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

[Kz3r0]

GK 3 is irremediable shit, and the story could have been a novelty back then but now everyone's knows about the Da Vinci Code.

Jane wrote her story years before Dan Brown wrote his. She was ahead of the curve. It doesn't make sense to say the story is bad because people know about its subject matter now.

I know that GK 3 come first, noneteheless the story's twist is already known.

 

[Aeschylus]

GK3 did it before Dan Brown, and did it better, but because of Dan Brown GK3's story is now retroactively shit? Sorry, that doesn't really parse for me. Does that mean that Broken Sword 1 is also total shit?

There are myriad criticisms to be leveled at GK3 -- eye-gougingly bad graphics, clunky controls, very hit-and-miss puzzle design... Story is the least of its issues, though it wasn't as good as the story in 1, or even 2.

 

[warpig]

It's a good move business wise, if they want to introduce newfags to the franchise and exploit oldfag nostalgia GK1 is the way to go. I wish they remade GK3 though. I missed out on it when it came out and I would love to play it, but the game is ugly as fuck.

 

[Kz3r0]

GK3 did it before Dan Brown, and did it better, but because of Dan Brown GK3's story is now retroactively shit? Sorry, that doesn't really parse for me. Does that mean that Broken Sword 1 is also total shit?

There are myriad criticisms to be leveled at GK3 -- eye-gougingly bad graphics, clunky controls, very hit-and-miss puzzle design... Story is the least of its issues, though it wasn't as good as the story in 1, or even 2.

The point is not that is shit, the point is that if you already know who the assassin is even the best mistery lose a lot.

 

[Gragt]

Even before DVC, some people wrote books about the subject of the "real" nature of the Grail and the lineage of the Christ, which Jensen took inspiration from.

Knowing the culprit early is kind of a staple of the GK serie. It's pretty easy to guess that Malia is in it when you meet her, and the owner of the Voodoo museum doesn't exactly inspire confidence either, and GK2, well … the actors make a good job of portraying the guilty ones as guilty. The interesting parts was to find out what tied these people together with the mysteries and the mythology elements behind them. The cool thing about GK1 was investing the various aspects of voodoo, and GK2 continued the trend of blending fact with fiction with some of the most famous people of the Romantic period. I found GK3 interesting but the problem is that there was little fact to start with and the whole thing reeks of pseudo-history from the start—heck the whole premise of the bloodline of Christ still surviving unravels when you consider that the Christ is only a mythical character; it was entertaining but not on the same level as discover how Ludwig II and Wagner were tied to werewolves. Also am I the only one tired of secret societies who conspire in the shadows and that the public never learns about, except in tired movies/games/book plots?

But more than the mysteries, I always thought that GK serie set itself apart with the characters, and that's the main part of any story. It was cool to see the dilettante of the first game discover and accept his origins, and GK2 also showed some nice moments about both Gabriel and Grace and their interactions with the various characters. The villains in both games were also interesting and ambiguous, even eliciting sympathy from the audience, if not from their acts but at least from the reasons behind them, and they both grew close to Gabriel which was a nice element. The cast of GK3 is mostly bland, from the too-comical Mosely to most of the treasure hunters and I don't remember any real memorable interaction between the various characters, except that Gabe and Grace finally got in bed together. And then the villain was boring: he appeared very little, was undeniably evil and doesn't leave a personal mark on the serie at all.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Jensen got back to what made GK good with Gray Matter, despite meeting some of her old flaws as well. Anyway while I wouldn't dismiss GK3, for it still has a few good ideas and puzzles and was overall a mediocre game, neither good nor bad, and wouldn't call it the doom of adventure games either, it is certainly not on the same level as the first two in the serie.

 

[DalekFlay]

It's a good move business wise, if they want to introduce newfags to the franchise and exploit oldfag nostalgia GK1 is the way to go. I wish they remade GK3 though. I missed out on it when it came out and I would love to play it, but the game is ugly as fuck.

Yeah, the third one is the one to remake. Maybe they'll do that next of this sells decently.

 

[DeepOcean]

GK 3 is irremediable shit.

