSee also
*'' Risen'', a similar game by the developer of the first three games * Video gaming in GermanyReferences
External links