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Revision as of 20:08, 13 November 2013

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
File:Sinsfathers.jpg
Developer(s)Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Publisher(s)Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Designer(s)Jane Jensen (Game Designer/Director) [3]
Robert Holmes (Producer/Composer) [3]
Tom DeSalvo (Lead Programmer) [3]
SeriesGabriel Knight
EngineSCI
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)Point-and-click adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a Template:Vgy point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line, Inc. (the now defunct Sierra Entertainment). It is the first game of the Gabriel Knight series and was first released in North America on December 17, 1993, but has been subsequently re-released both individually and as Gabriel Knight Mysteries: Limited Edition, a compilation with The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery. The game follows the eponymous Gabriel Knight, owner of a rare book store and fledgling writer, as he investigates a series of local murders he plans to use as the basis for his new novel.

Sins of the Fathers was released cross-format as both a single CD-ROM disc and as a set of eleven 3.5" floppy disks. The CD-ROM version included voice-acting by Tim Curry, Mark Hamill, Michael Dorn, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and Leah Remini among others. The CD-ROM version also included video sequences that the floppy version instead included as a sequence of still images.[2]

On October 8, 2013 a remake titled Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition was announced for PC, Mac, iPad, Android,[5] and Linux.[6] The game is co-developed by Pinkerton Road and Phoenix Online Studios.[7]

Gameplay

The Icon bar.

Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure game, played from a third-person perspective. Its story unfolds over a sequence of "days", each of which has a required set of actions to be performed before proceeding to the next. In this way, the game proceeds mostly linearly, since the puzzles on a given "day" must be completed in order to reach the next day. However, within each day play may be nonlinear. Throughout the game a running score is added to as new challenges (both required and optional) are completed.[2]

Unlike newer graphical adventure games that use context-sensitive cursors that change based on what the cursor is hovering over, Sins of the fathers uses "dumb icons" or "dumb cursors" in which the correct cursor must be chosen for a specific interaction with an on screen object.[8] The various cursors are accessed by either selecting the respective icon from the "icon bar" or by cycling through the cursors in a predefined order. The available cursors are: WALK, LOOK, ASK, TALK, PICKUP, OPEN/CLOSE, OPERATE, and MOVE. Inventory items can also be used as cursors with the active inventory item also available in the cursor cycle.[9] Also located on the "icon bar" are the INVENTORY and RECORDER buttons, the active inventory item window, score, and the CONTROLS and HELP buttons. Clicking on the INVENTORY button will open up the inventory window, where items can be selected and combined as well as cursor icons that allow the player to use READ, OPEN, and LOOK commands with any inventory item.

"ASK" and "TALK" differ in that "ASK" results in "interrogation mode" and is only available with main characters, while "TALK" results in general, usually shorter, interactions and is available for most characters. Interrogation mode allows the player to ask the main characters questions by clicking on a topic from the list displayed. Global Topics may be asked of any character and are always present in the lists while specific topics are unique to each character and are subject to change. Past conversations are accessible through the RECORDER button which opens a recorder tapes window that displays tapes for each of the main characters.

At certain points during the game, the player is required to translate and send Drum Codes and Voodoo Codes. This is done by either selecting the correct character for the Voodoo code or by selecting the correct sequence for the drum code. Once the phrase is complete the player will select the SEND button to send the message.

Synopsis

Setting

Sins of the Fathers is set primarily in and around New Orleans and includes such real life locations as the French Quarter, Tulane University, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Lake Pontchartrain and St. Louis Cemetery. The game also includes locations in Bavaria and Benin.

Plot

The game follows Gabriel as he follows the police investigation into a spate of killings which apparently have voodoo overtones. Gabriel is hoping to use the investigation as the basis of a new novel, but as the days of the case progress, he is drawn much deeper into a mystery which links the murder spree to the underworld of voodoo myth and practice, and towards a beautiful and mysterious New Orleans socialite. He also draws links between the case and a horrific recurring nightmare which has plagued him all of his life. Gabriel comes into contact with a lost relative in Germany who informs him of his family's heritage. Gabriel finds he has inherited the mantle of Schattenjäger (in English, literally "shadow hunter"), a sort of modern day Inquisitor, and that only by embracing his calling can he overcome the curse which has almost wiped out the Schattenjäger line and is the cause of both his nightmares and the Voodoo Murders. Gabriel travels to Germany and Africa, before returning to New Orleans for the denouement and has to choose between love and forgiveness or fulfilling his duty (the game offers two endings which differ as a result of Gabriel's actions).

Characters

Main article: List of characters in the Gabriel Knight series

Soundtrack

In every Gabriel Knight game, the popular gospel hymn "When the Saints go marching in" can be heard, albeit in different remixes and forms.

Development

The plot and atmosphere of "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers" was highly inspired by the film "Angel Heart."[10] Game designer/director Jane Jensen recalled that she was given a great deal of freedom in creating the game's concept: "One of the great things about Sierra was that Ken Williams really believed in the artistic vision. If he gave you the chance to do a game, that was your responsibility. Nobody told you what to do with it. If it didn't sell, then you wouldn't do another game for him, but he would let you have that freedom."[11]

Reception

Notes

  1. ^ "Release Information for Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers". www.mobygames.com. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
  2. ^ a b c d "Adventure Gamers : Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers". www.adventuregamers.com. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  3. ^ a b c Jensen, Jane (1993). "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Technical Manual". Sierra Online, Inc.: 35–36. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "The Gabriel Knight Mysteries: System Req's". www.sierrastudios.com. Archived from the original on 2001-06-29. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  5. ^ Jensen, Jane (8 October 2013). "jensen_jane". Twitter. Twitter Inc. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  6. ^ Hathaway, Weldon (8 October 2013). "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Remake Announced!". Pinkerton Road Studio Official Forum. Pinkerton Road Studio. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  7. ^ Bittar, Cesar (8 October 2013). "MGX Announced: Phoenix Online developing Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father Remake!". Phoenix Online Studios. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Review by Quandary". www.quandaryland.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-23. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  9. ^ Jensen, Jane (1993). "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Technical Manual". Sierra Online, Inc.: 7–8. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "DetectiveMosley comments on "I am Jane Jensen, creator of Gabriel Knight, Gray Matter and Pinkerton Road game studio. Ask me anything."". www.reddit.com. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  11. ^ Kollar, Phil (2012). "Hunting Shadows: The Rise and Fall of Gabriel Knight". Game Informer (229): 98–99.
  12. ^ "allgame ((( Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers > Overview )))". www.allgame.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  13. ^ "allgame ((( Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers > Overview )))". www.allgame.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  14. ^ "allgame ((( Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers CD-ROM > Overview )))". www.allgame.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  15. ^ "Review: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers". www.justadventure.com. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  16. ^ "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers – Review – Adventure Classic Gaming". www.adventureclassicgaming.com. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  17. ^ "Gabriel Knight Review – Adventure Lantern". www.adventurelantern.com. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  18. ^ "Gabriel Knight Review - GamersHell.com". www.gamershell.com. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
  19. ^ "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Reviews". www.gamerankings.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  20. ^ a b "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers – MobyGames". www.mobygames.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  21. ^ "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers - Game Reviews from TopTenReviews.com". www.toptenreviews.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  22. ^ a b c "The Gabriel Knight Mysteries: Overview". www.sierrastudios.com. Archived from the original on 2001-06-26. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
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