DOS

The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery

This is a very gripping game that is one of a kind. I just can't say enough good things about it. So just go and buy it, play it, recommend it.

In conclusion, Gabriel Knight II is an excellent game. While other games at the time used full motion video as this does, they tended to be fairly poor, lacking the effectiveness of either movies or less realistic games. In this case, however, the movies are well-directed and at least decently acted, and are supported by some very well-chosen actors, such as Peter Lucas in the part of Baron von Glower. The game play is fun, the story is well-written and interesting, and the characters have advanced nicely from their previous adventure. The graphics are at times beautiful, and the music at its best stirring and dramatic. This is a game that I definitely recommend to any who might find the themes of interest, and would suggest that others at least try if they come by it for a decent price.

Overall, I found this a truly wonderful experience. The game continues the Gabriel Knight myth more than adequately, gameplay is somply a lot of fun. I recommend this game highly to intermediate to accomplished adventure gamers. Beginners may well be advised to be patient, some of the puzzles are a bit tough to grasp without the experience of gameplay. Bottom Line: Lots of fun. Continues the adventures of Gabe and Grace very well. Gabriel is much more likeable this time around. Sierra could have given us full-screen, every line FMV.

Jane Jensen ist mit diesem Spiel mehr als nur ein würdiger Nachfolger zu ihrem Erstlingswerk Sins of the Fathers gelungen. Sie hat es geschafft, mit einem fähigen Team von Filmleuten und Grafikern, den Musik-Kompositionen ihres Ehemannes Robert Holmes, einer Menge an kluger Rätsel und einer ebenso fesselnden wie faszinierenden Geschichte (die bis heute Ihresgleichen sucht), ein atmosphärisches Meisterwerk zu schaffen, das selbst noch in Zeiten, in denen 3D-Grafik nur noch Nostalgiker interessiert, ein einzigartiges Spielerlebnis sein wird.

Like a well-researched American Werewolf in Germany with passable acting and no major plot snafus, this interactive movie easily surpasses most of the click-and-watch live-action CD-ROMs out there. If you don't have the patience to search through all these clues, though, you won't have the stamina to find The Beast Within.

The Beast Within is an incredible achievement. While not flawless, any problems with the game are easily outshined by the wonderful storyline, deep background, and excellent puzzle design. I highly recommend it to any adventure gamer as an shining example of what could be accomplished with Full Motion Video, as well as a classic gameplay experience.

Pros: Gabriel Knight 2's storyline was the most intriguing and creative one I've seen in an adventure game; the game smoothly integrates puzzles and clues into the plot; it has a low frustration level; it would be challenging for beginning and intermediate level adventure gamers. Cons: Advanced adventure gamers might breeze through this one a bit quickly.

Eindconclusie: een prachtig adventure dat men gewoon niet kan laten liggen. Weken amusement gegarandeerd als je niet te snel naar de oplossing grijpt. Zes CD´s met niet één byte overbodige rommel. Danke scheun, Sierra and auf wieder sehen bis GK3?

Wenn man mit Übertreibungen nicht vorsichtiger umgehen müßte, würde ich sagen, The Beast Within sei das erste Spiel, bei dem der Bezeichnung "Interaktiver Spielfilm" kein fauliger Beigeschmack mehr anhaftet. Trotzdem ziehe ich das Wort Adventure in diesem Fall vor. Gabriel Knight 2 ist eine gelungene Fortsetzung des spannungsgeladenen ersten Teils.

The scope of this game is immense, ranging from the multitude of photo-realistic locations and superb actors, to the excellent Wagnerian music and operatic performances. This is what interactive entertainment is all about. The first Gabriel Knight adventure suffered from tedious clue-gathering and arduous gameplay but enjoyed reasonable popularity nevertheless. This second installment is light years beyond the first and should be on every adventurer's PC.

Den Sprung vom "ganz nett" ins "richtig gut"-Lager verhinderte das arg leichtgewichtige Spieldesign. Zwischen den sporadischen Puzzles gibt es viel geistigen Leerlauf, wo sie den Bildschirm nach anklickbaren Details absuchen. Ähnlich müde sind die zahlreichen Dialogie, bei denen man wieder nur einfach alle Punkte der Reihe nach durchklickt. Gabriel Knight 2 ist zwar nicht so unfair wie sein Vorgänger, aber das Spieldesign wirkt im Vergleich zum Videoclip-Aufwand etwas vernachlässigt.