It's hard to review a game harshly when it was very obviously made with so much heart. I really tried to have fun with it, often coming back to the game without even wanting to, and I just could not enjoy it no matter what I tried. Keep in mind, I never made it past the fourth stage, and I never did unlock too many of the available weapons which you get from meeting certain criteria. This is not a review written by someone who has beaten the game! The interesting thing about the game is that if I were to explain the mechanics of the game to you, you'd probably want to buy the game right away and not see where I am coming from. I actually love the idea behind the game! It wants to be a very simple FPS that relies more on reactions, dodging and precise aiming rather than hiding behind cover and managing ammo. You only get to pick your weapon at the start, so don't expect to scavenge levels for new and better weapons. What you will be scavenging for are blue orbs and blue cards which represent experience points, which you use to upgrade your gun to be able to deal more damage and increase the rate of fire. The game revolves around shooting your way through a dozen or so arena-like rooms before reaching the boss of that particular stage. It's all very simple, and that's not something you should hold against it. There is no story, and once you die you have to start from stage 1 again. Simply put, it's very arcade-y, and that's great. What isn't great is how the game feels, and that's always a very hard thing to describe. Handling my character, jumping around and shooting enemies just doesn't feel right at all. Shooting an enemy doesn't feel good, because there is no real satisfaction, no sound effect or enemy reaction, that makes me feel like I am really shredding through these enemies. The rooms are bland and the bosses feel annoying. I have a hard time dodging bullets because I just feel slow and my jump doesn't feel effective either. It's not adrenaline-pumping.
I would like to start off by saying that I did not grow up during the golden age of Point and Click Adventures. That said, this game has not aged too much and I had almost no problem at all adjusting to the interface and the way in which the game wants you to think. I have played many point and clicks growing up, though, so I can tell you that Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is one of the most naturally progressing games in that genre. What I mean by that is that puzzles don't feel like roadblocks most of the time, but fit well into the confines of the story. There were very few parts that frustrated me, but most of the time the game simply expected you to be rational. There is still a bit of a routine that you will work out after the first two in-game days (as in, there are certain things you need to check out at the start of every day) but you'll figure it out in no time, don't worry. That's not to say the game is easy though, the game is still challenging in some ways. I had to consult a walk-through three times throughout the duration of the game, and I feel like most will simply because there are three puzzles that felt unreasonable to me, but maybe I am just dense, it's hard to tell. As for the story and overall atmosphere: Genius. It deals with Voodoo cults, murder and a holy order, and it mostly takes place in New Orleans. The progression and tone reminded me of Broken Sword which I played a few years ago, in the sense that both games had this ability to convey very distinct atmospheres through the environments alone. I have never been to New Orleans, but I really feel like I have after playing this game. The game does have some humor sprinkled throughout, but for the most part it takes itself serious, which is not to say that it is terribly melodramatic or anything. I really liked that balance of dark mystery and adventure, because it doesn't ever feel emotionally overwhelming like other games like Black Mirror. Anyway, totally recommend this one
