GABRIEL KNIGHT: SINS OF THE FATHERS

GABRIEL KNIGHT
2: THE BEAST WITHIN

GABRIEL KNIGHT
3: BLOOD OF THE SACRED, BLOOD OF THE DAMNED

Hall of Fame Entries
#4, #5, #6

Publisher: Sierra
Release Dates: 1993, 1995, 1999
Platform: DOS
PC – Windows

We argued, we voted, we agreed and disagreed and in the end there
was no choice, especially since I have the biggest mouth, but to enshrine
all three Gabriel Knight games into the Just Adventure ‘Hall
of Fame’ for adventure games.

Never has a series so perfectly embodied the soul of adventure gaming.
Each game is a masterpiece in its own right. Even more impressive
is that each game in the series used a different graphics engine,
unlike many sequels that just plod along with the same engine game
after game, yet it is a testament to the power of adventure games
in general and to the writing skills of Jane Jensen in particular
that regardless of the engine used, the characters in Gabriel Knight
shine brighter than any in the adventure universe.

I could continue to heap accolades for an eternity, but I think the
following message that was posted in response to an appearance by
Jane Jensen on the JA Forum says it best:

My mom’s generation had Elvis, we have Jane!

GABRIEL KNIGHT: SINS OF THE FATHERS

From the Just Adventure review
by Katie Scarlett:

Every once in a while, the rare game comes along that manages
to get everything right. Gabriel Knight is one of those games. From
characters that are so believable they start to feel like friends,
to a story that grabs you right from the beginning and doesn’t let
go until the final credits start rolling, GK has everything. In 15+
years of playing hundreds of adventure games, I can unequivocally
state that this is one of finest I have ever had the pleasure to play.
Simply put, GK is more than a classic, it is a masterpiece.

GABRIEL KNIGHT 2: THE BEAST WITHIN

From the Just Adventure review
by Emrecan Ozen:

Jane Jensen is the best storyteller to write computer games.
No one can deny it or say someone else is better. If you believe Take
2’s Black Dahlia has a storyline “that blends reality and fiction
in perfect rapport,” then you just have to repent and pray to
be forgiven … and play Gabriel Knight 2 to see what a strong storyline
should be like.

What Jane Jensen and her team did was create a completely different
world for the player to roam in. So the werewolf story is actually
nothing more than a MacGuffin, in the Hitchcockian sense, for a historical
journey through Bavaria. I believe this is the quality that makes
this game a timeless classic. Read my lips: “time-less”
… You can’t use that word for any other game. Or any other computer-related
product for that matter … Everything fades away in the immense pace
of this hasty industry called the computer industry. But not GK2.
This is one marvel of a game that is groundbreaking, trendsetting,
avant garde, and, most importantly, made for adult minds (no, I’m
not talking about raunchiness). Let me put it this way: They actually
composed an opera for this game that would be good enough to pose
as a lost one by Wagner.

GABRIEL KNIGHT 3: BLOOD OF THE SACRED, BLOOD OF THE DAMNED

From
the Just Adventure review
by Ray Ivey:

Despite the unparalleled quality of storytelling in the first
two titles, the story in GKIII surpasses them in scope, ambition,
and sheer nerve. I really hate to give any of it away, but let’s just
say it deals with an ancient bloodline feud going back to the Pharaohs,
a kidnapped infant prince, buried treasure, the Knights Templar, Mary
Magdalene, vampires, and Jesus himself! If that list sounds dizzying
to you, let me just tell you that in the playing of the game, it becomes
absolutely intoxicating. This story has all the makings of a best-selling
thriller.

Luckily for us, though, Jensen’s storytelling mode of choice
is the interactive story. And in that arena GKIII is undoubtedly the
best realized adventure game I’ve ever played. All of the elements
of the game: the 3D engine and its accompanying freedom of movement,
the excellent voice acting…and the mechanics of the storytelling
combine to create a game experience unlike any other.