Gabriel Knight: 20th Anniversary Edition - remake by Jane Jensen

[coldcrow]

High res 2D almost always looks "cleaner", because there are more of the same coloured pixels or just colour gradients. It would take more work or really competent artists to capture the same feel as in the original, especially with such diverse palettes. It's easier in, say, sci-fi adventures where colour palettes are often limited to a certain part of the spectrum. (edit: and also said cleanliness is often part of the setting)
Another factor is warped perspective. I am honestly not sure why they moved the spectator so much closer and even shrunk the room! In the original you get the impression of a flatter building, lower ceiling. The remake elevates the ceiling while simulataneously shrinking the base of the room, this makes it look weird and artificial, as the persons stick out too much.
So all in all the problem seems to be slightly incompetent artists.

 

[Boleskine]

Another factor is warped perspective. I am honestly not sure why they moved the spectator so much closer and even shrunk the room! In the original you get the impression of a flatter building, lower ceiling. The remake elevates the ceiling while simulataneously shrinking the base of the room, this makes it look weird and artificial, as the persons stick out too much.

This sticks out to me in Jackson Square. Here's a picture of the park:

Spoiler

In the original GK the park is probably 1/2 its actual size, but it still seems spacious enough.

Spoiler

In the remake it's roughly shrunk in half again. I guess this was to make it one screen with camera panning instead of having to draw larger, separate screens.

Spoiler

I don't know if it's the same issue you're talking about with perspective and character models sticking out, but it just looks off to me.

 

[Eirikur]

The new environments look too clean, sterile, and Crispy. Somewhat ruins the atmosphere.

 

[coldcrow]

The new environments look too clean, sterile, and Crispy. Somewhat ruins the atmosphere.

Yes, as I said, it is really time consuming to produce good high-res 2D art. One way out is the animatic way, Daedalic is probably the foremost exponent of this. By using animatic techniques you can just fill up surfaces with same or gradient colours and be done, in return limiting the work greatly.
In GK-remake they went for a mix of ok-ish 2d art propelled by modern 2D art application and starkly limiting the size of the area to cover.

Basically it's the fate of the decline - expanded gfx capabilities meet the same small developers. In other words, processing power rose way faster than the expanded pc gamer audience. Not to mention that consoles diverted alot of gamers.

The conclusion is that to be successful in these days with good 2D art, you have to cut corners. Be it low-res pixel art, animatic art, pop-art or whatever shortcut strikes your fancy. But high-res realistic art is out of the question for many developers.

 

[Tom Selleck]

So I got this for free during the GOG sale, and I've never played the original (no bully pls I was doing other shit in '93) and I've just finished Day 3, and it seems like I am enjoying everything about it that is obviously from the original, which at this point is the setting and story and dialogue.

It took me a while to get into it, because it looks like shit, a terrible Hidden Object game, and sounds like shit, the voice acting for Gabriel is really fucking lame, but I'm slowly coming around to "wanting to know what happens next."

Obviously we won't see a GK4 out of this, but I'm wondering what the best approach to this would have been? Like say you're stuck with a) the resources you have and b) the support you have and c) the 'talent' you have, what's the best course of action they could have taken to instill a legitimate upswell in interest for a GK4 or new GK series?

Because this has made me want to play the legitimate original first one and I feel like I should stop now and buy the original, but fuck if I have the 7.79CDN to make that dream come true, so I'll figure to just plow on ahead.

 

[Barbarian]

Drop it and play the original, lest it damages your enjoyment of that great game. This remake is worthless and its existence makes no sense at all. You should really not play it before the real thing.

They should have went straight for the sequel. There was really no sense in doing a remake. Obviously a GK4 with enough quality would instill interest in the old games and it would certainly sell better(many fans of the original have not bothered with the remake).

