Rating: Summary: GK series.... Review: Ahhh, Gabriel Knight! What can I say? Probably one of the best adventure series to date. This Limited Edition package includes games GK1 and GK2 along with the sound track, a graphic booklet to GK3, GK1 novelization, and little this and a little that.I would say that this limited edition is worth purchasing, but more so if you are new to the series. The biggest thing in this edition is probably the soundtrack. The rest that is has to offer (such as the games themselves) most fans already have. There is the novelization of book of GK1 (not including GK2), but if you don't have it, you can purchase both books here at Amazon.com. The limited edition also has a prologue GK3 graphic booklet, but if you purchase GK3, the same graphic booklet is included. There might be bug fixes in the limited edition versions of GK 1&2, but if you have problems with your earlier releases of the games, you can always download patches directly from Sierra.com. The soundtrack was slightly dissapointing. Most of the tracks are from GK2 and minimum from GK1 and GK3 (but GK3 wasn't out yet at the time of this release). If you are new to GK and want to see what it's all about, I suggest getting this purchase instead of hunting for these games seperately.
Rating: Summary: Gabriel Knight- he moves...he talks...zzz.... Review: Can anyone tell me why each new GK-game is thought to be so great? I honestly don't see it. Maybe it's my gaming history: after Zork (Nemesis + GI)and Riven, most games don't get five stars from me anymore. But really, Gabriel Knight! I'll focus on The Beast Within: a clumsy little figure trying to move around, having to take each turn at least three times before succeeding, talking like he's been on some very potent tranquillizers (remember? "It's meeee, Gabriel Kniiiight"), making stupid, boring comments with every step he takes. As for the storyline, I couldn't get the grip of his endlessly going back and forth between the few places available to him in each level. It wasn't my kind of logic. I'll give some pros as well: I liked his female counterpart a lot better than I did the man himself, and I thought the Munchen city map was very handy and original. Of course, these are all details and highly subjective. Nonetheless, I have given my warning. Time can be better spent.
Rating: Summary: The Greatest Gaming Package Money Can Buy Review: Classic games are constantly being repackaged and resold, but its rare to find a package containing two games that would be well worth the price separately. Gabriel Knight Mysteries contains the first two Gabriel Knight games as well as the Sins of the Fathers Novel, based on the first game. Both hold up amazingly well when compared to recent adventure games in both plot and gameplay. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers spends much of its time introducing the characters of Gabriel and Grace, the two primary characters of the entire series. Its a rare occasion in a video game to find characters so well developed, but more importantly very human. More amazing is that this high quality of characters carries through from Gabriel and Grace to the least important characters in the game. This feat is dur to the quality of the writing by Jane Jensen, game designer and author extrordinare. The immense amount of dialouge never gets tiresome and the plotline is incredibly deep and always entertaining. The graphics do look dated, but the detailed faces during conversations and the comic book cutscenes never give the game a dated feel. Furthermore, the music, while not as good as in Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, is still excellent and worthy to listen to on its own (using the included soundtrack!). Lastly, the gameplay of GK1 is the best seen in the series. The various icons provided for a truly challenging ride. Fortunately, there are no dead ends in the game and most of the puzzles make sense when you think about them. Clues abound in the game. Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within is easily the best Full Motion Video Game ever produced and quite possibly the best game ever (its only competition is Gabriel Knight 3 itself). GK2 continues the excellent writing and character development from the previous game, but takes it to an unprecdented extreme. This is the stuff of true horror and is much better than some of the stuff you can find on a bookshelf. Its rare for me to pronounce a game storyline as novel quality, but this one is. Special mention should be made of the game's villain, easily one of the best in gaming. The graphics are nothing you haven't seen in any other FMV game of the time; everything looks real, but the acting becomes more of a problem in these games than in the previous animated style. GK2, however, bucks the trend and provides a very good showing. Von Glower particularly is a treat. Also, GK2 provides the best gaming soundtrack ever created and I frequently enjoy listening to the GK2 dominated soundtrack included in the package. The gameplay, is my only minor complaint. Like all other FMV games, sometimes the player becomes reduced to simply looking for "hotspots" and trying everything. GK2, however, mostly uses puzzles that avoid this to an extent; you usually know what to do. Overall, any self respecting gamer should have these games already in their collection.
