So, yeah, basically I've been wanting to play an real-time nonlinear RPG lately and I've been trying to figure out which one to get back into. There's Gothic 3, but I realized all over again just how truly horrible it is. For one thing, the graphics engine is an abomination; even at the highest setting everything looks terrible and it chugs below 20 FPS on a constant basis. The combat is clunky and slow and enemies will ALWAYS run from at the precise speed necessary to stay outside the range of your sword swings. Plus the voice acting is dull, dull, DULL.
Then there's Oblivion, but I've played that so much that I'm sick of it, even with lots of mods.
So it's back to the old mainstay: Two Worlds. A game that has so many game-breaking flaws that you can probably teach a college course about game design using it as an example of what not to do. Dying is not only not punished but actually rewards you sometimes. The dialog and voice acting are laughable. The art style is equal parts derivative and atrocious. And the quests are all lame. Yet, somehow, it manages to be fun.
Fine, whatever, bring on the expansion pack, I certainly don't have enough good games laying around that I haven't even finished once yet. :'(