Arcania: Gothic IV does very little to progress the genre – particularly in mission structure and storytelling areas – but what it ultimately does deliver is a loot-heavy dungeon crawling experience that doesn't tax your skills, but instead lets you leisurely enjoy the world and kill a lot of goblins and swamp flies along the way. In this way, the Gothic series has always filled in a more casual space than similarly minded RPGs. The combat has a decent level of depth, the island is sprawling - but certainly not truly open-world, and varied and detailed. The story is distracting and disposable – kind of enjoyable but never subtle. It's not going to please hardcore D&D purists, or gamers looking for the next Elder Scrolls, but as a middle ground between deeper entries and linear adventures, Arcania: Gothic IV hits its stride.
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