Rating: Summary: The Greatest Gaming Package Money Can Buy Review: Classic games are constantly being repackaged and resold, but its rare to find a package containing two games that would be well worth the price separately. Gabriel Knight Mysteries contains the first two Gabriel Knight games as well as the Sins of the Fathers Novel, based on the first game. Both hold up amazingly well when compared to recent adventure games in both plot and gameplay. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers spends much of its time introducing the characters of Gabriel and Grace, the two primary characters of the entire series. Its a rare occasion in a video game to find characters so well developed, but more importantly very human. More amazing is that this high quality of characters carries through from Gabriel and Grace to the least important characters in the game. This feat is dur to the quality of the writing by Jane Jensen, game designer and author extrordinare. The immense amount of dialouge never gets tiresome and the plotline is incredibly deep and always entertaining. The graphics do look dated, but the detailed faces during conversations and the comic book cutscenes never give the game a dated feel. Furthermore, the music, while not as good as in Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, is still excellent and worthy to listen to on its own (using the included soundtrack!). Lastly, the gameplay of GK1 is the best seen in the series. The various icons provided for a truly challenging ride. Fortunately, there are no dead ends in the game and most of the puzzles make sense when you think about them. Clues abound in the game. Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within is easily the best Full Motion Video Game ever produced and quite possibly the best game ever (its only competition is Gabriel Knight 3 itself). GK2 continues the excellent writing and character development from the previous game, but takes it to an unprecdented extreme. This is the stuff of true horror and is much better than some of the stuff you can find on a bookshelf. Its rare for me to pronounce a game storyline as novel quality, but this one is. Special mention should be made of the game's villain, easily one of the best in gaming. The graphics are nothing you haven't seen in any other FMV game of the time; everything looks real, but the acting becomes more of a problem in these games than in the previous animated style. GK2, however, bucks the trend and provides a very good showing. Von Glower particularly is a treat. Also, GK2 provides the best gaming soundtrack ever created and I frequently enjoy listening to the GK2 dominated soundtrack included in the package. The gameplay, is my only minor complaint. Like all other FMV games, sometimes the player becomes reduced to simply looking for "hotspots" and trying everything. GK2, however, mostly uses puzzles that avoid this to an extent; you usually know what to do. Overall, any self respecting gamer should have these games already in their collection.
Rating: Summary: A little outdated, but still worth getting Review: For the price, this is definitely a game set worth considering. Both games are quite good, although definitely the second is the one that makes this buy worthwhile. The first game is definitely a bit ancient in terms of graphics and gameplay. But Gabriel Knight 2...wow, what a game. I played it twice, something I never do with adventure games. But this one was SO well written and conceived, and it was recognized by many folks as a Game of the Year. It truly does immerse you in the story, and some of the final movie sequences are superbly done. Great locations, great plot, definitely a game you HAVE to play if you haven't already.
Rating: Summary: Gabriel Knight 1 will work on XP Review: Gabriel Knight 1 runs under DOS, and will play under XP if you run it under DOSBox, (http://dosbox.sourceforge.net), an open-source DOS emulator. I've tried it and it works, with sound and everything. You need to press Ctrl-F12 a couple of times to increase the speed though. One reviewer mentioned something about having to set the display 256 colors in XP... this is not necessary as Gabriel is not a Windows program. Overall, Gabriel Knight 1 is a great game, and it really immerses you into the New Orleans milieu. This game made me want to visit New Orleans, even though I live in Montreal, and it's far more French here than in any other city in North America.
Rating: Summary: Awesome Review: Gabriel Knight is one of the best adventure game series ever. The characters are well-developed and deeply real, and the plots are twisty, turny, and keep you hooked. Designer Jane Jensen is a master!
Rating: Summary: It doesn't get any better Review: Gabriel Knight is probably the best adventure game ever created. The story is fantastic, as good as any movie you can watch. The characters are extremely well written, the dialogue funny, dark, surprising, erotic. Everything you can wish for and everything you do not expect in an adventure game. Gabriel Knight is a bookshop owner and a struggling writer who is haunted by odd dreams. Suddenly, he finds himself in the middle of a mystery involving the 'voodoo murders' in New Orleans, he investigates both the murders, and his dreams and the result are surprising to both him and the player! Gabriel Knight 2 sees Gabriel is Germany, a best-selling author and hunting 'werewolf' murders this time. Gabriel Knight II is just as good. The game incorporates real-video scenes, which I truly enjoyed, they make the game so real, almost like a movie that you control. The story takes off where sins of the fathers ended, and as usual, it is fantastic.. Jane Jensen (the writer) has the ability to grip your mind so that the game takes over.. This is one of them games that you'll feel sorry is over! Don't buy these games if you're addicted to point-and-shoot games, you won't enjoy it. But if you're looking for an enjoyable, and sometimes educational, experience that requires more than just manual dexterity, don't even hesitate.
Rating: Summary: The first two Gabriel Knight games, plus goodies? Mine! Review: Gabriel Knight wants to be a slacker and a writer--it turns out he has a destiny instead, one that sends him tracking down voodoo priestesses and werewolves on a regular basis. The first Gabriel Knight game had an excellent story and cool characters, even if they were just little sprites running around. The Beast Within, the second game, really came alive with superb use of FMV, and excellent casting (for everyone except Gabriel, but the rest are so good, and even he shines sometimes, that you don't mind too much). Plus, the story is rich and complex, drawing from reality and fiction equally, and blending them so skillfully, you aren't sure what's "real" and what isn't by the time you're done. And the music...wow. I'm not even referring to the opera they wrote--the score for the game itself had me on the edge of my seat more than once. You owe it to yourself to play these games, now!
Rating: Summary: Stinks, felt it was a waste of money Review: I bought this game because the guy in the store told me that it was cool, he said it was like Myst, that it was not. I did not like this game. Sound stinks, graphics stink. I cant belive sierra put this one out, usually their games rule, like Hlf-Life, and SWAT, I thought this was a dissappointment.
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