Developer Alkimia Interactive has announced that Gothic 1 Remake has been quite successful, selling half a million copies in its first week alone. The title was released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S just last week, and in a post, the studio revealed more details about player engagement with the RPG.
The studio has confirmed that Gothic 1 Remake hit a peak of almost 78,000 concurrent players on Steam on June 7th. Since then, the title has gone on to get more than 15,000 user reviews on the platform, averaging out to a “Very Positive” rating.
“Alkimia Interactive and THQ Nordic are thrilled by this initial success and extend a heartfelt thank you to all players who have entered the colony so far – and especially to all of the long-time dedicated fans who have supported the Gothic franchise over the past 25 years,” wrote the studio. “This milestone could not have been possible without such a passionate community.”
Gothic 1 Remake’s release was celebrated with a launch trailer that showcased the enhanced gameplay and new visuals for the title. Just a couple of days before the release, Alkimia Interactive had also released the intro cinematic for the RPG, giving us a look at how the opening moments of Gothic 1 Remake will play out thanks to its modern visual fidelity.
Leading up to its release, while Alkimia Interactive had spoken about wanting to bring in some improvements to Gothic with its remake, the studio had also noted that it wanted to hang on to some of the original’s aspects that help improve its immersion. Among these was the decision to not include a minimap.
“You don’t have a minimap,” explained game director Reinhard Pollice in an interview, “we very strictly kept that. We were thinking about making it optional, but we felt like even that doesn’t feel right. If you want to know where you are, just open your map. You will find out.”
He also revealed that the studio had discussed the idea of adding more content to help fill out the world of Gothic 1 Remake. Among the content discussed would have been a card minigame, and even possibly a fishing minigame. However, the decision was ultimately made to not do so, since they weren’t necessary for the core Gothic experience.
“We were debating about doing some minigames to fill it up more,” he said. “Having a card minigame, or maybe some fishing minigame. Who knows what the future holds for Gothic; maybe we’ll do them one day. But we didn’t see them as a priority thing. We felt like they’re not really needed for the core experience.”
Where it did bring in some changes, however, is in its approachability. Noting that the original Gothic could be a rough game for beginners, Pollice revealed that Gothic 1 Remake includes a more fleshed-out diary-style quest log that gives players a better idea of what they’re supposed to be doing. Similarly, the crafting system has also seen some expansion, with new alchemy and scroll-inscription systems.
For more details, check out what’s new in Gothic 1 Remake.
