Rating: 
Summary: AS GOOD AS IT GETS!
Review: This game is truly Amazing! Graphics, music, gameplay and the incredable story! Entertainment doesent get any better than this, believe me! Just as the two other games in the Gabriel Knight series, this game is in a class far above any other game! And what an incredable ending!
Rating: 
Summary: Great story, not-so-good game
Review: I wish Gabriel Knight 3 was a movie instead of a game, because the story is fascinating and I'd really like to know how it ends. Sadly, I won't know by playing it, because the incredibly frustrating interface, heaps of trying-too-hard-to-be-funny dialogue, obtuse where-is-the-hint-book puzzles and absolutely heinous camera control have taken it from my CDROM drive to my desk where it now satisfactorily keeps my coffee cup from leaving a ring.
Honestly, reading about the back story in magazines was interesting, but playing this game is like a really really long trip to the dentist.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Jensen Does It Again
Review: I find it amazing that Jane Jensen has the ability to create such quality products so consistently. Whether its an original game, novel, or a novelization of her games, everything she is involved with seems to turn out excellent. Gabriel Knight 3 is no exception; the game shows why it is such a shame that the adventure genre is suffering a slow death.GK3 is closely related to the real life mystery of Rennes le Chateau (see Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln) and Jensen masterfully uses the most intruiging elements of the mystery to create a very exciting adventure for Gabriel and Grace. Jensen's ability as a writer shows throughout the game, but its especially prevalent in the relationship between Gabriel and Grace. The tension that keeps increasing between these central characters is so real that I found it difficult to believe that I was playing a game, and not reading an excellent novel. Furthermore, almost every important character in the game (and there are many) receives enough development for the player to understand his or her motivations and relationship to the mystery. The important exception is the lackluster villain, which in no way can compare to what is seen in Gabriel Knight 1 and 2. The gameplay of Gabriel Knight is a true treat. Rather than moving the character through the 3D environments, you actually move the camera. When you wish to do something Gabriel or Grace will walk from behind the character and do it. In terms of difficulty, the game is on the same level as GK2; while nearly everything can be examined as in the first game, you are told when something special can be done most of the times. Therefore you can progress by searching for new hotspots, but in all honestly the game is so well designed that its never necessary. My only gameplay complaint is the last puzzle in the game which is more reminscent of an Indiana Jones style game than Gabriel Knight. Graphically, the game shines, especially with all the effects turned on and texture detail high. Rennes le Chateau and surrounding environments are all rendered in incredible detail. The characters sometimes suffer from missing elbow joints, but its nothing major, especially considering the quality of the faces. However, the game doesn't quite show the genius of GK2 musically, but as usual it is still an excellent soundtrack. Fans of the original will appreciate the many homages to the original themes. Furthermore, the acting in the game is excellent. I've never played a game with such quality voice acting. Its such a shame that it looks like the series will be ending with Gabriel Knight 3. The constantly evolving story shows such promise. Hopefully we'll continue to be able to read about the adventures of Gabriel and Grace in book form.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed feelings about the ending...
Review: I'm surprised that with so many constructive and positive comments, that Sierra hasn't commissioned another Gabriel Knight game. This is the only one I've played, so I can't compare this game to the first two in the series. I think the decision to use the Quake 2 game engine was, in hindsight, a poor one. The Quake 2 engine always uses excessive browns in its color palette. This is particularly evident in the outdoor scenes - particularly in areas like Montreaux's Mansion. The mountains look way too blockly and polygonal to be real. Another odd 'glitch' was that the town was totally deserted, and even with the 3D-engine it still seemed a bit...small. We didn't see any people walking in the streets, even in the daytime. The only inhabitants either stayed at the hotel or lived in the church. This is a totally unrealistic approach that marred the game. But at the time the game was made, what other 3D-engine was available? ....conclusion, I think Gabriel Knight 3 was a game that could've been great. In the end, the two parts that let it down were the sad ending, and the game engine that was used. I hope Ms. Jensen writes a GK4...although I very much doubt it.
