Gothic takes some getting used to, I'll admit. The controls are a bit clunky and seem to frustrate first-time players. But once you get past the learning curve, it's a great game (as is the sequel). The setting is grim, suiting the tough-guy character you play, and full of surprises. And it's a diffcult game to master in the early stages. Nothing's easy. There are no hordes of low-level monsters to get you started. Right off the bat, you're moving through a landscape full of things that can kill you with one swat of a claw or swipe of a beak. And the human enclaves can be just as dangerous. While the odd person treats you fairly, you're going to have to earn most peoples' respect -- and often that's by fighting them. You really have to work at levelling up, but there's a feeling of accomplishment when you do. And if you're patient enough to take the magic route, you'll be well-rewarded; there aren't many spells compared to RPG's like Baldur's Gate, but the ones you get are enormously powerful.
This is no pretty fantasy world. It's and rough and ready, everyone scraping for a living and struggling to survive. I go back to it time and again.