Gothic

If forthcoming RPG Gothic is anything to go by. the next evolution in the genre will not be the snore-triggered caffeine drip nor mechanical matchsticks which force your eyes to stay open, but the artificial dungeon master. That is to say, a more intelligent approach to the old problem of having a world populated by idiots that parrot the same three or four phrases over and over until you kill them in frustration. German developer Piranha Bytes has come up with a gaming system that injects consequence and memory into its NPCs, in an effort to create a more malleable and realistic gaming experience.

Set for release here later in the year, Gothic is trying as far as possible to add the illusion of EverQuest style interactivity to the single-player experience. They particularly pride themselves on the AI of the game's NPCs, who apparently have their own lives and routines, and forge alliances and grudges both independently and as a result of the player's interaction.

The game is set inside a massive, open air, high security mining prison, cut off from the outside world by a huge magical force field. The idea is to negotiate your way through the prison and its various rival gangs in a bid for freedom.