Rating:
Summary: The best game in the series yet!
Review: Gabriel Knight series have been the most amazing adventure gaming experiences ever! This one, regardless of the wonderful story and great music, is in full frame 3D which adds outstanding transition effects and perfect quality. It's a jewel to any adventure gamer.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Jane Jensen is one of the few games designers still around capable of creating an interesting point-and-click adventure game, the few other recent exceptions being the designers of Monkey Island and Grimm Fandango, and it is fortunate that Sierra kept her on even while they decided to destroy the adventure game division they built themselves upon and fire most of their best designers. 1. While most games have puzzles that have very little connection to whatever storyline they manage to put together (hi, Dreamcatcher), the puzzles in GKIII are very well integrated into a rich storyline. Some of them are quite difficult to figure out (you can always find hints on the net), but once you do figure it out you don't feel cheated for your efforts because the solutions always make logical sense (although you might have chosen a different tactic in real life). Jane's puzzles also involve more than finding different objects lying on the ground and clicking them randomly on hot spots. For one thing, the environment is too rich and non-linear for this to work. The player is actually rewarded for thinking. 2. The game environment is very rich. There are locations that aren't significant to game play, but are still fun to go back and explore and add to the overall experience. You can wander off and engage in conversations that you missed out on the first time you played the game, and each detail adds to the richness of the storyline. 3. The storyline itself is wonderful, based on the real-life mystery of Rennes le Chateau (read Holy Blood, Holy Grail for its history, or The Big Book of Conspiracies for a nice, short overview). Even without the puzzles, it is a fun, entertaining and educational interactive movie experience. (SPOILER WARNING: SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH) Unfortunately, towards the end, when she strays from the known history of the Bloodline it gets a bit silly (it was not necessary for her to rewrite the "origin" of Jesus and create a silly one for the vampires in order to get the vampires into the story: they could have just found out about the Bloodline like anyone else and gone after the child for the special qualities of its blood). 4. The production values are wonderful (great soundtrack, great voice cast, etc.). My one complaint is that Tim Curry gets a bit silly with his voiceover at times, but it gets better as the game progresses. Personally, I was disappointed by the graphics. The new emphasis on 3D environments in adventure games is saddening. While it does make point-of-view movement more interesting, the characters look like unreal homonculi and the architecture sometimes feels like you're playing Doom I. You never forget you are playing a computer game. It worked better with Grimm Fandango, where the characters are supposed to look inhuman and the environments are less navigable and therefore more fully designed. There is still something to be said for fully rendered graphics which allow artists to create more fully-realized environments. Perhaps 3D games will eventually be as interesting to look at as they are to move around in, but not yet.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy addition to a gaming legacy
Review: While Gabriel is protecting the infant heir of an English Prince from "the night visitors", the baby is kidnapped right out from under his nose. Gabriel trails the kidnappers to a small town in France called Rennes-le-chateau, which is the site of an ancient mystery involving a buried treasure rumored to be the holy grail. Strangely enough, his old friend Mosely is also in Rennes-le-chateau on a "treasure-hunting tour". And of course, in classic mystery fashion, every member of the tour group has his or her own secrets, casting them all in a cloud of suspicion. Things really heat up when Gabriel's assistant/partner Grace arrives, and, similar to GK2, the player alternates between playing each of the main characters in a race to solve the mystery of Rennes-le-chateau and find the missing child. Although the 3D graphics occasionally falter, especially on computers that might not be souped up with top-of-the-line 3D accelerator video cards, the storytelling - always the highlight of this series - is sound. In a unique move, the other characters in the game go about their business -change locations, have conversations- even when you're not there, prompting you to be a true detective, choosing your suspects and following them to investigate their actions. The voice acting is some of the best I've seen in a video game, especially Charity James as Grace. Fans will rejoice at hearing Tim Curry, who returns once again to give voice to Gabriel Knight. Curry, while -good- as Gabriel Knight, seems to switch accents on us in spots from New Orleans to a general Southern US accent. It also seems rather out of character from a N.O. native such as Gabe, who was able to pronounce several odd French words well in the first game, to falter now on such simple words as "merci". A tale of buried treasure, secret societies, ancient bloodlines, and puzzling relationships, Gabriel Knight 3 is a wonderfully complicated storyline, though not recommended if you're squeamish about digging into religious topics. Calling this game a "vampire story" oversimplifies it and does it no justice. If you're expecting hollywood vampires of the Bram Stoker or Anne Rice variety, look elsewhere. Jensen puts a new spin on the tried and true vampire legends, and does it with style, pizzazz, and all around daring storytelling. After all, it's all about the blood.
