Piranha Bytes is definitely not a household name. It's not even a name
most gamers would recognize. But aficionados of computer RPGs probably
know it, since it's the developer behind the beloved "Gothic" series.
They burst into the scene back in 2001, with the release of that
seminal title. And as of 2024, they're defunct.*
But as much as I loved their first two games ("Gothic" in 2001, and
the even better "Gothic 2" a year later), I can't say I'm too
devastated by this news. Despite some minor success with their later
games --the "Risen" series in 2019 through 2014, and the two "Elex"
games released in 2017 and 2022-- they never achieved the same heights
as with their first games. In fact, the company existed as a
mostly-forgotten subsidiary, passed around between larger publishers,
for most of its existence. It even lost the rights to its most popular
franchise (the "Gothic" series), with both "Gothic 4" and the
coming-soon reboot of "Gothic 1" being developed by other studios.
That lack of success ironically stemmed, I think, in a large part from
the huge success of "Gothic" and "Gothic 2". The games were
essentially Bethesda's "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" (with regards to
gameplay) crossed with the grittiness of "The Witcher" games... except
they did it years before either of those better-known titles were
released. This combination struck a chord with players and critics
alike, even if the somewhat eccentric controls and general lack of
polish put off almost as many. But it seemed obvious that Piranha
Bytes had stumbled upon a winning formula, and if it wasn't quite the
success it ought to have been, that's just because they hadn't worked
out all the kinks yet.
Which is why every game they made is pretty much "Gothic", except with
a slightly different skin on it and differing levels of resources
available. "Gothic 2" took the original formula and added just the
right amount of new mechanics. In "Gothic 3", they doubled down and
trebeled the size of the world (but, lacking sufficient time and
resources, the game felt shallow and the mechanics were clumsy). After
losing the "Gothic" license, Piranha Bytes was forced back to square
one; the "Risen" series felt like stripped-down versions of the
"Gothic" games; imitations of greatness. "Elex" went in the other
direction; they kitchen-sinked the formula, throwing in everything
they could think of, leaving the whole thing messy and unrefined that
largely drew praise because it was a nostalgic throwback to a better
game. But none of it really put the studio on a firm footing.
And when the Embracer Publishing Group collapsed, they just didn't
have the resources to survive. And being so formulaic, they never
managed to attract a large enough audience that anybody else wanted to
buy them.
So I'm not really upset to see Piranha Bytes go. Their later games
weren't horrid, but they lacked the spark and innovation of their
first few titles. Worse, there was no sign that they had any intention
of reviving that spark, but instead were satisfied just pumping out
the same game over and over again, hoping nostalgia would keep them
afloat. Lightning had struck once, but the developers never learned
from it. As much as I regret seeing the loss of a mid-tier developer
in general, this one in particular wasn't really helping the industry.
So, fare thee well Piranha Bytes. You made a handful of good games,
and I'll remember a couple of them quite fondly. But your time is long
passed and I don't think I'll regret not playing "Elex 3" or "Risen 5"
or whatever clone of Gothic you were intending to pump out next.
* read the (Google Translated) article here
https://cdaction-pl.translate.goog/newsy/piranha-bytes-zamkniete-to-koniec-tworcow-gothica?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true