The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight® Mystery

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 120 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight® Mystery Game Cover
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"The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight® Mystery" is a suspenseful game where players assume the roles of Gabriel and Grace, investigating a series of murders in Munich suspected to be caused by werewolves. The story interweaves contemporary drama with European history and lore, and unravels the mystery surrounding Gabriel, Mad King Ludwig II, and the Lost Wagner Opera. Perspectives switch between the two characters as the plot unfolds.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews
story50 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating story that blends real historical events with supernatural elements, particularly focusing on Bavarian history and werewolf mythology.
  • The acting is generally strong, with memorable performances that enhance the immersive experience, especially from the main characters Gabriel and Grace.
  • Despite its age, the game is still enjoyable for fans of point-and-click adventures, offering a nostalgic experience with engaging puzzles and a rich atmosphere.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes and long, tedious cutscenes that can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • Many puzzles are poorly communicated, leading to confusion and requiring the use of walkthroughs, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The full-motion video style, while innovative for its time, feels dated and can be off-putting for modern players, with some characters' portrayals being overly dramatic or inconsistent.
  • story101 mentions

    The story of the game is widely praised for its depth, engaging characters, and intriguing blend of historical and fictional elements, particularly surrounding themes of lycanthropy and real-life figures like Ludwig II of Bavaria. While some players found the pacing slow and the plot less compelling than its predecessor, many appreciated the strong writing, clever dialogue, and immersive atmosphere that kept them invested throughout. Overall, the narrative is considered a standout feature, making it a recommended experience for fans of story-driven adventure games.

    • “The game more than makes up for it with a fantastic story, clever dialogue, suspenseful scenes, and surprisingly strong acting.”
    • “I would thoroughly recommend this game if you are looking for a slow-paced but engrossing adventure, with a fantastic story and characters.”
    • “The story itself, the music, and the acting all make this a wonderful old-school game that fans of the genre should appreciate.”
    • “The story is a little less believable than the first but entertaining all the same; gameplay is good but baffling at times due to no explanation (in English!) of what you're doing or any way of reminding yourself at times, so if you forget it's walkthrough/trial and error time.”
    • “I then needed to go back to frustratedly and boredly watch the entire thing because they held story vital points that were not recapped anywhere.”
    • “This game is good but is somewhat confusing as most of the story takes place in Germany with German speakers surrounding you.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click experience that suffers from linearity and overly simplified puzzles, making it less engaging than its predecessor. While some players appreciate the logical riddles and fluid mechanics, others find the interaction points difficult to notice and the lack of clear guidance frustrating. Despite these issues, the strong narrative and acting help to elevate the overall experience, though the game may not age gracefully due to its era-specific conventions.

    • “While the puzzles are a bit simplified and the gameplay is rather linear due to the FMV constraints, the game more than makes up for it with a fantastic story, clever dialogue, suspenseful scenes, and surprisingly strong acting.”
    • “Very well researched, very interesting gameplay, great atmosphere, carefully constructed riddles.”
    • “The gameplay is a standard point-and-click adventure, but the riddles are much more logical and manageable than other Sierra games I have played, so I was never too frustrated by them.”
    • “Gameplay suffers like in its predecessor from poor communication of what you actually want to do and is only streamlined somewhat because there's overall less interaction and puzzles, and almost everything requires you only to click on it, so you find the actions necessary for the story to progress more easily.”
    • “The puzzles were a lot simpler than the previous game and the gameplay was overly simplified; some of the puzzles were okay but you just look for the icon to change to a sword to know that you had to do something.”
    • “Sadly, FMV adventure games soon became synonymous with bad acting, lack of interactivity, and boring gameplay, and with good reason.”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and grainy, reflecting its age, yet many players appreciate the charm and storytelling that compensate for these visual shortcomings. While some find the pixelated visuals and full-motion video lacking by modern standards, others argue that the engaging gameplay and historical context make it worth experiencing. Overall, despite the dated graphics, the game retains a nostalgic appeal and is still considered a classic in the adventure genre.

