Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned

aka: GK3, Gabriel Knight 3, Gabriel Knight 3: Blut der Heiligen, Blut der Verdammten, Gabriel Knight 3: Enigme en Pays Cathare, Gabriel Knight 3: Il Mistero di Rennes-Le-Château, Il Mistero Macchiato di Sangue, Gabriel Knight 3: Krew Świętych, Krew Potępionych, Gabriel Knight 3: Sangue Profano, Gabriel Knight 3: Testamento del Diablo
Moby ID: 484
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Description official descriptions

The third game in the series takes Gabriel Knight, the former owner of a book store in New Orleans, and now a Schattenjäger ("shadow hunter") living in a castle in Bavaria, to Rennes-le-Chateau, a quiet town in Southern France. Gabriel and his assistant Grace Nakimura investigate the kidnapping of a baby: the son of Prince James of Albany was taken away, and the trace leads to Rennes-le-Chateau. While exploring the town and its surroundings and getting acquainted with the unusual history of the place, Gabriel and Grace realize that supernatural beings are pulling the strings behind the stage, and become involved in a mystery with a religious background dating back to the very beginnings of Christianity.

Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned is a 3D adventure game. Playing as Gabriel or Grace, the player navigates the characters through fully 3D environments, which can also be viewed and explored from first-person perspective using the "camera" option. The player interacts with people and objects by clicking on them and then selecting one of the available actions. There are many kinds of puzzles in the game: traditional inventory-based ones, detective investigation, as well as complex puzzles based on the player's knowledge and understanding of the game's lore.

Spellings

  • Гэбриэл Найт 3: В поисках Грааля - Russian spelling
  • 狩魔猎人3 - Simplified Chinese spelling
  • 狩魔獵人3:聖魔血祭 - Traditional Chinese spelling

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Credits (Windows version)

130 People (119 developers, 11 thanks) · View all

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Game Designed and Written By
[ full credits ]

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Critics

Average score: 83% (based on 45 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 127 ratings with 7 reviews)

Millennium Mystery

The Good
Every once in a thousand years, the developers make a mystery that marks a millennium, hehe, and this game definitely proves that no suspense movie can compete with minds of developers, designers, and story writers when they focus on something. And being an honest fan of mystery and detective adventure games such as Gabriel Knight series, Tex Murphy series, or such, I can say that without a doubt, playing such an intriguing, deep, sometimes complicated, turnover, investigator's role is much better then just sitting in front of screen and watching some Humphrey Boggart playing Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe. Hey, I'm not saying I don't enjoy that either, I do :)

Okay, everything started when "The Beast Within" me awakened as I way sleeplessly playing through the second installment of the series, for which I consider it to be the best of the series, and officially decided to get "GK I" and "GK 3". Thanks to my great vendor, just next month he said he got the games, and soon afterwards I was unwrapping the package. Okay, I wanted to finish the first installment from the series to get even more acquainted with the main character's past and how he got into that schattenjaegger business. I dunno how have I managed, but for next couple of weeks I was finishing "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers" without even checking the third one. And then the time has come to unravel the mystery larger than all so far seen and unseen.

It was a great to notice how they kept each of those three games so different by the stories, so connected by the characters, so great within the music element, and so stylishly parted from 2d point-and-click graphic adventure, through blue-screen video-post adventure to 3d point-and-click graphic adventure. Yup, this time Gabe definitely looked above expectations, hehe. And so did Grace if I may add :)

The game gives you opportunity to play in different resolutions (unlike the other two), and to use (or not) your 3d acc. graphic card. Shadowing and mapping lokes much smoother and more true that way. But the best point of all was that you could move camera independently of your main character. Seeing and hearing what he does not, adjusting your investigative skills with his wit and charm, and solving mysteries piece by piece. As much as it seemed hard to master at the moment, it all became real easy to handle.

Now, the story starts as you arrive with a train at some God forsaken place called Rennes-le-Chateau in France, carrying a bump on your head alongside. You were following the kidnappers of a Prince James' child, but being hectic and unpredictable as you always are, Grace decided not to follow you at the moment. Hmm, now this place looks really strange, and more you visit it, more mysteries you'll reveal, and more then you'll want to for sure. Guess you better phone Grace and let her know where to come.