Yes and no. GK 3 biggest flaw is that it have the least developed villains in the series. After the the hot black chick and scary voodoo guy on GK 1 and the werewolves in GK 2, Gk 3 generic vampires are a let down. The game is still very good even with it's terrible early 3d, it beat the crap out of the new adventure games, made nowdays.

 

[DeepOcean]

Except that Gabe and Grace finally got in bed together.

I hate romances in all games I played, they make me want to vomit but in this particular case ... Boy, I'm ashamed in admitting, I was like a little girl really cheering for them to get together. God, I felt emasculated.

 

[Gragt]

Yeah, I thought it was well-done back then too but reflecting upon it now it doesn't feel that good, though Grace leaves Gabe at the end even if it's for something trite like reflecting upon herself. To be fair I'd need to replay the game because I played it years ago and in French.

 

[Boleskine]

"LET'S GET SOME COFFEE OUT HERE, MERCEEEEE."

I love GK3, but Curry was all over the place in that one.

 

[Keshik]

Yeah, Curry seemed to go way overboard with his attempt to do a Cajun accent. Interesting at least that GK's 3 games are pretty dissimilar in a lot of ways.

 

[Sceptic]

Even before DVC, some people wrote books about the subject of the "real" nature of the Grail and the lineage of the Christ, which Jensen took inspiration from.

Both GK3 and DVC got their ideas from The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail, which IIRC itself got the idea from that French wacky dude whose name I cannot remember. I think Jensen may have even acknowledged this at some point.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I only played GK3 recently for the first time, and enjoyed it a lot. Didn't find it particularly ugly either.

 

[Kz3r0]

Even before DVC, some people wrote books about the subject of the "real" nature of the Grail and the lineage of the Christ, which Jensen took inspiration from.

Both GK3 and DVC got their ideas from The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail, which IIRC itself got the idea from that French wacky dude whose name I cannot remember. I think Jensen may have even acknowledged this at some point.

I seem to remember that at the beginning of GK 3 outside the hotel, on the left, there is a library with the book she took inspiration from displayed there.

 

[abnaxus]

Even before DVC, some people wrote books about the subject of the "real" nature of the Grail and the lineage of the Christ, which Jensen took inspiration from.

Both GK3 and DVC got their ideas from The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail, which IIRC itself got the idea from that French wacky dude whose name I cannot remember. I think Jensen may have even acknowledged this at some point.

Pierre Plantard, also the character who's murdered by the clown in the beginning of the first Broken Sword game if I'm not mistaken.

 

[DeepOcean]

Man, it's been 15 years since the last game. You guys should be happy something is happening at all with the license if you like GK as much as I do.

Jensen also said she would like to remake the second and third game in 2d with the gameplay system of the original. That would be great if a new game isn't something feasible after this.

Seriously, there is no need for 3 remakes that would take ages to be made. GK 2 and 3 while having problems are perfectly playable the way they are, GK 2 was one of the best FMV games and actually has decent acting and GK 3 has decent graphics for an early 3d game. If it is necessary to wait for ages and pay for 3 games retelling the same stories to get only a chance for GK 4. Sorry, but fuck Activision and I will just ignore those remakes, just hope that Moebius is actually good so I can finally say that I don't care about GK 4 anymore . What I want is more Jane Jensen writing not the same Jane Jensen writing with prettier graphics. If the remakes give her company stability, I'm happy for her but as a consumer I couldn't care less about those remakes. To people that are new fans, luck for them, as an old fan I can only say... FUCK YOU ACTIVISION. I never get tired of saying that.

 

[Taxnomore]

Dan Brown wrote shitty stories but at least his didn't have a part where Robert Langdon tries to impersonate a man without a moustache by stealing some hair off a cat, sticking the hair on his mouth with marple syrup and drawing a fake moustache on his passport. They do not end either with mystical bridges of light, Indiana Jones ripoffs, and evil demons coming out of nowhere.

