

Xardas, a necromancer, plays a central part to the survival and advancement of the character. Also connected with these factions are the water and fire mages, of which Xardas is an outcast.

Some of these characters are connected with the various factions of the game, which include the Old Camp, the New Camp and the Swamp Camp. Over the course of the story, The Nameless Hero becomes acquainted with several characters, the most notable of which are Diego, Lee, Cor Angar, Lester, Gorn, Lares, Milten, and Xardas. The colony takes the form of a natural landscape encased in a large magical shield known as The Barrier, much like an impenetrable dome. The first part of Gothic tells the story of The Nameless Hero, a man thrust into the events of a penal colony. The Nameless Hero can also now wield dual weapons or use a shield.

Navigation and combat are more mouse-centric, with each mouse button having a different combat action. The controls have been altered slightly with a stronger focus on action. The game places a special focus on the interactivity of the environment. Dialog changes according to in-game actions and behavior. The player is able to take advantage of missions to allow either side to take over towns. The remaining factions are the Rangers, the Nomads and the people of Nordmar. While there are six factions in the game, only three are joinable: the Rebels, the Orc mercenaries and the Hashishin. The game is reputation centric allowing the player to side with a faction. The player must complete quests and slay wild animals and monsters to earn experience and improve skills. JoWooD released a standalone expansion, entitled Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods, in November 2008.

The North American release incorporates two patches that appeared after the initial UK edition.Ī Collector's Edition was also released containing bonus collectible material. Although widely available in English, the native release of the game is German. Gothic 3 is a fantasy-themed open world action role-playing game for Microsoft Windows from the German game developer Piranha Bytes.
