Hammer hits nail on head, Hammer win...
It is a much smaller game than Gothic 3, at least the game world is much smaller...the gameplay however is very similar.
This is a good thing...it is a good thing because so many areas have been improved. The combat has much more finesse, it has weight and is very satisfying whilst being quite challenging. Especially in the beginning.
Other areas of the gameplay have been smoothed out well, with little improvements.
Best of all I haven't encountered a single bug yet, maybe I've been lucky but compared to Gothic 3 this game runs like silk. Loading times are good, no stuttering, no crashes etc etc
Even though the game world is considerably smaller than Gothic 3, the game seems very long. I've been playing for hours and hours and I haven't even finished the first chapter yet. I am however totally hooked.
If you like RPGs, then you can't go wrong with this game. I hope it gets good reviews and the support it deserves.
The people behind this game have been making exceptional RPGs for a long time and this game looks to be another one to the list.