Much better than the Da Vinci Code.

Gameplay 9 Battle System N/A Story 9 Visuals 8 Characters 10 Sounds 8 Replay Value 5 Difficulty Difficult Completion Time 3 weeks

Long before "The Da Vinci Code" attempted to solve the mystery of Jesus' past and the secret history of Christianity, another person had already achieved it. The name of that person was Jane Jensen, and her attempt at cracking the mystery was "Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned". The main difference between her work and the infamous novel was that (a) she was MUCH better writer and (b) the research she conducted on the subject was actually CREDIBLE.

Recent publicity that "The Da Vinci Code" has acquired made me go back and have a second look at this long forgotten gem in order to remind people that much more talented and capable people have already tackled the subject.

Since I am talking about the third game in the Gabriel Knight Series and since, I assume, most of you don't have a clue what it's about, instead of urging you to look it up in Google or Wikipedia, I'll give a short synopsis of what has happened so far.

In "Gabriel Knight 1: Sins of the Fathers" we are introduced to Gabriel Knight. Gabriel is most definitely a unique (anti)hero. He is a self-proclaimed writer that hasn't managed to write a novel in years, he runs a run-of-the-mill bookstore with his unpaid assistant Grace Nakamura who is quite resistant to his (and I use this term loosely) charms and thinks of himself as a "ladies man". He is irresponsible and carefree. Anyway, during the course of the game he becomes unwittingly and unwillingly involved in a huge voodoo conspiracy. In the end Gabriel is forced to accept his destiny as a "Shattenjagger" (i.e. Shadow Hunter), recover a lost heirloom and destroy the conspiracy that once disgraced and destroyed his family.

In "Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within", Gabe is now a best-selling author that lives in his own castle in Germany, courtesy of his family. He is busy writing and re-writing his latest novel (which doesn't seem to turn out very good) when he receives his first official assignment as a Shattenjager. He soon becomes entangled in a plot involving werewolves, secret societies, opera and King Ludwig the VIII.

…Which brings us to the third game in the series. In here Gabriel is invited by an aristocrat to his mansion near, Renne Le Chatteau. It appears that the reason he invited Gabe over was not just to spice up an otherwise boring high-class party, but because of certain entities that have been plaguing his family for centuries.

Guess what those entities are... Let's see the first one had Voodoo, and the second one had werewolves... So the next thing in line is...

Vampires of course!

The vampires have been leeching him and his family dry for years, literally and metaphorically. He never cared much for this before, but now he has a child and he wants to protect him. Gabriel, being who he is, agrees to help, but on the first day of his watch the entities kidnap the child. Gabriel gives chase but is knocked out and stranded in Renne Le Chateau. Saving the child will involve not only delving with the supernatural but solving the mystery of Renne Le Chateau itself. Gabriel's wits aren't up to the task, himself being what can be best described as "a typical guy." So who is he going to call?

Enter Grace Nakamura, one of the best female characters ever to grace a a video game. Even though she refers to herself as "The Trusty Sidekick" the truth is that she is as an important character as Gabriel is, perhaps even more so. Her wit is razor sharp (Her line, "Isn't it great to watch animals in their natural habitat," while watching Gabriel and a friend get piss-drunk at a pub had me in stitches), and she doesn't take any crap from the guys, especially Gabriel. She is well educated and she is Asian! Talk about your non-typical female video game protagonist.

As Grace, you have to gather and analyze information, put the the pieces of the puzzle together, and uncover the secret history of Christianity. Her puzzles are some of the best crafted ones I have ever seen in a game, and it's a real shame that the game isn't all about her.

The Gabriel Knight games have a reputation of being well researched and treating the supernatural subjects that they discuss with respect. Gabriel Knight 3 is no exception. The vampires in this game don't have anything to do with what you see in movies. Jane Jensen decided to base the vampires in what she read in respected journals, not movies. Hence the vampires in the game are actually believable, which brings the horror a bit closer to home.

I mentioned "The Da Vinci Code" for a reason. Nearly all the puzzles of this game show up in "The Da Vinci Code.” The secret geometry of the Renaissance Paintings? It's here! The "ET IN ARCADIA EGO" word play? Here as well! And yes, even the theological conclusions that "The Da Vinci Code" came up with are identical.

The main difference, apart from the supernatural element, is that Jane Jensen actually manages to do some great character writing, and the historical research she uses is well founded and so convincing that you will find yourself wondering at times. The way you have to put the pieces of the puzzle together is utterly realistic and engaging. All the characters are three dimensional and have their own background and quirks. OK, not all, since some characters are there just for the sake of a puzzle, but most of them. It's fun to watch Grace and Gabriel interact with them.

The excellent voice work helps a lot to bring the characters to life. Gabriel Knight is voiced by Tim Curry who adds a New Orleans accent and colour to the character. Some of Gabe's mannerisms and reactions are downright hilarious, which helps lighten up the game a bit.

The graphics are dated, which is logical, considering the game was released back in 1999. However, the way you can move the camera in a full 3D environment is still groundbreaking today, and is a good example of how 3D graphics can enhance the atmosphere of a game (in the adventure genre or otherwise). I like the way Grace is being drawn, not overly sexy, reserved, but beautiful and attractive in her own way.

The game is almost perfect, but it has one large flaw. Well, not really a flaw, since it's not the fault of the game itself: The way the story ends leaves the game very much open for a sequel. Sure, the vampires are defeated in the end (if you play your cards right) and you get to find out a lot about how the whole "Shattenjager" thing got started, but what happens to Gabriel and Grace in the end... I want to see a Gabriel Knight 4, dammit! Better yet, give Grace her own game! Characters like her don't show up frequently in video games.

Alas, with the death of the adventure game genre, and with the recent shut-down of Sierra-On-Line, it's not bloody (pun intended) likely. So enjoy this gem and give a prayer for someone to pick up the franchise again.

NOTE: You can find some pretty sweet deals on eBay and Amazon, if you want to buy this game. You might want to check out the manual and comic book story of the game which can be found at the "Home of the Underdogs" website (Google it). Read the stories behind Gabriel Knight 1&2 as well while you are at it.