The Gothic 1 Remake drops the player into a prison colony protected by a dangerous magical barrier and allows them to choose how heroic or nefarious they want to be. It also lets the Hero decide which faction they side with, which is something that alters the course of the story and the fates of various characters when the ending rolls around.
The question is, does the path you take in the Gothic Remake impact the ending? And if so, are the multiple endings that can be unlocked depending on which camp you joined and all the other choices you made throughout the game?
How many endings does Gothic Remake have?
Many players may be surprised to know that Gothic only has one ending.
And this is the ending you unlock at the end of the game – regardless of what choices you made throughout the adventure.
You see, Gothic is about the journey, not the destination, and that journey always leads you to the same place. It’s just that there are multiple paths to get there.
Of course, who lives and who dies is greatly impacted by your actions, but regardless of how heroic or villainous you are, the main story always ends the same way.
Gothic 1 Remake ending explained
*Spoilers for the ending from this moment onwards.*
Regardless of which camp you join in Gothic, the Hero will eventually make contact with the Water Mages of the New Camp who are working on an escape plan to destroy the magical barrier and free the colony.
To cut a long story short, the reason why the spell went so wrong and created a deadly barrier around the colony was that it interfered with a ritual the Orcs did to defeat the humans. This ritual was to summon the demonic Sleeper, which coincidentally, is the deity that the Swamp Camp have been worshipping all this time.
It turns out that it’s the Sleeper’s power that is keeping the barrier active, trapping both humans and Orcs inside it. Things then take a desperate turn when the rulers of the Old Camp see their mine collapse, threatening their power and causing them to attack the New Camp to seize control of their mine. This kills many of the Fire Mages, who have allied with the Water Mages to help bring down the barrier.
The loss of the mages puts the escape plan in jeopardy, forcing the Hero to confront the Sleeper in its lair. He manages to slay the demon, and this finally causes the magical barrier to disappear, freeing the prisoners who escape into the land.
The Hero is buried among the rubble of the Sleeper’s temple, his fate left ambiguous.
What happens next?
The story continues in Gothic 2, where we learn the Hero survived, but is greatly weakened by his ordeal. After being rescued by his allies, they discover that the convicts have escaped the barrier and are causing havoc out in the world as free – and vengeful – men.
Many of them, hardened warriors, form their own army and recruit others from the land to oppose the king, whose tyranny is now out of control. With his steady supply of ore gone, the king is losing his iron grip on the land.
The civil war is the least of everyone’s troubles, though, as the Orcs remain a threat, and despite the Sleeper being banished, it managed to summon its dark minions before it vanished. These creatures begin to emerge, putting every faction at risk.
