Interview with Kai Rosenkranz about the Gothic Remake from World of Gothic

Na World of Gothic se objevil rozhovor s tvůrcem soundtracků, které dělal pro náš milovaný Gothic a nyní spolupracuje na Gothicu Remake. Rozhovor jsem přeložil přes ChatGPT z této stránky (https://www.worldofgothic.de/index.php?section=article&id=988), takže si jej můžete pěkně přečíst v lepší kvalitě, než přes webový překladač.

Interview with Kai Rosenkranz

Kai Rosenkranz:"I can’t even put into words how amazing it feels to return to this World of Gothic, the world we created together back then. That goes for the game itself, the community, the closeness to the fans, the modding scene, the World of Gothic as a very important aspect, and partly also the approach to development."

WorldofGothic: We’re glad you found the time to answer a few questions that surely interest the WoG community as well, Kai. How did you actually become part of the remake project? Did they reach out to you, or did you actively seek contact?

Rosenkranz: Reinhard (Pollice, producer) contacted me around the time when the Playable Teaser was released. Before that, no one knew about the project – not even me. Reinhard said: “Kai, we’re about to release something, and it would be great if you were on board.” And of course, I didn’t need to be asked twice.

WorldofGothic: How deeply are you involved with the development team? Was the distance (working remotely) an issue for you?

Rosenkranz: When it comes to all processes related to audio, I’m naturally very closely involved. I have the opportunity to contribute creatively and receive feedback and input from the designers, which I need for my work. Originally, the idea was that I’d also be more involved in other design processes and keep an eye on things to make sure they feel authentic, like Gothic, and stay true to the original spirit. But since a lot of processes take place physically on-site in Barcelona, in a meeting room, that’s difficult for me. So my involvement in that area gradually diminished, and nowadays I usually only find out about things when they’re almost finished. That’s something I have on my list for Gothic 2 Remake – if it happens – to set up the process differently. But of course, there are 1200 km between us, so it’s understandable that it’s not easy.

WorldofGothic: What does your workflow look like? Do you get specific instructions, or do you have creative freedom?

Rosenkranz: I don’t receive musical instructions like “make music that sounds like this.” Instead, I get emotional input – and I also actively ask for it. For example, I’ll look at a specific location, say the bandit camp. In the original game it didn’t have its own music, but in the remake it’s nicely done and deserves one. We don’t know much about Quentin (their leader), so I sat down with the authors and designers and asked: What kind of person is he? What kind of atmosphere should the camp have? How do you imagine Quentin and the mood among the bandits? I got a lot of individual opinions as well as a shared consensus on an emotional level, and that’s what I used to build the music. And that’s how it works across the entire game world.

WorldofGothic: How tied are you to the original tracks? For example, is there a clear idea of how they should sound?

Rosenkranz: Sometimes it’s really quite restricting. There’s a very strong ethos: “The Gothic music is something you can’t just change, because players know and love it this way.” And that’s true. So with the central tracks, like the main theme, the main menu, or the Old Camp music, the requirement is clear: it has to stay as close as possible to the original, but in modern quality. And of course, that’s challenging, because one naturally tends to want to develop things further or give them a new twist. But here the limit is clear – the atmosphere must remain intact.

On the other hand, I have a lot of freedom with new locations, or those that were underdeveloped in the original game. There I can compose completely new tracks, as long as they fit into Gothic’s musical world.

WorldofGothic: What’s your vision for the remake’s soundscape? The music in the original Gothic was quite minimalistic. How do you approach it now?

Rosenkranz: Yes, in the original Gothic it was very minimalistic – partly because of technical reasons back then. We couldn’t have music that constantly shifted and reacted to every situation, because memory and processors couldn’t handle it. Today we have completely different possibilities. But it’s still true that Gothic’s music shouldn’t be cinematic or overly dramatic, but rather subtle, atmospheric, sometimes almost invisible. It’s music meant to immerse the player into the world without constantly overwhelming him. That, in my opinion, is a key part of Gothic’s DNA, and that’s what I’m building on.

WorldofGothic: Do you also reshape ambient sounds, or are you working “only” on the music?

Rosenkranz: Only the music. Ambient sounds, voice-overs, and things like that are handled by the Alkimia Interactive team. But of course, it’s connected. When I compose music for a specific location, I have to take into account what sounds play there so that they don’t clash but rather complement each other.

WorldofGothic: How does it feel to return to Gothic after so many years?

Rosenkranz: It’s a very strange feeling. On the one hand, it’s like coming home – all the memories, the motifs, the people. On the other hand, it’s a challenge, because fans have huge expectations and I don’t want to disappoint them. Sometimes I feel like I’m walking a tightrope over an abyss: on one side authenticity, on the other side innovation. But it’s also a wonderful opportunity – how many of us get the chance to return after twenty years to something that shaped our career and life?

WorldofGothic: How exactly do you get inspired when composing new tracks? Do you get descriptions, mood boards, or free rein?

