Gabriel Knight – The Need For A Mature Storyline

by on Sep.03, 2014, under featured, gabriel knight

As gaming aged and matured, there sale online viagra ie was a growing need for more adult storylines and experiences. Nowhere was this truer than the Adventure Gaming genre in the early-to-mid 90s. Sierra On-Line and LucasArts had many offerings which would later be considered classics in the genre, but the vast majority leaned heavily on the cartoonish and humorous side.

Though we’ve had many classics, few attempted a mature storyline.

Gabriel Knight was one of the first games to attempt a more mature indian cialis generic storyline. Written by Jane Jensen, a then aspiring author who had worked on King’s Quest VI, it introduced a deep, well written storyline that is still fondly remembered to this day.

Gabriel Knight follows the exploits of a failed novelist turned demon hunter. While the premise may sound silly at first, it’s handled in a slow, methodical and believable pace that slowly builds tension as the game progresses. It featured remarkably humane characters that do not shy away from the flaws and needs one would see in other media.

Gabriel Knight featured a modern, believable setting.

Graphical output was still far from realistic back in 1994 and gaming as a whole was still trying to be taken seriously. It was refreshing to witness the witty banter between Gabriel and Grace which was often fraught with sexual tension between the two after taking horny pills. Every character in the game was given far more background information and tidbits about their history than what was commonly found in other games. This includes visiting Gabriel’s grandmother, learning more about the Knight family history or simply discovering small information on every character. These conversations were often optional and served no purpose other than to lend a touch of legitimacy to a title that seeked to push the envelope.

The tonal shift from past Sierra and LucasArts offerings was not limited to the characters and writing. The locations chosen also played a big part of the special appeal held by Gabriel Knight. Taking place in the then present day New Orleans, it marked a change of pace from the often fantastical of science-fiction inspired series we had grown accustomed to.  It was a city that was interesting enough to explore without ever breaking the suspension of disbelief that came with learning more about a real world location.

Gabriel Knight features a strong focus on the history of Voodoo in New Orleans.

Gabriel Knight features a strong focus on the history of Voodoo in New Orleans.

It also clear a lot of hard work and dedication went into researching New Orleans’ history and the particular brand of voodoo that originated in Louisiana. Mixing African traditions with Catholicism, it surfaced in the 1800s and players are encouraged to learn more about it, its misconceptions and how this knowledge can be used in Gabriel’s favor. It created an educational experience that never feels shoehorned in and characterizes the Gabriel Knight series.

Forfeiting the abundance of arbitrary death scenarios often found in other games of its genre, and with no situations in which players would be permanently stuck, Gabriel Knight was a very progressive game in its day.

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Gonçalo Gonçalves
Social Media Associate
Phoenix Online Studios


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