Gabriel Knight
| Gabriel Knight | |
|---|---|
 Logo from the original game | |
| Genre(s) | Point-and-click adventure |
| Developer(s) | Sierra On-Line Pinkerton Road Studio Phoenix Online Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra On-Line Pinkerton Road Studio |
| Creator(s) | Jane Jensen |
| Composer(s) | Robert Holmes |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS,Macintosh,Windows,Android,iOS |
| First release | Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers December 17, 1993 |
| Latest release | Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition October 15, 2014 |
Gabriel Knightis a series ofpoint-and-click adventure gamesreleased bySierra On-Linein the 1990s created byJane Jensen.The titular character is an author and book store owner inNew Orleanswho is investigating a strange series of murders when he learns he is descended from a long line ofSchattenjäger( "Shadow Hunters" ). After undergoing a spiritual trial, Gabriel becomes the newSchattenjäger,called on to stop those who use supernatural methods to threaten others. To signify this, he wears the Ritter Talisman, a protective medallion. Not having supernatural abilities himself, Gabriel mainly opposes his enemies with cunning and insight after investigation and research. In the first game, he is assisted by Grace Nakimura. In the two sequels, the two act as partners against evil, with Grace being a playable character.
The original 1993 gameGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathersmet with success and popularity, due in part to the voice cast including actorsTim Curry,Leah Remini,Virginia Capers,Mark Hamill,Michael Dorn,andEfrem Zimbalist Jr.The game was followed by two sequel games that each used a different style of game design:The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery(1995), an interactive movie featuring werewolves, andGabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned(1999), a 3D graphics game involving vampires. The first two games met with enough critical success thatComputer Gaming Worlddeclared Jane Jensen "the interactiveAnne Rice".[1]The third game did not reach the same success and wound up being the final game published by Sierra following the decline of the point-and-click adventure video game industry.
The first two games each had a published novelization written by game creator and writer Jane Jensen. The original game was re-released in 2014 asGabriel Knight: Sins of the Father (20th Anniversary Edition).This version had remastered graphics, sound, and new voice recordings. To celebrate its release, Jane Jensen posted aGabriel Knightshort story online, one set six months after the third game.
Series
[edit]TheGabriel Knightcharacters and games were created by writerJane Jensen,who also worked onKing's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrowwith veteran game designerRoberta Williams.The music in the series was composed by Robert Holmes, Jensen's husband.
All three games in the series focus on the adventures of Gabriel Knight, a financially struggling author and bookstore owner inNew Orleanswho discovers his true family name is Ritter and he is destined to follow the family legacy of being aSchattenjäger(German for "Shadow Hunter" ). Grace Nakimura is a major supporting character inSins of the Fathers,running the bookstore while doing research for Gabriel. The two are friends who often bicker. In the sequel games, Grace and Gabriel develop a closer relationship and act more as partners when investigating the supernatural. The second game teases their romantic feelings for each other, while the third game has them directly confront their feelings. The two sequel games make Grace a lead character alongside Gabriel and the player alternates between controlling each of them during different parts of the game.
Each game calls on the player to acquire information through investigation of surroundings and interrogation of non-player characters (NPCs). Players must also solve puzzles and complete tasks through the use of items they acquire, information they obtain, devices they activate, or provoking action in NPCs. The game's story generally proceedslinearly,with the player unable to continue into the next "day" or "chapter" or "time block" of the narrative until they have solved the required puzzles and obtained the proper information. Solving puzzles and gathering information results in the collection of points.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the FathersandGabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damnedboth included shortgraphic novelsthat contained back-story, much in the tradition ofInfocom's "feelies".TheSins of the Fathersgraphic novel follows the story of Günter Ritter, an ancestor of Gabriel Knight, who has left his ancestral home for the American continent in the 17th century. TheBlood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damnedgraphic novel acts as a prologue to the game, explaining how Gabriel began the case.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
[edit]
The first game in the series is a point and click adventure done in third-person style, with comic book style art used for story cut scenes. While the floppy version of the game only included subtitles, theCD-ROMversion featured a cast of voice actors.Tim Curryplays Gabriel Knight,Mark Hamillplays his old friend Detective Franklin Mosely,Leah Reminiplays his assistant and friend Grace Nakimura, andLeilani Jonesas Malia Gedde. Other characters includeEfrem Zimbalist, Jr.as Wolfgang Ritter, Gabriel's great-uncle,Michael Dornas Dr. John, a proprietor of avoodoomuseum, andMary Kay Bergmanas Gerde Hull, the caretaker at Gabriel's ancestral home Schloss Ritter in Germany. The narrator isVirginia Capers.
