Gothic 3 is the long awaited third entry in the venerable Gothic series. While having done quite well in Europe (especially in Germany, where the game was developed), it has only been now that the Gothic series has really broken into the mainstream market. However, the game itself is anything but mainstream.
This is an outstanding example of what an RPG should be (and also shouldn't be). The combat system is quick and fluid (but takes a while to get used to), the quests are mostly original and interesting, and the graphics are beautiful. The soundtrack is also a work of marvel; the quality of Kai Rosenkrantz's music easily rivals the work Jeremy Soule did for Oblivion. The storyline is also full of intrigue (especially to those who have never played a Gothic game before). The storyline is left wide open: you can side with either the Orcs or the Humans. This freedom is welcome after Oblivion's restrictive plotline.
However, the game is not without its faults (this game makes Vampire Bloodlines look like a Sunday picnic). Perhaps the most obvious is the game's multitude of bugs and glitches. Players can expect missing quests and a crash that corrupts your save game. However, a lot of this has been fixed in the latest patch (including the save game corruption). Also on the list of faults are balance issues (such as a single wild boar wiping out a camp of Orcs) and the awful performance on minimum system requirements computers.
Gothic 3 is an excellent game, but numerous bugs and glitches cause it to seem unfinished and, at times, unplayable. My two cents: buy it, but be sure to download the latest patch (1.09) and visit the forums for hints, tips and performance tweaks.