 

[jfrisby]

They should have done a new engine on top of SCI, like what they did with the SCUMM games. Maybe slim down the UI to the BASS/2-click Wadjet Eye format, and tweak a few puzzles (optional old UI). Keep the original art or optional highres copies (if $$), send the original audio off for some restoration work, mt-32 music in CD audio and/or rerecorded with some new tracks, commentary, achievements, unlockable concept art (put that 3D stuff here). Optional new narrator, maybe. Might have worked?
(might be even more work)

Spoiler

 

[Barbarian]

They should have done a new engine on top of SCI, like what they did with the SCUMM games. Maybe slim down the UI to the BASS/2-click Wadjet Eye format, and tweak a few puzzles (optional old UI). Keep the original art or optional highres copies (if $$), send the original audio off for some restoration work, mt-32 music in CD audio and/or rerecorded with some new tracks, commentary, achievements, unlockable concept art (put that 3D stuff here). Optional new narrator, maybe. Might have worked?
(might be even more work)

Spoiler

You mean something like the Monkey Island SE and the "hd" version of Day of the Tentacle? Yeah, might have worked. Problem is that Jensen and POS were working on a tight budget and the original game was a big production back in the day. No way they would have the cash to bring in Tim Curry and Mark Hammil for instance, or the comics illustrator who did those great graphic novel style cutscenes and all the concept art and backgrounds.

As many people already mentioned here, what we got in the end was something that looked like a generic hidden object game, had terrible voice acting and absolutely nothing new except for some very shitty mini-game puzzles. Basically worse than the original game in all respects and with nothing new and good to bring to the table. Hard to justify their effort in the end and they should have seem the failure coming.

 

[Jazz_]

I have only played GK 3 and enjoyed quite a lot back in the days (albeit the ending was disappointing). So I picked this up and is it me or this remake has the worst voice actors ever? The old lady who narrates is absolutely unbearable, she sounds like a scottish drunk old lady or something (and what's the point of having it? Couldn't they use Gabriel Knight's voice to explain the things you interact with?), and Gabriel Knight sounds like a smooth talking flirty dude constantly, even when it is not guarranted. Even the settings I have seen so far are very generic and they lack in atmosphere.Should I just scrap it, install a dosbox and play the original ancient one? Or it's pretty much the same thing just pixellated?

 

[tuluse]

Original has Tim Curry doing a ridiculous nawlins accent, so yeah, it's amazing.

 

[Deflowerer]

The narrator was a bunch of faggotry in the original as well.

 

[Barbarian]

I didn't mind the original narrator. Original voice actors are great though. Specially Curry, the woman who voices Malia Gedde and the german guy doing uncle Wolfgang.

And yeah, forget about the crappy remake and play the original. It is better in every way.

 

[Boleskine]

 

[OndrejSc]

 

[Gahbreeil]

I'll buy.

 

[Maxie]

very funny video thank you for sharing

 

[Monolith]

So I got this for free during the GOG sale, and I've never played the original (no bully pls I was doing other shit in '93) and I've just finished Day 3, and it seems like I am enjoying everything about it that is obviously from the original, which at this point is the setting and story and dialogue.

It took me a while to get into it, because it looks like shit, a terrible Hidden Object game, and sounds like shit, the voice acting for Gabriel is really fucking lame, but I'm slowly coming around to "wanting to know what happens next."

Obviously we won't see a GK4 out of this, but I'm wondering what the best approach to this would have been? Like say you're stuck with a) the resources you have and b) the support you have and c) the 'talent' you have, what's the best course of action they could have taken to instill a legitimate upswell in interest for a GK4 or new GK series?

Because this has made me want to play the legitimate original first one and I feel like I should stop now and buy the original, but fuck if I have the 7.79CDN to make that dream come true, so I'll figure to just plow on ahead.

Wait, so the 20th anniversary edition doesn't include the original game? What dumbfuckery is this.

 

[Infinitron]

Wait, so the 20th anniversary edition doesn't include the original game? What dumbfuckery is this.

Unlike with some other remakes, the original is still available for sale.

 

[Monolith]

Wait, so the 20th anniversary edition doesn't include the original game? What dumbfuckery is this.

Unlike with some other remakes, the original is still available for sale.

True. At the same time, it's not called a remake, but anniversary edition...

..I'm just grumpy because I realized I don't have the original, just this edition in my gog library and by all means, it looks like shit.

 

[Neuromancer]

The problem is that they didn't had the full rights for the original game, just a license to produce a remake (or Anniversary Edition).
So they couldn't offer the original game with the package.

It is currently on sale, though:
https://af.gog.com/game/gabriel_knight_sins_of_the_fathers?as=1649904300