Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned is the third and final game in the Gabriel Knight
series of adventure game
s by Sierra Online
. The game was designed by Jane Jensen
, Gabriel Knight's creator. In a departure from the previous two entries, the score is composed by David Henry, expanding on some of original composer Robert Holmes
's themes. The game also sees Tim Curry
return in the role of Gabriel although the voices of other re-occurring characters such as Grace and Mosely have been recast. It was released in 1999 for PCs
and again in 2001 as a part of Sierra's Best Seller Series.
Each installment in the Gabriel Knight series has had a significant change in graphic design, with the first featuring computer-generated, partially rotoscoped graphics as well as scanned comic book
art and the second being entirely FMV
. Gabriel Knight 3 is the first game in the series to be in full 3D. Despite critical and financial success it would be the last adventure game published by Sierra.
The plot of the game now concentrates on vampire
s (previous titles concentrated on the paranormal aspects of Voodoo
, and werewolves) but also has a great deal to do with the history of the Knights Templar
, the proposed conspiracies relating to the Freemasons and The Priory of Sion as well as Jesus
.
The game also uses a score-system. The score indicates how much of the game's plot has the player uncovered. Certain events that are necessary to finish the game will earn the player points as well as actions that are not required to complete the game. However, if the player wishes to learn the motives of the other characters he is required to do a number extra activities, thus prompting players to try again in order to get a better score and more out of the game's story. However, there is no reward for completing the game with a full score.
, the exiled monarchs of Scotland. He reveals that his family is plagued by bizarre vampire-like creatures he calls Night Visitors. Prince James asks Gabriel to protect his infant son Charlie. However, while guarding the baby Grace mysteriously falls asleep and Gabe is paralyzed and forced to watch as a shadowy figure enters the room and takes the child. Gabriel follows the kidnappers to a train where he is knocked unconscious.
The game's opening movie begins with Gabe waking up and hearing one of the kidnappers utter the words San Greal. When the train stops Gabriel finds himself in Couiza
, in the South of France. He takes a cab to Rennes-le-Château
where he checks into the local hotel and begins to unravel the mystery.
. In every Gabriel Knight game, the popular gospel hymn "When the Saints go marching in" can be heard, albeit in different remixes and forms. In Gabriel Knight 3 it can be heard in the San Greal Tavern in Rennes-les-Bains
.
, the first game in the series, when Gabriel uncovers the Schattenjäger library in Schloss Ritter, he can examine the bookshelves to browse their contents. Among the books he finds are reference material alluding to werewolves and vampires — which would turn out to be the supernatural antagonists in his next two games.
Gabriel Knight
Gabriel Knight is a series of adventure games produced by Sierra On-Line in the 1990s. Three games were released in the series: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery and Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned.One compilation was...
series of adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
s by Sierra Online
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
. The game was designed by Jane Jensen
Jane Jensen
Jane Jensen is the game designer of the popular and critically acclaimed Gabriel Knight adventure games and author of the novels Judgement Day and Dante's Equation....
, Gabriel Knight's creator. In a departure from the previous two entries, the score is composed by David Henry, expanding on some of original composer Robert Holmes
Robert Holmes (composer)
Robert Holmes is a composer, living in the United States of America. Though he was at least partly responsible for the music heard in several other computer games, he is best known for having composed the music for the Gabriel Knight series of adventure games...
's themes. The game also sees Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
return in the role of Gabriel although the voices of other re-occurring characters such as Grace and Mosely have been recast. It was released in 1999 for PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and again in 2001 as a part of Sierra's Best Seller Series.
Each installment in the Gabriel Knight series has had a significant change in graphic design, with the first featuring computer-generated, partially rotoscoped graphics as well as scanned comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
art and the second being entirely FMV
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
. Gabriel Knight 3 is the first game in the series to be in full 3D. Despite critical and financial success it would be the last adventure game published by Sierra.
The plot of the game now concentrates on vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s (previous titles concentrated on the paranormal aspects of Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of underground religious practices which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions which developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African American...
