Gothic is an action role-playing game series developed by Piranha Bytes. It follows a story of a nameless hero who is thrown into a prison colony and is tasked with uniting the warring factions within it. The player must battle monsters, complete quests and explore a huge world while customizing the character's skills, stats and abilities. The games feature a nonlinear storyline, open world exploration and nonlinear gameplay. Players can choose to join one of three factions, each with their own goals and objectives. Gothic also features a unique and immersive atmosphere, with a dark and mysterious tone and a variety of music, ambient and environmental sounds.
I have played it and, although it is not as captivating as Gothic, I must say that this is the closest game to Gothic.
First of all, it's made by the same team of developers (Piranha Bytes), so the people who worked on all the real Gothic, 1,2 and 3, not Arcania, were also working on the Risen series, which counts for a lot. That said, many of the elements that made Gothic what it is are present here only in a completely new setting.
This game is more similar to Diablo, D&D, or possibly Baulders Gate. Here's why: top-down view, no third person, no jumping/climbing mechanics, and most importantly it lacks any sort of crafting system, regardless of it being almost non-existent in Gothic 1.
The Elder Scrolls
The Witcher
Risen
OpenMW
Metro 2033
Fable
Sudeki
Dragon Age
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
The Dark Mod
Darksiders
Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™
Devil May Cry
Project Nomads
Two Worlds
Dungeon Gate
Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga
Jade Empire™: Special Edition
Konung
Because it lacks everything Gothic does well: story, characters, quests, REALLY has a living, breathing world, real consequences for your actions because you can't be a warrior and a mage and a thief and an assassin all in ONE play through which is ultimately meaningless, both in the real and virtual world. It's also not hard enough * nuff said *.