Gray Matter

About

In Gray Matter, recently hired assistant Samantha Everett helps reclusive neurobiologist Dr. David Styles conduct experiments on six volunteers at Oxford University. As strange incidents occur, players must decipher the true intentions of Dr. Styles' research and uncover the secrets of Dread Hill House. Legendary game author Jane Jensen presents a captivating mystery adventure that explores the realms of science and the supernatural.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 440 reviews

story245 positive mentions

optimization7 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story that keeps players invested throughout the game.
Beautiful graphics and art style, with a mix of hand-drawn cutscenes and detailed backgrounds.
Unique gameplay mechanics involving magic tricks that add a fresh twist to traditional point-and-click puzzles.

Some technical issues, including performance problems and slow character movement, which can detract from the overall experience.
Certain puzzles can be frustratingly obscure, requiring players to backtrack or consult walkthroughs to progress.
The ending feels rushed and leaves several plot points unresolved, which may disappoint players looking for closure.

story
503 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
3%
The story of "Gray Matter" is widely praised for its engaging and intricate narrative, blending elements of mystery, romance, and the supernatural, crafted by renowned writer Jane Jensen. Players appreciate the well-developed characters and the immersive atmosphere, although some note that the pacing can be slow and certain plot points may feel unresolved. Overall, the storytelling is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of narrative-driven adventure games.
- “The story is captivating and I did care a lot about the characters.”
- “Gray Matter is a captivating and thought-provoking point-and-click adventure game that delivers a gripping and suspenseful storyline.”
- “The story is beautifully written and had me on the edge of my seat wanting more.”
- “The atmosphere and story have potential, but the overall execution lacks the depth and polish of a classic Sierra title.”
- “The story is blunt and ham-fisted, lacking the nuance and subtlety that could have made it engaging.”
- “The story occasionally falls apart when characters act against their established personalities, making it hard to stay immersed.”
music
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
33%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the haunting and atmospheric soundtrack composed by Robert Holmes, which enhances the overall experience and immerses players in the story. While some noted that the music can become repetitive over time, the majority found it memorable and evocative, contributing significantly to the game's gothic ambiance and emotional depth. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many expressing a desire to purchase it separately.
- “The soundtrack is excellent, and when combined with the pre-rendered backgrounds, it creates an atmosphere that keeps you immersed in the story.”
- “The music, composed by Robert Holmes as usual, is moody and quiet, and there are some lovely pieces like David's theme that are just a delight.”
- “The soundtrack by Robert Holmes is gothic and hauntingly beautiful, especially the songs by the Scarlet Furies.”
- “A glitch with the music not playing where it should.”
- “The music is repetitive because they loop it.”
- “The music might be quite annoying in the end.”
graphics
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
36%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork, detailed environments, and captivating visuals that enhance the storytelling experience. However, some players note that certain character models and animations feel outdated or clunky, particularly in cutscenes, which detracts from the overall visual appeal. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, they may not meet the expectations of players seeking modern standards.
- “This game's graphics are absolutely gorgeous, and the sound design and voice acting are very good too.”
- “The environments are intricately detailed, with a realistic and immersive aesthetic that perfectly captures the game's gothic atmosphere.”
- “The gorgeous graphics, interesting story, intelligently designed riddles, and a lot of suspense, combined with a masterpiece of a twist at the game's ending, make this game a piece of art.”
- “The visuals, especially character models and animations, are subpar for 2014.”
- “The game's visuals will likely disappoint some, given that the game originally released in English around 2011 and looks more like it was a product from the early 2000s.”
- “The graphics could have been better; some scenes were a little blurred for my taste, like at the end when you finally see David's face, that scene should have been sharper since it was such an important part of the story.”
gameplay
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The gameplay of "Gray Matter" is characterized by its classic point-and-click mechanics, enhanced by a unique magic trick system that adds a layer of puzzle-solving. While some players appreciate the innovative integration of magic into the gameplay, others find it tedious and convoluted, leading to a slow-paced experience. Overall, the game offers a mix of engaging storytelling and traditional adventure gameplay, though it may frustrate those seeking more streamlined mechanics.
- “The game’s premise of blending magic tricks with puzzle-solving intrigued me, and I appreciated the unique twist this brought to the gameplay.”
- “The incorporation of the protagonist's magic into the puzzles is quite original and adds a unique twist to the gameplay.”
- “Great story, music, gameplay, and very likeable main character.”
- “The tedious building of magic tricks stifles gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is frustrating, but that's par for the course for most adventure games.”
- “It's a shame every single aspect of what makes this a game is so poorly executed; the mechanics ruin the pacing and make the whole thing a grueling experience.”
atmosphere
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
7%
The atmosphere of "Gray Matter" is widely praised for its immersive and gothic qualities, enhanced by excellent soundtracks and detailed visuals that create a sense of mystery and intrigue. While some reviews note inconsistencies in the story and gameplay challenges, the overall ambiance, character depth, and artistic design contribute to a captivating experience that resonates with fans of classic point-and-click adventures. Many players find the combination of narrative, music, and environment to be a standout feature, making the game a worthwhile endeavor despite its minor flaws.
- “The soundtrack is excellent, and when combined with the pre-rendered backgrounds, it creates an atmosphere that keeps you immersed in the story.”
