Gabriel Knight 2 - The Beast Within
Review
"Where shadows end, the hunt begins...
From the darkly prolific mind of creator Jane Jensen comes the next Gabriel Knight Mystery: The Beast Within. Now we find Schattenjager, or shadow hunter, Gabriel and his assistant Grace Nakimura deeply embroiled in a murderous mystery that unravels half a world away.
Play as both Gabriel and Grace as they are dispatched to Munich to solve a series of mutilation murders thought to be the work of werewolves. Gabriel confronts his own demons while Grace traces an historical mystery, that of the strange demise of Mad King Ludwig II. The hunters become the hunted, and the only hope for deliverance lies in the most desperate of schemes..."
- Quote from the original game box.
It was 1995 and the gaming industry was still finding its footing in the world. With the success of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father, a second game was inevitable. Out comes Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within. A marvel for its time, this second installment used full motion video with hired actors, to make it feel more like an interactive movie. To create this type of game was expensive and only lasted a few games over the span of a few years, before Sierra switched to a fully rendered 3D engine instead.
The game was also huge for its time, its contents spanning a whopping 6 CDs to fit all the video and audio that the game possessed. The development paid off in the end, as the game went on to become a best seller and hit among fans. It also captured the Game of the Year award in 1996 along with several other awards (Editor's Choice, Golden Triad Award, Adventure Game of the Year).
Even though the technology is severely out-dated to today's standards, it still holds up as a masterpiece of story telling and adventure gaming, and I highly recommend that if you have not stepped into the shoes of Gabriel Knight, do not wait any longer, for a mystery that spans centuries is waiting for you to unravel.
By: Faeran