The story really becomes tense and suspensseful at many points, and brings you practically to unimaginable point when unraveling. You'll have many ways to play, many opportunities to meet someone, but only you choose when and where to do so. You will control both Gabriel and Grace characters, with Gabe being more a man of an action, and with Gracie being more a woman with a brain. The dialogues between them and the other characters are simply brillians, every accent, every word, it's amazing. And Tim Curry, who was voice-actor or original Gabe in "Sins of the Fathers" is back now playing Gabriel again, and even better. As for Grace Nakimura, I must admit Charity James was the best voice I have ever heard in my life. She was is also voice-actress of Elaine in "Escape From Monkey Island". LucasArts was always leading when it comes to voice acting, and still is, but it's really nice to find something amazing in Sierra or other companies form time to time, no? :)

The music, as in prequel, is divided into segments that are like 5 to 30 seconds each, so they change to create atmosphere and ambient accordingly. But hey, there are many longer songs and great ones, they should've make a soundtrack from this game for sure. Robert Holmes sure knows his work when it comes to piano songs. Yup, piano is my fav, so go figure why I like the music so much :) Plus, it's really great.

The Bad
A-a, no way! This game is amazing. If they never make a sequel to it, then that will be the biggest failure and injustice they'll make to loyal players and fans of this amazingly great mystery adventure series.

The Bottom Line
Well, the game is simply great. And if you don't have it already, then you're wasting your time reading this... go get it! C'mon, go for it. Don't wait 'til it runs outta stocks.

This game has absolutely nothing to disappoint you with, it has deep and very unique story, nicely drawn characters and animations are very very much okay, hehe. The music at its best, suspense active as always, adventuring spirit always aside, never know who to blaim 'til the very end, solving ancient mysteries with a class, speech and humour at the high level for certain, and interface cannot be easier then it is with all it complicity at first sight.

Okay, if you're trying to find a game that will scare you a lot, or give you too chilling moments and are a fan of horror games, then this is a wrong bet. The great games like this are usually based on the story, atmosphere and practically everything, so scarring player may not be included at its best. Well, it did work for me though, I remember my expectations when I was playing with a Grace in that vine cellar not knowing to whom I approached (still don't, though, hehe), or when playing with Gabriel in the dank dark always expecting for someone to pop-up behind some tree or a rock. Well, the suspense is at its best, and twist are more then you will expect. Trust me on this one, 'cos if you're reading this review, and are doing that just because you're bored and don't intend to get this game, then I can only say 'wrong direction kid, go play Wolfenstein', but if you're considering getting this game, trust me and get it. You won't have anything to complain about. You'll get all you wish for, and more to throw around.

Frankly, I dunno how Sierra became popular with games like "King's Quest", but if Jane Jensen worked on those, I sure wouldn't think twice before getting them, hehe. I just hope this game will be getting sequel so much "Final Fantasy" series will seem like a humble collection aside this. I'm guessing making a great game sucks time bigtime, and there are too many people on this globe to realize the greatness of such games. Just check "Deus Ex" and you'll see what I'm pointing at. ON the other side, if this game sold on millions and became hit, Sierra would definitely made another one, but guess what... they would make it to achieve another profit of masses, and the game's quality would go down. So I guess, it's better three but breathtaking three, then ten games but nothing much.

Are you still reading this?? 'nock it off and go buy it!

Windows · by MAT (240759) · 2012

Not The Game, but still a pretty good one

The Good
Graphics and sound - what works

Gabriel Knight 3 has solid, well designed graphics in full, ‘real’ 3D. No slow-down whatsoever, the camera roams high and down ahead and back and rotates 360-degree as you wish all the time with no hiccups.

What’s most important, most of the people and things in the game still look cool 15 or more years after release. Takes little to appreciate what hard work went into the good looks of everything, from the characters to buildings and the various landscape.

Music and sound fxs are there doing their job too. Scary when it ought be scary, more emotional or straight fun when ought to be so, music keeps up helping the story’s whole atmosphere the whole of time.

In a nutshell, nice graphics and good sound add up to a game experience likable to the eye and thrilling.

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Gameplay - what works

In a 3D world designers could hide secrets and caveats pretty much anywhere, which opens up the game for more quirks and things to do than your average 2D adventure maybe. The game interface works smooth and isn’t gonna bother you.

You control Gabriel Knight some days (chapters), and his female buddy Grace Nakimura the rest of time. She kind of steals the game. Makes the game feel up-to-date with today’s equality ideas and is a nice touch, too bad you have to control Gabe in the final.

High fun factor overall, specially thanks to many of the puzzles are not too hard, so they won’t make any players feel they want to leave the game b4 they finish it. Also, the in-game help feature is a fine touch and in 1999 meant designers where keeping in step with the times.

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Plot and replay value - what works

Well, you have a quite long thriller story full of things to do and surprises. Many interesting characters and locales too. It’s at least 20 hours of playing, maybe 30. Replay value is OK, as you’re gonna miss some hidden things in your first playthrough, and the score system provides the grounds for trying again and get everything.