- “The environments are intricately detailed, with a realistic and immersive aesthetic that perfectly captures the game's gothic atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and story have potential, but the overall execution lacks the depth and polish of a classic Sierra title.”
- “The atmosphere created was very mysterious, with heavy dashes of both gothic and paranormal sensibilities, so fans of those conventions should be quite pleased with the presentation.”
- “However, the noir atmosphere and just the way the art direction infused almost every scene and environment with dread was excellent.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
36%
50%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting persistent stuttering, unplayable framerates, and various performance issues across different hardware setups since its release. While some players found temporary fixes, such as restarting their machines or adjusting compatibility settings, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from severe optimization problems that hinder the experience, making it difficult to recommend.
- “I had massive performance problems with the game, as have a bunch of other people on the forums, but setting the game to Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode fixed it for me.”
- “I also had the slow performance issue (character moved super slowly, choppy first cutscene) when I first played the game, but that problem went away and never came back after I restarted my machine once.”
- “This game is broken and users have been reporting issues with stuttering and unplayable framerates since 2014.”
- “While the game is extremely promising thematically, it is extremely badly optimized; it's a laggy, stuttering mess on modern PCs.”
- “This game has serious performance issues on lots of machines, which renders it unplayable unless you restart your machine before you play.”
character development
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
29%
21%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and uniqueness, with some characters receiving significant attention and complexity. However, several reviewers noted that certain characters lacked sufficient background, which could have enhanced the overall narrative. While the story is engaging and the character designs are appealing, there are mixed feelings about the pacing and completeness of character arcs, with some feeling that potential was not fully realized.
- “The story is long and rich, carrying several intrigues along with character development.”
- “Great story, and nice character development.”
- “The voice acting is really well done, the character development is good and every character is unique in their own way, the puzzles can be challenging but in a fun way; they keep you engaged.”
- “I wish we got a little more character development. Dr. Styles was a complex character, but some of the others could have used more background that would have enhanced the overall story.”
- “Subjectively, there was some potential wasted with regards to character development, and the 'building up' did not always feel like it flowed smoothly.”
- “However, I was disappointed by some of the character development; it was minimal, and the ending felt very rushed.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow-paced, with many expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of building magic tricks and navigating through poorly designed mechanics. The gameplay is often described as stifling due to cumbersome animations and the need for excessive sequencing, which detracts from the overall experience despite an intriguing story.
- “Instead, you have to suffer through bad pathing, wonky and tedious 'turn around' animations, and slow walking/running speed whenever you want to interact with something.”
- “Overall, if you can put up with tedious and slow-paced gameplay, a decent and intriguing romantic novel-style story with surprising twists and turns is waiting for you.”
- “Also, once the novelty wears off, it becomes tedious - you first need to find the correct trick to pull off from inside the magic book, then you simply follow the steps.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting various bugs and glitches that can hinder gameplay, particularly on Windows 10. While some players experienced significant issues that required troubleshooting or led to lost progress, others found the game generally stable aside from a few minor problems. Frequent saving is recommended to mitigate potential setbacks.
- “I did run into a few glitches that meant I was stuck because the given event wasn't going off, so save often; I recommend using about a three-slot rotating system in addition to whatever milestone saves you decide to keep.”
- “I installed it and it works terribly slow and seems buggy; what a huge shame.”
- “What is probably a pretty nice game has turned into a buggy, stuttery mess on Windows 10.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a deeply emotional narrative, particularly highlighted through the touching cutscenes involving Dr. Styles, which resonate with players seeking romantic and tragic elements. While the character development and story are engaging, some reviewers felt that the ending's tragedy felt forced, detracting from the overall emotional impact. Despite its small size, the game successfully evokes strong feelings through its intimate storytelling and character connections.
- “The story is good, emotional in parts, tragic even.”
- “With a short cast of characters, I was deeply involved in the story, and its ending had parts that were genuinely emotional.”
- “Very touching story and character development.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of intentional and unintentional comedy, with moments that range from ridiculous to satirical, providing a light-hearted contrast to the overall suspenseful atmosphere. While some character portrayals and aspects of the humor may feel outdated or stereotypical, the game is appreciated for its quality storytelling that prioritizes a serious mystery over excessive silliness. Overall, it offers a balanced experience that can be enjoyable both solo and with friends.
- “Although sometimes it is so ridiculous that it almost becomes a satire and is funny again.”
- “There is a good mixture of seriousness and humor within the overall suspenseful atmosphere.”
- “Both sad and funny at times (sometimes unintentionally funny), it's also a great experience to share with a friend.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The Gabriel Knight games are noted for their linear gameplay, which results in limited replayability; however, some players are not deterred by this aspect, as they are aware of it prior to playing.
- “I've played the Gabriel Knight games before and knew going in that this would be really linear, with very little replay value, so that doesn't bug me.”