    • “By far the best visuals of the trilogy.”
    • “As you can see from the screenshots, the whole game is a film-made-visuals adventure, which means that every bit of this game is made out of photos and videos of which they created the game world.”
    • “Welcome, soap opera aesthetics.”
    • “A little bit old school and a little bit of shit graphics, but one has to say, that is one of the best adventure games ever produced!!”
    • “Tl;dr: this game is a beautifully written point-and-click story that, despite some dated graphics and videos that lose a lot of quality on modern monitors, still is absolutely worth the small price tag.”
  • music19 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic quality and emotional depth, with a unique and original score that enhances the storytelling and atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the beautifully composed soundtrack, including specially-written opera pieces, which contribute significantly to the game's character. However, some users note issues with audio quality and suggest adjusting the music volume during dialogues to avoid interference.

    • “But the characters are consistent, the music is fantastic, and it feels like it was put together exactly as intended.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous, from the opening and ending movies in each chapter to the background music within the gameplay, and even including some specially-written lyrical opera pieces in the climactic last chapter.”
    • “Finally, the music is something special in this game, made by Robert Holmes, and is one of the main things that gives character to this game; the music is not only great, but it is so unique and original.”
    • “Compression wise, the music and sound in the game is not very high quality.”
    • “My suggestion is to reduce the music as much as possible (not totally though) or you will have serious problems during the dialogues.”
    • “The soundtrack is haunting and dark; it's like traveling to the past, walking beside kings and reaching classic composers, all at once.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting its well-researched and immersive environment, complemented by an original opera score that enhances the experience. While the atmosphere effectively conveys tension and foreboding, some players feel that the use of FMV techniques can detract from the intended emotional impact, leading to moments of unintended levity. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's engaging narrative.

    • “10/10 for its story and atmosphere!”
    • “Very well researched, very interesting gameplay, great atmosphere, carefully constructed riddles.”
    • “What also adds to the great atmosphere is the awesome music, and the developer of the game even went so far as to write a whole opera just for this game!”
    • “I had never played anything done with the FMV technique before, so it made me laugh from the very first moment. In my opinion, it somehow deprives the game of its typical atmosphere of tension because I think it is difficult not to smile even in front of the most tearing scenes - and there are a few - but in the end, it was interesting.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted as a standout feature, with characters like the sassy Grace Nakamura delivering laugh-out-loud moments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the narrative, which often elicit smiles even during more serious scenes, creating a unique blend of humor and emotional depth. The use of FMV techniques adds to the lightheartedness, making it difficult not to find joy in the interactions.

    • “And on top of that, he is unbelievably funny, and every dialogue with him just made me smile.”
    • “The star of the show/game is the 'sassy' Grace Nakamura; her relationship with Gretta pre-silver heart scene is laugh-out-loud funny! The actress playing Grace absolutely nails her role in all her scenes.”
    • “I had never played anything done with the FMV technique before, so it made me laugh from the very first moment. In my opinion, it somehow deprives the game of its typical atmosphere of tension because it's difficult not to smile even in front of the most tearing scenes - and there are a few - but in the end, it was interesting.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, citing long and unnecessary video sequences, such as excessive walking animations, and frustrating delays between actions due to buffering. This contributes to a sense of monotony and can detract from the overall experience.

    • “Videos are sometimes too long and tedious, and often feel unnecessary, like when walking up and down stairs.”
    • “The massive pauses between clicking and actions, as the videos are located, buffered, and played, are tedious.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game is praised for its visually stunning presentation and intricate storytelling, culminating in a powerful and emotional final confrontation that resonates deeply with players, evoking strong feelings and leaving a lasting impact.

    • “It's funny, I remember it as a visually stunning masterpiece with an intricate story and an emotional heart that was both beautiful and moving.”
    • “The final confrontation of the last act, when all present and past stories and characters come to an excruciating and devastating end, reaching from the late 1800s to the (at that time present) 1990s, was something so well done, so emotional, that even today it makes you stop and take notice.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Despite outdated graphics and sound, the character development in the game is praised for its charm, adding depth and engagement to the overall experience.

    • “Even though the graphics and sound are difficult to appreciate by today’s standards, the character development gives this game a unique charm.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of the game is highlighted by strong performances from the cast, particularly the underutilized characters Herr Preiss and Baron von Glower, adding depth to the experience.

  • stability1 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, with frequent freezing during gameplay, leading to a lack of recommendation for the game.

    • “Tried playing again and now it freezes. I cannot recommend this game.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and stability issues that ruined my gaming experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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