The Bad
Graphics and sound - what doesn’t work

Quite everything is perfectly ok with the graphics and sound, but some of the art sucks, the voices are campy, low-res textures were applied across large areas.
Anyway, you still get into the game.

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Gameplay - what doesn’t work

A big issue is the infamous cat mustache puzzle. This puzzle, as other reviewers said, is difficult not because its clever but because your simply left stumped by the idiotic kind of solution. Issues with some puzzles, so tough some of you may quit and leave the game. Even the research material into Grace’s SYDNEY computer can confuse some people. In-game hints are available only sometimes, so maybe go straight to a FAQ whenever you get stuck.

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Plot and replay value - what doesn't work

To say it bluntly, nothing’s wrong with the plot and replay value. Anyway you don’t have achievements to collect, and they should be there IMHO.

The Bottom Line
After great experiences with GK1 and GK2, I was quite looking forward to playing the third game and in no way it let me down.

In a nutshell, what you gonna get with Gabriel Knight 3 is around 20 hours of pretty decent, streamlined, fleshed-out adventure gameplay for $6. That’s a fine deal. The game is often on sale, which sure makes it a bargain nobody wants to miss.

Windows · by J32ME_4ever (4) · 2016

Another kickass GK game which unfortunately tones down the terror in favor of the "edutaiment" value....blah!

The Good
An adventure game that is both new and old in many aspects, Gabriel Knight manages to dazzle the mind once again as he stars in yet another perfectly crafted storyline written by series creator Jane Jensen. As usual for the series, the game puts you in the middle of a complex and genuinely interesting plot that revolves around actual facts sprinkled with some supernatural elements and with some dashes of lighthearted sexual comedy. The results are once again, as usual: magnificent.

The storyline progresses smoothly, and introduces plot-points and revelations at a pace that manages to keep you interested yet doesn't overshoot, even if it does lean heavily towards being a "Whudunnit?" plot and ditches most of the supernatural elements (more on that later). Further praise must be awarded to Mrs Jensen for finally putting a closure to one of the most annoying aspects that plagued the series: the Gabriel/Grace love/hate relationship, It always seemed like a cheap gimmick to keep ratings up and this is Gabriel Knight, not "Friends". The resolution is open to interpretation, but for the most part ends the "will they ever get toghether?" question, and lets us focus on the storyline instead of the shitty "loves me / loves me not" soap opera. I personally would have preferred it to be more final, but at least it's something.

The real innovation in the game comes of course, in the gameplay and graphics area. It seems that the GK are the only game series that have passed all the major gameplay/graphic fads of the videogame industry, first the SCUMM-ish sprite-based engine, then the FMV interactive-movie one, and now the flashy polygonal world comes to the GK franchise. As far as I'm concerned, the engine and the gameplay mechanics work perfectly with the game since nothing allows you to explore with as much leisure and freedom as a fully-polygonal world. Basically, you don't just control the characters, but you also have full control of the "camera" that serves as your pov, so you can move anywhere you want and get a good look at whatever the hell you want. The puzzles respond to this engine change, and tough there are still plenty of "typical" inventory/deduction puzzles, there are also new ones that involve visual coordination and less obvious mind skills. In all, the new engine is a marked improvement, and the puzzles and general gameplay are extremely well made.

The production values for the game are also top-notch, with great voice acting (who the hell says this game has bad acting??? The accents are a bit on the rough side, but it's still far from being Deus Ex!) fantastic music (tough a bit far too folky for my taste), and (on a more superfluous note) a kickass box and documentation. The manual is as flimsy as they get nowadays, but the game includes a wonderfully drawn (if a bit to artsy) comic as a prologue to the game just as in the original.

The Bad
Well, I loved GK3 and in fact the entire GK series is one of my personal favorite adventure series, but regardless of my enjoyment, I am not fanboyish enough to ignore the game's flaws.

First of all the gameplay introduces a highly controversial addition to me: time-based puzzles. In other words, there are some actions in the game that take place in real-time whether you are there or not, and if you manage to get them good, if not it sucks to be you pal!!.... Geez, I assume this was done as a means of artificially enhancing the replayability factor, but it's a very anal way of doing so. Plus most of the time there are no logical pointers to tell you whether X thing is going to happen at Y moment, you just have to pray that you are at the right time in the right moment. None of these moments are game-stoppers if you miss them, but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck to miss them.

