GB Feature: E3 2010: Arcania: Gothic 4 Preview

I've just finished writing the first of my E3 previews, in which I recap my time with Spellbound's Arcania: Gothic 4. Here's a little something to whet your appetite:
Character creation is pretty simplistic, as there are no races or classes to pick from. In fact, you're not even allowed to play as a female protagonist. Beyond that, there are eight skill trees to allocate points to, including Mettle (melee attacks, melee power, stamina regeneration), Discipline (melee combos, health, melee power), Vigour (shield attacks, health, stamina), Precision (ranged attacks, mana, ranged power), Stealth (flanking/backstab attacks, health, ranged power), Zeal (fire-based spells, magic power, mana regeneration), Serenity (cold-based spells, mana, mana regeneration), and Dominance (electricity-based spells, magic power, mana). Three skill points are gained with each character level increase, and a total of sixteen points can be spent within each skill tree. Each skill point increase requires an equal number of levels, however, so you won't max out any of your skill trees until at least level 16.

For each point that you allocate to a skill tree, you'll gain small percentage bonuses to primary character statistics (such as mana and mana regeneration, as listed above). Additionally, abilities are unlocked at particular increments, depending on the skill tree. For example, allocating four points into the Discipline tree unlocks the "Rain of Blows" combo attack, thirteen points into Stealth unlocks the "Ambush" ability, and sixteen points into Dominance unlocks the "Storm of Torment" spell.