Having been a fan of the series since Gothic I this was a major disappointment, not as bad as Forsaken Gods but definitely inferior to Gothic 3. Save your cash.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Non omine possimus Omines" Virgil 45BC (For the latin impaired "We all cannot do everything"
If you don't care about replayability, this will be one of the best games you can ever use $$$ on. As for me, I found out there's no replayability with this game. Once you beat the game, you won't be coming back for more. That big world? The monsters in it don't respawn. Kill them, and they disappear from the face of the world. Let's just say that you won't be traveling back to old regions.
It's worth the $$$. The game isn't worth playing the second time. You decide.