Furthermore, the storyline is good and all, but unfortunately ditches all the horror and suspense the previous games were known for. Jane Jensen focused on telling a tale more about conspiracies, secrets and developing her characters. So that leaves little place for the terror. In fact, if it weren't for the occasional murder the game pretty much forgets about it's "vampiric" setting and instead plays more like a whudunnit adventure with a lot of historical and occult references. There just isn't enough room between Gabriel and Grace's romantic comedy, the conspiracy theories and the historical mumbo-jumbo to jam in the terror, which leads me to believe that the series has finally turned into it's creator's fetish outlet where she just does whatever the hell she wants regardless of whether it fits the role or not. That's respectable, but Mrs Jensen would benefit from going back to the humble roots that started her road to fame instead of using GK as some sort of open mike for her historical interests. When you think about it, it's better to have the series die now instead of having to endure sequels that fully cross the border into "edutaiment" brrr.... Now THAT's terrifying!!!

Sure, the GK games were as scary as forgetting the keys to your car, but at least they had a lot of suspense, and managed to create some serious atmosphere. The game still retains the quality in writing and all, but suspense/horror-wise it doesn't hold a candle against the previous GKs. And don't get me started on the vampires!! I meet scarier anorexic black trenchcoat-wearing dumbasses on my local goth-club... mmmmh.... goth chicks.... hmmmmm!....... What? Oh yeah, the vampires on GK3 suck. And what's with the Indiana Jones ending sequence??? Let's just move on...

Last but not least there are some weird graphic issues. I don't have a monster system, yet I can perfectly run massive 3D games like the new Wolf, GTA3, etc.. yet GK3 still chugs like a bastard whenever I try to turn on full detail! Furthermore there are clipping issues and other interesting glitches that make it seem as if the engine needed another couple of hours on the Q&A program, but the main issue that I bring this up is that while far above average, the quality of the graphics never justify the problems it causes! I still laugh whenever I remember Gabriel's "cardboard" underwear or the visible joints on every character model. To be fair tough, the quality of the textures is still amazing.

The Bottom Line
GK3 is a perfect example of when an artist has waaay to much power. Even if she were on drugs and with handcuffs, Jane Jensen could still write a fantastic storyline. Yet I feel if someone had bothered to remind her aim should have been making a great game instead of "Jane Jensen's Gabriel Knight 3" the game would have been as memorable not just as a well-crafted 3D adventure but also as a horror/suspense classic. As it is now it's a great adventure, but don't let the box deceive you, this is a "conspiracy mystery placed in a history lesson". That doesn't mean it's bad, mind you, but it's far different from the "suspense thriller based on actual historical facts" that the previous games had us used to. Ask yourself what your interests are before you dive in. Regardless of that it's a fantastic game that should keep you interested for quite a while.

Windows · by Zovni (10504) · 2001

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject By Date
Best adventure series ever. chirinea (47504) Nov 8, 2011
Still The Greatest St. Martyne (3648) Feb 23, 2009
And that f'ing puzzle is not only stupid ... Slug Camargo (583) Oct 3, 2007

Trivia

Bugs

Gabriel and Grace both give humorous comments at most objects you see in the game. Though there is a little bug in this - being Grace and looking in the museum of rennes-le-chateau and looking at one of the paintings on the wall in the big museum-hall will give you Gabriel's comment on it.

Development

Dean Erickson, who played Gabriel in GK2, was briefly considered to play the role of Gabriel again. But Sierra wanted a more professional actor to play the role and so Tim Curry was chosen to return to the series.

Inspiration

The plot around the San Greal Secrets book is partially based on the real 1983 novel Holy Blood, Holy Grail. A controversial work on its own, it returned to the spotlights once again amid plagiarism speculations in the 2003 bestseller The Da Vinci Code.

Legacy

Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned was the last adventure game published by Sierra.

References

  • Grace now has a computer that keeps all the shadow hunter's data and is called SIDNEY. The thing is, that when you enter "Gabriel Knight 4" as a topic of research, you get a ghost story. Jane Jensen affirmed that if GK4 ever gets out, as a book or a game, it will be about ghosts.
  • When you look at the chicken who's walking outside the hotel, Gabriel will say something about the voodoo murders from the first Gabriel Knight adventure.

Wal-Mart

The game's subtitle "Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned" was removed from the cover of boxes sold at Wal-Mart locations, as per their request.

Information also contributed by Crawly, Ju, just Ju..., Luis Silva, MAT, Picard, Tom Murphy and WildKard

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Andy Roark.

Additional contributors: Andrew Hartnett, Zovni, Erwin Bergervoet, Adam Baratz, Unicorn Lynx, Jeanne, JRK, chirinea, Gonchi, Aubustou, Klaster_1, Paulus18950, Cantillon, Rodrigo Steinmann, Patrick Bregger, Bart Smith.

Game added November 28, 1999. Last modified March 14, 2024.