NOTR is already punishing enough to the point of breaking game world logic. And because backpedaling is invul frames and generally lacking AI when it comes to terrain features cranking up enemy stats doesn't make game any better. The most interesting part of the game is using various practical means of defeating challenges while being a hobo, not chipping enemy for 5 damage. From leading enemies into other enemies, to spell combos, sleep and oblivion, transformations and speed potions, searching for terrain to make an attack, making enemies run past you as you attack them in the back, and creating friendships with NPCs and going into evil forest together, all combined with carefully crafted level design, is the best part of PB games. PB can't for shit create variability in actual math of character because character building is primitive af but games have this practical design where you can draw from all other options in the world to create yourself some fun. Fight, shoot, climb, swim, create skeleton on skeleton battle miniatures, destroy undead, beat up people for xp and valuables, and then oblivion them and rob more, it's all good fun. Much better than [you need skill be X to do this] dialogue option.
Two things lately that rubbed me wrong way. First is oddly too many enemies set up in packs. Don't remember Gothic 1 doing it as often. Or maybe again age made me forget? Not that I don't believe some enemies should't operate in packs, and occasionally player is supposed to lure enemies 1 by 1, but what I mean is, it is surprisingly rare to find these enemies NOT in packs, sometimes even in ~5 enemies or so. I can't remember finding 1-2 wargs, but I do remember finding multiple packs overlapping so you can face up to 5-6 of them, which makes little sense in a game where with melee you can still only fight 1. There just doesn't seem that many "solitary enemy to train on and then face many of them later" or "one wounded bandit you can deal with, to face two of them later", there is suprisingly many groups of enemies, 5-6 lizards, 3-5-6 field raiders, etc. This positioning of enemies in tight clusters makes fighting them very repetetive.
One other odd example of world building gone wrong to me is a cave of shadowbeast right near Khorinis. The cave seems to obviously create tension and fear, as you find bunch of goblins inside around fire, a locked door with skulls and blood and a very horrifying sounds and music. Ooh, much tension, what's behind the door? This is where Gothic always ruled supreme, at moments like that.
Well, problem is, there is a shadowbeast right outside the cave (and like 5 wargs). Was it always like it? Is it a NOTR extra spawn or maybe it happened midchapters (I think I was in CH 1 still and it was there). IDK, but the area design is ruined because well, what can be behind door, guarded by goblins, near cave with shadowbeast... which didn't eat them for some reason... another shadowbeast. Meh.
I always felt G1 did more with less. But that's *feels*.
What other thoughts I had as I am closing to level 20 going through map again after joining Guard... you can't sell yourself into the Monastery while transformed into sheep! That, that would make Chapter 1 Hobo The Game a 10/10 for me. This imperfection just ruins whole experience for me!
You know what I like? The simple ancient blocky graphics, which allow you to easily know where you can climb, climb almost anywhere, and enemies climb after you or even trying to jump and get you. It's like Tomb Raider 1, but RPG. Without loading screens too. In fact, RPGs could use more of that kind of thing, and generally tight controls where you could know where and how you want to go. Instead we have "press X in this space to go here" now. Bleh. Simplicity married to a bit of restrictions of what character can do is where it's all at.