This game introduces Gabriel Knight, a financially struggling horror novelist who owns a bookstore in New Orleans calledSt. George's Rare Books.His friend Detective Mosely is investigating series of homicides dubbed "The Voodoo Murders" by the press. Compelled by strange nightmares and thinking the murders may give him good material for a book, Gabriel begins his own investigation, aided by his assistant Grace Nakimura. This leads him to meet mysterious New Orleans socialite Malia Gedde, as well as learn much about the history of voodoo. During the investigation, Gabriel realizes genuine supernatural practices are involved and learns he is related to the Ritter family, making him the latest in a line ofSchattenjägers( "Shadow Hunters" ) who are meant to fight those who use supernatural methods to threaten innocent lives.
The 20th anniversary remake edition featured Jason Victor as Gabriel Knight, Cissy Jones as Grace Nakimura, Ned Clarke as Detective Mosely, and Amy Kelly as the Narrator.
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery
[edit]The second game (also known asGabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within) is in the style of a live-action interactive movie, starringDean Ericksonas Gabriel Knight and Joanne Takahashi as Grace Nakimura. Grace is now a playable character for portions of the game. The character Gerde Hull is back as an NPC, portrayed by Andrea Martin.
A year after the events ofSins of the Fathersand after undergoing the spiritual trial necessary to become aSchattenjäger,Gabriel has moved to his ancestral home in the small village of Rittersberg inBavaria,Germany to write his new novel and connect with his family lineage. His new bookThe Voodoo Murders,a fiction murder mystery based on the events of the first game, is now a best-seller. The people of Rittersberg, the seat of theSchattenjägers,ask for Gabriel's help when there is talk of awerewolfattack inMunich.Gabriel investigates and Grace comes to Germany to help him, determined to fight evil alongside theSchattenjägerand now experiencing visions and dreams of her own. Gabriel develops an unusual friendship with Baron Friedrich Von Glower, who leads an exclusive hunting club in Munich and believes Knight is a kindred spirit.
Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned
[edit]This game uses 3D rendered graphics and features the return of Tim Curry to the role of Gabriel Knight. Grace is once again a playable character, now voiced by Charity James. Detective Franklin Mosely returns to Gabriel's life, now voiced by David Thomas.
Years after the events of the second game, Gabriel has published another successful book calledThe Brutal Beast,based on his experiences in the previous game. He now considers himself a full-timeSchattenjägerand Grace is his full partner, having created a computerizedSchattenjägerarchive called SYDNEY. The two are asked by the exiled Prince James of Albany to protect his newborn son from a centuries-old family threat that may involvevampires.That same night, the boy Charlie is kidnapped and Gabriel follows the kidnappers to the mysterious French village ofRennes-le-Château.Gabriel's arrival coincides with that of a visiting tour group supposedly hunting for a legendary local treasure that may be linked to theRoman Catholic Church,theKnights Templar,or theHoly Grail.Gabriel and Grace investigate the case alongside Mosely, who arrived with the tour group. After finding and rescuing the child, Gabriel discovers the origin of the firstSchattenjäger.At the end of the game, Grace leaves Gabriel's side to find her own path.
Temptation: A Gabriel Knight Interlude
[edit]To celebrate the release ofGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers - 20th Anniversary Edition,Jane Jensen released a short prose story online. The storyTemptation: A Gabriel Knight Interludeis set six months following the events of the third game. The story was later adapted into a comic book.
