12 Terrible Video Games That Actually Had Great Ideas

4. Gothic 3 - Detailed World-Building And Characters

Viking battle for asgard
Deep Silver

Another list entry, another RPG that fell dramatically short of its potential. But while Two Worlds II was a definite improvement on its predecessor, Gothic 3 was the death knell for a series that was quite well loved up until it showed up.

And yet for all its flaws, Gothic 3 attempted to push the boat out where something like Oblivion wouldn't. Its world-building is impressive, as the various conflicting factions that populate the world all have intriguing traditions and motives. There's depth to the denizens of Gothic 3, making your decision-making that bit more interesting and challenging in a world where good and evil are rarely clear-cut. If you win a fight with someone, they're likely to accept defeat, so full-on killing people feels like a big deal (which is pretty much unheard of in an RPG).

Beyond the chats and the lore, however, the world is depressingly bland, with the bugs and combat making it a chore to actually progress through.

Contributor
Contributor

Gamer, Researcher of strange things. I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.