This is my main problem with Jane Jensen. She is brilliant, there is no arguing that. But there are ALWAYS stuff that makes her always very good stories go sour. Some chapters of the said story, that is. Mostly the endings. I hated the secret voodoo base in GK1, it felt completely out of place. Same thing goes for GK3 and its hidden temple. Just because the ending of a game need to be its climax doesn't mean you have to fall in stupid game clichés, especially considering you've done such a good job avoiding them all game long. As for GK2, the ending seems off to me. I have read some explanations in this forum, but I am still not convinced ; you pretty much murder Von Glower because fuck you.

You can tell Jane Jensen is a writer in her games, but I'm not sure she's a very good writer. Much much better than average in the gaming industry, that, at least, is a given. I remember when I played GK1, it felt SO different to most adventure games I played while being so similar on the gameplay mechanics. It is such a shame the game had to end the way it ended.

 

[SCO]

Inb4 changed voice actor(s)

 

[Duraframe300]

GK 3 is irremediable shit, and the story could have been a novelty back then but now everyone's knows about the Da Vinci Code.

Jane wrote her story years before Dan Brown wrote his. She was ahead of the curve. It doesn't make sense to say the story is bad because people know about its subject matter now.

Not to mention that Dan Brown belongs to some of the most unimaginative writers there is and copies everything, finally repeating it for every book he writes. So, that comment is... Well...

 

[Duraframe300]

Dan Brown wrote shitty stories but at least his didn't have a part where Robert Langdon tries to impersonate a man without a moustache by stealing some hair off a cat, sticking the hair on his mouth with marple syrup and drawing a fake moustache on his passport. They do not end either with mystical bridges of light, Indiana Jones ripoffs, and evil demons coming out of nowhere.

This is my main problem with Jane Jensen. She is brilliant, there is no arguing that. But there are ALWAYS stuff that makes her always very good stories go sour. Some chapters of the said story, that is. Mostly the endings. I hated the secret voodoo base in GK1, it felt completely out of place. Same thing goes for GK3 and its hidden temple. Just because the ending of a game need to be its climax doesn't mean you have to fall in stupid game clichés, especially considering you've done such a good job avoiding them all game long. As for GK2, the ending seems off to me. I have read some explanations in this forum, but I am still not convinced ; you pretty much murder Von Glower because fuck you.

You can tell Jane Jensen is a writer in her games, but I'm not sure she's a very good writer. Much much better than average in the gaming industry, that, at least, is a given. I remember when I played GK1, it felt SO different to most adventure games I played while being so similar on the gameplay mechanics. It is such a shame

the game had to end the way it ended.

Except that puzzle you begin your argument with was made through corporate meddling. Not by Jane herself or even remotly what she wanted in the game.

 

[evdk]

you pretty much murder Von Glower because fuck you.

You "murder" Von Glower because he is not some misunderstood Byronic character - his history has a simple pattern: he attempts to create a companion, who then inevitably bugs out in some way and has to be put down, it does not matter whether he goes kill crazy or just has his life completely ruined like poor Ludwig, it always ends in a disaster. Von Glower might not be the regular "bathing in the blood of the weak" monster, but he is a monster nonetheless and he would continue spreading misery across Europe were he not stopped by Gabriel.

 

[ghostdog]

You "murder" Von Glower because he is not some misunderstood Byronic character - his history has a simple pattern: he attempts to create a companion, who then inevitably bugs out in some way and has to be put down, it does not matter whether he goes kill crazy or just has his life completely ruined like poor Ludwig, it always ends in a disaster. Von Glower might not be the regular "bathing in the blood of the weak" monster, but he is a monster nonetheless and he would continue spreading misery across Europe were he not stopped by Gabriel.

Yes, but this is doesn't really matter eventually. In the end you murder Von Glower to free Gabriel from the lycanthropy curse.

 

[evdk]

He's a Schattenjäger, it's his job.

 

[Western]

Mostly, this is the Codex after all, so the answer to your question is yes.

 

[DalekFlay]

Seriously, there is no need for 3 remakes that would take ages to be made. GK 2 and 3 while having problems are perfectly playable the way they are

Sure, but on the other hand remaking a game into a different style actually makes the whole process interesting. With this one, and the Monkey Island ones, all they did was upgrade the graphics. If you remake an FMV game into 2D art, or a 3D game into 2D art, then it's different enough to be worth trying out.