The short story depicts Gabriel pursuing a cloaked figure in the woods said to be a seeleesser, "an eater of souls". During the case, Gabriel reflects on recent events and Grace's departure, as well as the fact that he has fulfilled three major "quests" already and is now 36-years-old, bringing him to wonder if he has reached his peak already. During the adventure, he has a vision of Von Glower fromThe Beast Withinand hears the man voice his own doubts and selfish desires, saying Gabriel should return to his life where he had no responsibility and didn't need to endanger himself hunting evil. In the end, Gabriel dismisses the vision and continues his investigations.
Possible fourth game
[edit]After the release ofBlood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned,Jane Jensen stated she had started planning a possible story and setting for a fourth game. InBlood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned,the player can use the SIDNEY computer interface to search for "gk4" and see an entry on ghosts as a result. Jane Jensen said ghosts would have been the antagonists for a fourth entry to the series.[2]However, noGabriel Knight 4game followed and in August 2006, it was confirmed that Jane Jensen's next adventure game project would be the revival ofGray Matter.[3]
The rights to Gabriel Knight are currently held byActivision,which acquired them after merging with former rights holderVivendi Universalin 2008.[4]Jane Jensen has pitched newGabriel Knightgames to both Vivendi and Activision. In April 2012, Jensen launchedPinkerton Road Studioand said in interviews that she hopes producing a new game with Pinkerton Road is a step in the right direction for getting the chance to make newGabriel Knightgames in the future.[5]A remake ofGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathersfor Windows, OS X, iOS and Android was released on October 15, 2014.[6][7]
In 2022, Jensen noted that she has previously envisaged a potential fourth game being about witches and set inScotland.She stated her willingness to proceed with a book version as a method to make any potential subsequent game production more feasible, but admitted that the complex nature of rights and legal contracts withActivisioncontinues to render such a project unlikely.[8]
Characters
[edit]- Gabriel Knightis the central protagonist of the series, the orphaned son of Philip Knight and Margaret Templeton Knight, meant to be about 30 year old when the narrative starts (although his age is not consistent in the games). Gabriel is the proprietor of St. George's Rare Books in his hometown of New Orleans and a struggling horror fiction author. Charismatic, sardonic, and intuitive, he prefers to avoid responsibility, often distracted by interesting books and casual affairs with women. His two main friends are his assistant Grace Nakimura and his childhood friend Franklin Mosely, a police detective. Early in the first game, he realizes there is more to his family than he knows. Gabriel's nightmares and a desire to research a new book lead him to investigate recent "voodoo murders". During his investigation, he discovers he descends from the Ritter family and is the latest in a line ofSchattenjägers( "Shadow Hunters" ). Visiting his family castleSchloss Ritterin Rittersberg, Germany, he undergoes a spiritual trial to become a newSchattenjäger.He later inherits the Ritter Talisman.GK2features a somewhat more somber Gabriel now living in his family castle over a year later and experiencing financial success since his new novelThe Voodoo Murders(based on his experiences in the first game and starring fictional detective Blake Backlash) is a best-seller. ByGK3,Gabriel has published another successful novel entitledThe Brutal Beast,based on the events of the second game. Gabriel is a more mature and experienced character, now more focused on his duties as aSchattenjäger,with Grace as a full partner in his investigations. Despite his feelings, he still resists romantic commitment with Grace.
- Grace Nakimurais first introduced inGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathersin 1993 as anon-player character,before becoming aplayer characterin both sequel games. Introduced as a 26-year-old assistant, Grace is a researcher, aid, and moral compass for Gabriel in the first game. She becomes a full investigative partner in the two sequel games and is more strongly in the role of romantic interest. At the end of the third game, she decides to pursue her own path rather than remain Gabriel's helper. Grace has been included in multiple lists of top sidekicks[9]and female characters in video games.[10][11][12]GameSpotwrote that Grace was "more likable" than Knight and more "intelligent and resourceful".[9]In 2007,Tom's Gamesalso noted that unlike traditional female characters in video games, Grace is designed with conservative dress, without "sexy outfits [and] out-sized proportions".[12]According toUSgamer's Pete Davison in 2013, "Grace Nakimura remains one of the best, most realistic female characters in game history".[13]
- Gerde Hull(voiced byMary Kay Bergmanin the first game, and played by Andrea Martin in the second) is the caretaker of Gabriel's ancestral home,Schloss Ritterin Ritterberg, Germany. When Gabriel first meets Gerde inSins of the Fathers,she is an anxious and enthusiastically optimistic young woman. She clearly has deep love and respect for Gabriel's great-uncle Wolfgang Ritter, grieving the man's death still during the events ofThe Beast Within.Gerde acts as a valuable research assistant. Grace considers her a possible rival as Gabriel's investigative partner and love interest but after a talk with Gerde the two become friends. Gerde does not appear in the third game but is mentioned.
