14 DAY TRIAL // Spellbound has let out a few details regarding its Gothic 4 title. It seems it will bear the subtitle Ancaria, which is apparently the name of the archipelago where the game will take place. The action will begin roughly ten years after the events of the third game in the series.
The islands of the archipelago will be greatly affected by magic. Each of them will have its own climate, its own fauna and its own culture and the player will have to quickly adapt to these changes if he wants to survive in the game.
The main additions to the game will be the ability to alter the night/day cycle with the use of magic, and the ability to tame and then ride the various beats that inhabit the islands. The developers also promise an enhanced combat system and more interesting combat scenarios than in the previous titles.
As the Gothic series is well known for its impressive visuals that describe a world full of green and inhabited by huge beasts, Gothic 4 will also get all the latest and greatest graphical enhancements. Monsters will look more menacing, spells will be more spectacular and shaders will make every inch of scenery burst with beauty.
As Spellbound is for the first time developing a Gothic game, after Piranha Bytes left the franchise, they will try to add something new to the game, while also maintaining the elements that made the series interesting in the first place. The developers have already said that fan feedback is very important for them as they aim to create a new Gothic experience.
The game is, for the first time, making an appearance on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles, so the development cycle is going to be longer than for a PC-only release. Until now Spellbound have made no mention of an estimated release date.