Game Groups > Gabriel Knight series

A series of puzzle-solving adventure games, originally designed by Jane Jensen and developed by Sierra. The games feature a recurrent protagonist, a young bookstore owner and aspiring writer from New Orleans named Gabriel Knight. Gabriel discovers that he is a Schattenjäger (German for "shadow hunter"), destined to solve supernatural mysteries and confront dark cults and demonic adversaries.

Despite their supernatural elements, Gabriel Knight games contain many historical references, and their stories are based on real studies of the occult. The first game deals with a voodoo cult in New Orleans, providing cultural and social background information for the city. The sequel is set in Munich, Germany; it is dedicated to werewolves, and refers to historical events connected to the city. The third game takes the protagonist to Southern France, where he must unravel a mystery that involves vampires and an alternate history of Christianity.

The three games of the series are also known for representing the three major graphical styles used by adventure games: the first game is done in hand-painted 2D style, the second uses full-motion videos with real actors and backgrounds composed of photos, and the third is in real-time 3D.

Awards

• Computer Gaming World
  • November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #2 Most Memorable Game Hero (Gabriel Knight)