Summary
- The cult classic RPG Gothic 2 is getting ported to the Nintendo Switch, including the Night of the Raven expansion, with improved lighting and graphics.
- The Switch port of Gothic 2 is considered a remaster, with bug fixes and performance improvements, and will have full controller support.
- The Switch version of Gothic 2 will retail at $29.99 and have a physical release, along with a collector's bundle option available for pre-order.
Gothic 2 is getting ported to the Nintendo Switch more than two decades after its original release. The game's debut on Nintendo's hybrid console was announced a week after the Switch port of Gothic arrived on the eShop.
The Gothic sequel launched in late 2002, but only in Germany, with its English localization debuting the following summer. And though the game hence took a while to find a larger audience, it eventually earned the reputation of a cult classic. Apart from refining the immersive combat and leveling mechanics from its predecessor, the RPG was also lauded for the great attention to detail that went into its map, which is a big part of the reason why Gothic 2 is still widely considered to be among the best open-world games of all time.
Gothic Remake Gives Tour of the Old Camp
The first trailer for the Gothic remake in nearly a year offers an extensive tour of one of the most iconic locations from the original game.
The first-ever port of Gothic 2 is scheduled to hit the Switch on November 29, a month after the two-decade anniversary of the RPG's North American release. THQ Nordic opted to call this new version Gothic 2 Complete Classic, as the package will also include the 2003 Night of the Raven expansion. The port's reveal trailer shows improved lighting compared to the original game, though it remains to be seen whether those revamped visuals actually make their way to Nintendo's console. The Gothic Classic announcement promo also hinted at similar improvements, only for its release trailer to clarify that the enhanced visuals would be coming only to PC at a later date.
While labeled as a port, the Switch version of the first game was more of a remaster, as it introduced bug fixes, performance improvements, and even some new dialogue, among other things. The Gothic 2 Complete Classic announcement trailer makes no mention of such enhancements, besides hinting at better graphics. Of course, full controller support is already implied by virtue of the RPG coming to the Switch. The first Gothic port did rather well on that front, to the point of even making use of the Joy-Con and Pro Controller's gyroscopes, allowing players to attack by swinging their gamepads as an alternative to button presses.
Much like Gothic Classic, the Switch version of its sequel will retail at $29.99 and get treated to a physical release, which will be available via the THQ Nordic Store. The publisher also unveiled a small collector's bundle containing a physical copy of Gothic 2 Complete Classic and a wallet bearing the insignia of The Sleeper from the original game. That set is already available for pre-orders via the company's storefront, priced at $44.99 and limited to 999 units.
The arrival of Gothic 2 on the Switch might help ramp up some interest for Alkimia Interactive's Gothic remake, which has been in active development since early 2020. The Barcelona-based studio recently revealed that its Unreal Engine 5-powered reimagining of the 2001 game is aiming for a 2024 release.
Gothic 2 Complete Classic launches November 29 for Switch.
Source: THQ Nordic, THQ Nordic/YouTube