, and werewolves) but also has a great deal to do with the history of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, the proposed conspiracies relating to the Freemasons and The Priory of Sion as well as Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
Gameplay
The game uses a classic point-and-click interface. A command-bar appears whenever the player clicks a highlighted item with the left-mouse-key. The game does not use fixed camera-angles, but instead the player has full control over the camera-angle except during dialogue and prescripted sequences. Whenever the camera is the right distance away the player character teleports behind the camera thus allowing the player to progress without excessive waiting.The game also uses a score-system. The score indicates how much of the game's plot has the player uncovered. Certain events that are necessary to finish the game will earn the player points as well as actions that are not required to complete the game. However, if the player wishes to learn the motives of the other characters he is required to do a number extra activities, thus prompting players to try again in order to get a better score and more out of the game's story. However, there is no reward for completing the game with a full score.
Plot
Gabriel Knight comes from a long line of Schattenjägers ("Shadow Hunters") whose mission is to fight various seemingly paranormal entities. As detailed in the Gabriel Knight 3 Graphic Novel, featured as either a hard-copy or scanned on the game CD, it has been four years since their last case (The Beast Within) and Gabe and Grace are invited to the estate of Prince James of Albany, who is descended from the House of StuartHouse of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
, the exiled monarchs of Scotland. He reveals that his family is plagued by bizarre vampire-like creatures he calls Night Visitors. Prince James asks Gabriel to protect his infant son Charlie. However, while guarding the baby Grace mysteriously falls asleep and Gabe is paralyzed and forced to watch as a shadowy figure enters the room and takes the child. Gabriel follows the kidnappers to a train where he is knocked unconscious.
The game's opening movie begins with Gabe waking up and hearing one of the kidnappers utter the words San Greal. When the train stops Gabriel finds himself in Couiza
Couiza
Couiza is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.Couiza is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, on the road between Limoux, going towards Carcassonne and Quillan, going towards Perpignan...
, in the South of France. He takes a cab to Rennes-le-Château
Rennes-le-Château
Rennes-le-Château is a commune in the Aude department in Languedoc in southern France.This small French hilltop village is known internationally, and receives tens of thousands of visitors per year, for being at the center of various conspiracy theories, and for being the location of an alleged...
where he checks into the local hotel and begins to unravel the mystery.
Soundtrack
The game's score was composed by David Henry, based on themes created by the series' original composer, Robert HolmesRobert Holmes (composer)
Robert Holmes is a composer, living in the United States of America. Though he was at least partly responsible for the music heard in several other computer games, he is best known for having composed the music for the Gabriel Knight series of adventure games...
. In every Gabriel Knight game, the popular gospel hymn "When the Saints go marching in" can be heard, albeit in different remixes and forms. In Gabriel Knight 3 it can be heard in the San Greal Tavern in Rennes-les-Bains
Rennes-les-Bains
Rennes-les-Bains is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.The spa village of Rennes-les-Bains lies in the heart of Cathar country. Bathers have enjoyed the natural hot spring waters for thousands of years - they are still used today as a cure for rheumatism and certain skin problems....
.
Reception
Gabriel Knight 3 received fairly positive reviews from critics. IGN said the game "proves that adventure games still have some life left in them" and provides "a welcome change for the action-heavy PC market" with "[an] excellent story and well worked out plot". At the same time, they criticized Tim Curry's voice-over, "a cold and over exaggerated interpretation of the southern accent", and the switch to 3D which they felt "is not yet ready to depict the emotions and feelings in the way actors can". GameSpot attested the sentiments about Curry's "terrible acting job", calling the "fake accent and overly dramatic delivery [...] almost unbearable". The dialogue was also criticized, as were the puzzles, the latter which fortunately "get better as the story progresses". The story itself was more positively received, including "some excellent plot elements" and "fascinating" connections between fact and fiction. Adventure Gamers found some of the smaller puzzles "outright silly", but at the same time the vast Le Serpent Rouge "one of the best designed puzzles in adventure gaming history". The storyline with its "interesting narratives" was called "epic in every sense of the word" and the game "ultimately a success".Trivia
In Gabriel Knight: Sins of the FathersGabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line, Inc....
, the first game in the series, when Gabriel uncovers the Schattenjäger library in Schloss Ritter, he can examine the bookshelves to browse their contents. Among the books he finds are reference material alluding to werewolves and vampires — which would turn out to be the supernatural antagonists in his next two games.
Works with similar themes
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