Rosenkranz: I don’t receive direct musical instructions, like “Make it sound like X.” But I do get emotional input. I actively gather it by looking at the location, like the bandit camp. In the original game, it didn’t have its own music, but in the remake it deserves it. Then I sit with the writers and designers and ask: what kind of vibe should this place have? How do you imagine the NPCs, the atmosphere, the emotions? From that, I gather many individual voices and also consensus opinions, and on that basis I create the corresponding music. That’s how it works throughout the game world.

WorldofGothic: How long are the new tracks compared to the originals?

Rosenkranz: Original Gothic tracks were actually very short. If you stitched together the Old Camp music from the original, it might be 1–1.5 minutes. In the remake, that track is around 7 minutes. The new locations deserve it, and the player spends enough time there, so this is a big improvement.

WorldofGothic: Are there “sacred” tracks you didn’t want to touch?

Rosenkranz: Not really. I’m generally a fan of reinterpretation. The main theme, however, is sacred in a sense, because it’s part of Gothic’s DNA. So I remastered it almost note-for-note, just in modern quality. For other tracks, I often change tempo, instrumentation, or arrangement, but the title theme remains closest to the original.

WorldofGothic: In the original, music was made with DirectMusicProducer, almost like programming. Did you try to recreate that dynamism in the remake?

Rosenkranz: Yes, music has to be interactive/adaptive. A fight feels different than exploring, day versus night changes the mood. We use FMOD middleware now, which allows almost everything needed. We also added logic: the first time you enter a location, you hear the iconic beginning of the track; the next time, a different segment starts, so every visit is slightly different.

WorldofGothic: Any specific inspirations for composing, like instruments, other artists, or visual cues?

Rosenkranz: For the original Gothic, I often quoted tracks I loved. Now, I start from emotional content, not preexisting music. I might hang concept art on the wall or make sketches, sit at the keyboard, record freely, then refine the parts that emotionally fit. Any resemblance to other music is accidental, not intentional.

WorldofGothic: Are there areas where the original music didn’t fit, and you replaced it in the remake?

Rosenkranz: Yes, the original combat music was too simplistic. Some tracks were basically copy-pasted. So I completely reworked the combat tracks.

WorldofGothic: What about areas in the Mining Colony that didn’t have their own music before?

Rosenkranz: Many areas now have music that didn’t before. The original soundtrack was around 35 minutes. The remake has about four hours of music. Locations like Quentin’s camp, the mountain fortress, the monastery, the old castle, Stonehenge, the arena in the Old Camp, mage houses, dungeons, the lake, the tavern in the New Camp—all now have unique music.

WorldofGothic: Are live musicians involved, like in Gothic 3?

Rosenkranz: I considered using live musicians, e.g., cello solos or French horn, but I prefer working with samples. This allows me to tweak things, iterate, and adjust during the process. It fits the current workflow better.

WorldofGothic: How do you create a new track for the remake?

Rosenkranz: I usually start by listening to the original soundtrack if it exists, decide what fits, and where changes are needed. Then, I focus on the emotional anchor of the scene. I play the original theme, see where my intuition takes me, and extend or counter it where necessary. New tracks evolve from scratch with emotional guidance.

WorldofGothic: What other roles do you have besides composing?

Rosenkranz: I handle all non-voice audio: music, sound design, balancing, some technical implementation with FMOD (interactive music logic). I also provide feedback on design, characters, story, quests, and cutscenes, but final decisions lie with the creative lead. My input is advisory.

WorldofGothic: Biggest similarities and differences between the original and remake?

Rosenkranz: Similarities: atmosphere, world design, the game challenges players to figure things out themselves. Differences: controls and interface—expected after 25 years, but very noticeable.

WorldofGothic: Can you play intermediate versions of the game during development, or are you outside as a composer?

Rosenkranz: I’m fully involved in the iteration process. I can always pull the current build, play, test, and place my sound sources in the world using the Unreal Engine editor. I attach sounds to animations for synchronization, so I’m deeply involved.

WorldofGothic: Did you have an “Aha!” moment when you realized this project could rival the original?

Rosenkranz: There are two levels. First, the feeling of returning to this world, as imagined in the original Gothic 1, is amazing. Second, seeing new content perfectly complement the old—especially in the last chapter—was truly moving. The team captured the original design language perfectly.

WorldofGothic: Anything notable from the Gothic community that influenced you or the developers?

Rosenkranz: The community went through the same emotional rollercoaster as we did—doubt, optimism, excitement. Over time, a tipping point emerged where the community understood our vision better, leading to mutual trust. This trust is essential for our collaboration.

WorldofGothic: Will modding be possible in the remake?

Rosenkranz: The remake is in Unreal Engine, so we don’t have a custom world editor yet. Everything in-world like loot, NPCs, quests, and dialogues is moddable. The demo and Combat Playground are mods of the original game. World creation isn’t fully moddable yet, but we plan to release a modkit.

WorldofGothic: Can you give WoG an exclusive preview?

Rosenkranz: Sure! It’s called Xardas Tower Day Explore. Enjoy!

WorldofGothic: In original Gothic 1, you had an Easter egg “KSO” in the night sky. Will there be one in the remake?

Rosenkranz: Yes! ;-)

WorldofGothic: We’re excited! Thank you very much for the interview.

New Music

https://www.worldofgothic.de/videos/xardasTower_day_explore_R.mp3