Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within

I love point and click adventure games but have never played a game that uses real life videos like this. I was really surprised how well done this game is. Have a feeling I will never play anything else like it again, which is pretty incredible if you think about it. It is pretty fun to play except for the classic 90's adventure game "how the hell should I have known that?" One of the best examples is putting a clock in a plant and the only indication for doing it is Gabriel saying "nice plant". Amazing setting, amazing music and pretty good dialogue and story. Let this be the only FMV game you ever play. It is one of those things that is better than the sum of its parts, which is the best feeling to find. p.s. I want to try weisswurst now.

I know it's about licensing and stuff, but this is the series that really shows the talent of Jane Jensen. Gabriel Knight would be still one of my first picks in a "Best gaming in history", because it immersed me in it's story and athmosphere and even though it switched from 2D Pixel to FMV to 3D, each of them was able to get the game across perfectly. (Allthough 1+2 are a tiny bit better than 3) Just looking at the picutres reminds me how great the characters were and how you felt a relation to them. The theme song of Beast Within still gives me goose bumps. I don't really play point&click adventures anymore, but for a new Gabriel Knight I would go back to that instantly.

"Gabriel Knight II" was by no means a terrible game, but it's not a stellar one either. The game was extremely linear and predictable. With the exception of a few occasions where the puzzles were convoluted and far-fetched (i.e., the tape cassettes), this game was quick to play and fully anticipatable (for a "whodunnit" story, this one kills all mystery). The eggregious over-acting was also distracting. I know this is part and parcel of FMV, but the characters did not feel like they carried over from part I at all. Despite this, the game was surprisingly nice to play, and the music was excellent and the environments were cool (even if they were a tourism plug for Baveria ;).

I've held off for some years because I had the feeling that the 'movie' style adventure just didn't work. Wow I was wrong! As a GK fan of many years, I felt that GKII not only captured the same feelings provided by GK, but went one further. The retro graphics/movies take you back to the nostalgic 90's, where adventure games were cool! Glad I gave it a go... now for GK 3... and Dreamfall Chapters... and Broken Sword 4/5... the list of adventures I NEED to play goes on. One at a time I suppose!

With the possible exception of what I thought was an aversive opera scene in the game (I loathe opera), this was, and is, the perfect FMV game. To those of you out there who are new to the concept of 'full motion video' in a computer game, you are lucky. Most FMV stuff is absolute rubbish, and is only loved by those who can appreciate it's 'camp factor'. Because of the novelty involved with FMV, most of these games just pushed the video gimmick as a substitution for actual gameplay, leading your character from one scene to the next, slowly completing a story sequence through to the end. I will not pretend that the game designers work was easy. The work and preparation involved in FMV is basically similar to shooting a movie, and all of the organization that is necessary is part of it. Unfortunately, all the hard work was seldom backed up by a good story, and even less often by decent talent. Also, it quickly became apparent to the audience that FMV does not make a "game." These kind of story "games" still exist, and are very common here in Japan where I live to this day, but they are not treated as games, more like interactive DVD's. In any case, Gabriel Knight avoided the pitfalls of other FMVs by 1. having a great story 2. having good actors and 3. actually having a video game underneath all of the movie sequences. "The Beast Within" takes it's cues from the traditional adventure game structure. There are plenty of puzzle items to work with in the adventure game tradition, and you may even find yourself a bit stuck once in a while. However, getting stuck in GK is a blessing in disguise as it allows you to explore the beautiful locations, and peruse the abundant literature throughout the game. Which brings me to another good point... this is a game for people who don't mind reading. It is an intelligent game with a fantastic story that is supported by a lot of real historical research and a good deal of imagination. It is possible to finish the game without reading everything, but what would be the point? The only possible flaw in the whole game is that, for me, it could have been a little harder, but it is still the best FMV game ever made. Final Analysis: anybody who likes adventure games or FMV absolutely owes it to themselves to play this game. This is a "must play" kind of deal.