Novelizations
[edit]The stories ofSins of the FathersandThe Beast Withinwere adapted into novels by Jane Jensen. The first is a straightforward adaptation of the events of the game, an approach which Jane Jensen decided, in retrospect, was not the most successful way of introducing Gabriel Knight to a literary audience. For the second novel she "threw the whole idea of the game away and started again from scratch".[14]
Both books are out of print as of 2010. As part of her 2012Kickstartercampaign to fund a new adventure game, Jensen offered bothGabriel Knightnovels as ebooks to backers who pledge $50 or more.[15]
Compilation
[edit]In 1998, Sierra released the titleGabriel Knight Mysteries: Limited Edition,which contains:
- an 8-disc PC CD box of first twoGabriel Knightgames and electronic manuals.
- a 419-page novelization ofGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers(written by Jane Jensen and published by Roc in 1997).
- a full soundtrack ofThe Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery.
- bundled with the original 1993 editions, a 33-page full-color graphic novel of an event that takes place almost 200 years before the opening ofGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers(written by Jane Jensen, art direction by Nathan Gams and illustrated by Terese Nielsen).
- a 20-page full-color graphic novel of an event that takes place days before the opening of the then-upcomingGabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned(written by Jane Jensen and illustrated by Ron Spears).
References
[edit]- ^Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time".Computer Gaming World.No. 148. pp. 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.
- ^"GameSpy – Interview".Archive.gamespy. May 31, 2003. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 15,2009.
- ^"Adventure Gamers".Adventure Gamers. August 16, 2006.Archivedfrom the original on February 8, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 15,2009.
- ^"Vivendi and Activision to Create Activision Blizzard – World's Largest, Most Profitable Pure-Play Video Game Publisher"(Press release).Activision,Vivendi.December 2, 2007.Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2012.RetrievedApril 28,2012.
- ^"In Conversation with Jane Jensen (Pinkerton Road Studio)".Alternative Magazine Online.April 12, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2012.RetrievedApril 28,2012.
- ^Peckham, Matt (October 8, 2013)."Jane Jensen Is Remaking Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers".Time.Archivedfrom the original on October 8, 2013.RetrievedOctober 9,2013.
- ^"Phoenix Online - Gabriel Knight 20th Anniversary".Archivedfrom the original on September 11, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 11,2014.
- ^"A Conversation with Jane Jensen (Gabriel Knight writer & game designer)!".YouTube.July 10, 2022.
- ^ab"The Ten Best Sidekicks".September 10, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon September 10, 2005.RetrievedOctober 9,2013.
- ^"The Ten Best Female Characters".June 19, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 19, 2010.RetrievedOctober 9,2013.
- ^"Readers' Choice - The Ten Best Female Characters".February 12, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2005.RetrievedOctober 9,2013.
- ^abRob Wright (February 20, 2007)."The 50 Greatest Female Characters in Video Game History".Archived fromthe originalon January 20, 2008.RetrievedOctober 9,2013.
- ^Davison, Pete (October 10, 2013)."Happy Birthday, Gabriel Knight".USgamer.Archivedfrom the original on November 10, 2013.RetrievedNovember 4,2013.
- ^"Jane Jensen – Interview – Adventure Classic Gaming – ACG – Adventure Games, Interactive Fiction Games – Reviews, Interviews, Features, Previews, Cheats, Galleries, Forums".Adventure Classic Gaming.Archivedfrom the original on September 9, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 15,2009.
- ^"Jane Jensen's Moebius and Pinkerton Road Studio by Jane Jensen — Kickstarter".Kickstarter.Archivedfrom the original on May 3, 2012.RetrievedApril 27,2012.
External links
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