The saga of Myrtania continues in Arcania: Gothic 4, an action-heavy third-person 3D RPG in the vein of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, where a traditional fantasy setting provides the backdrop as players explore a world torn apart by civil war and constant battles against orcs. King Rhobar III managed to peacefully reunite most of the land, and he set sail for the Southern Islands in an attempt to finish the job. But during the journey, the king seemingly descended into madness, sending his close companions Diego, Gorn, Milten, and Lester into exile, and creating a power vacuum that once again led to war.

Gamers step into this void as a lone adventurer who returns home to find his village looted and destroyed, with the culprits sailing off into the distance. Players begin their journey with a heavy dose of revenge in mind, guided through vast landscapes and wildly changing terrain by a mysterious woman and an ancient artifact. The combat finds gamers unleashing a combination of attacks using melee weapons, ranged weapons, and sorcery; and the many villages, dungeons, fortresses, and castles scattered throughout the land provide all manner of characters to meet, quests to undertake, and beasts to battle.