Rating:
Summary: i luv gabe he's the dude
Review: Probably the best point and click game I have played for a long time. Some of the puzzles are frustrating, but that does little to take away from what is a gripping storyline and believable characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as GK2, but beats most of what's out there now
Review: I have to admit that my copy of Gabriel Knight 3 sat on my shelf for over a year before I felt like playing it all the way through. This was because I did not like the 3-D graphics this time around; after all, some of the "movies" on Gabriel Knight 2 were superb and you just can't get that with 3-D. I still don't like the 3-D graphics, but once I started playing this game seriously I was hooked again. The historical background stuff is always fascinating to me and any game in which a tube of Preparation H plays a part is always going to impress me. I hate to think what sort of individual could play this game without resorting to hints and cheats, although they would have to be somebody with a lot more time on their hands than I am. There is always some point where I need some help finding out what I missed out on that prevents me from advancing to the next time block (I didn't pick up the glass in the hallway and now I can't listen in on conversations going on in the rooms. Sigh). I like Tim Curry as much as the next person, but it doesn't sound like him so his return is not a big deal for me (I liked the guy in GK2). What's more important here is the wry sense of humor: Can't get somebody to talk? Try the gun icon, see what happens. I have to assume most people who play "Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned" come to the game through one if not both of the first two Gabriel Knight adventures. In that case I certainly do not think you will be more than mildly disappointed with episode 3. I hear than this particular type of computer game, the Gabriel Knight/Phantasmagoria type, is on its way out because it takes too long to put together and does not sell as well as the bloodier arcade type games. That is not good news, because these are the only type I play. After I finish I'm going to have to go back and play again and try out some of the variations. Note: It can be very useful to save the game at different points and go back and do some variations. Getting caught snooping around can be also be fun. Bottom Line: For most of Gabriel Knight 2 with its Wagner and Werewolves has been the highpoint of the series to date. But I am more than willing to give anything Jane Jensen wants to do a try.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, but a worthy addition to the series
Review: First things first--in my opinion, those who complain about the lack of "real" vampires missed the point. The GK series has always been about monsters, sure, but on several levels. It's about the darkness and evil within the villains that turns them into the "monsters" you battle (the second installment *was* called "The Beast Within). If this game had been just some garlic-waving, stakepounding action game, it would not have been a true Gabriel Knight game. The storyline is engaging and intelligent, although anyone who has read about alternative theories for the legend of the Holy Grail will have it figured out pretty quickly. This doesn't take away from the gameplay, though. What does take away from the gameplay is the clunkiness of the game itself. Although my PC met (and exceeded) all of the game's system requirements, I experienced frequent crashes, and the game's response time would sometimes slow down at critical moments when timing was very important, making what would have been otherwise simple tasks take multiple attempts. Also, the camera would sometimes get stuck in a corner when I needed to be looking somewhere else, and this got pretty frustrating. And though I was glad to hear Tim Curry again as the voice of Gabriel, I *really* disliked the 3D animation. It was just--fake. Still, it was enjoyable enough to make me stick with it despite the technical difficulties, and for me to hope that Sierra reevaluates their apparent decision to abandon the Gabriel Knight series. I would like to see a GK4 someday.
|
