The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: 1995
• Genre: Adventure
• Style: Third-Person Adventure
• Similar Games: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (Macintosh), Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (IBM PC Compatible), Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh (IBM PC Compatible), Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Return to the world of Gabriel Knight, Shadow Hunter! In the first game of this series, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, Gabriel was seen haunting the locales of New Orleans, Germany, and Africa in search of clues both to his own identity and family history as well as tracking down the answers to the Voodoo Murders.

Now he's gone home to his ancestors' village in Germany, where for the last year he's been writing a memoir of his adventures and experiences with the supernatural, fed by his exposure to voodoo. But in The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery, Gabriel must confront his fears and embrace his destiny as the next in a long line of family Schattenjagers.

Unlike the first game, his assistant, Grace Nakimura, joins him in Germany for most of the adventure and is a constant at his side. In fact, you will control the actions of both characters at various times and in certain scenes throughout the adventure. The game's interface is point-and-click and uses a "smart" cursor that changes shape to fit whatever action is possible at various spots or for interaction with objects.

The Beast Within makes use of a technique wherein you record your findings as the investigation develops. A separate tape is created for each character with whom Gabriel speaks; through splicing bits and pieces of these tapes together using an in-game tape recording device, he can manipulate tape recordings for use during his investigations. An in-game movie projector is also available for viewing any of the significant scenes (movies) that occur throughout the game.

The recipient of several major awards including 1996 Game of the Year by Computer Gaming World and 1996 Adventure Game of the Year by PC Gamer, The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery once again puts you in the middle of a supernatural adventure. This time, it's a world populated by mad kings, Bavarian nobles, great composers and four-legged creatures of the night. Think you have the steady nerves it takes to become a Shadow Hunter?

Roots & Influences

This is the sequel to the original Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father. Once again, the subject matter deals with age-old superstitions and legends, in this case werewolves.

Review: Overall

The first Gabriel Knight mystery, Sins of the Fathers, is one of those rare games that leaves you completely satisfied but also hungry for more. Fortunately, its sequel, The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery, matches or surpasses the original in almost every area.

Once again you play as Gabriel Knight, the last in a long line of Shadow Hunters chosen by fate to wage a never-ending battle against the supernatural forces of evil. In The Beast Within, the series moves from the moody streets of New Orleans to the dark forests of Germany, where Gabriel has taken up residence since his last adventure. Life is quiet at Schloss Ritter, his family's ancestral home, until a series of brutal murders destroys the peace. The local townspeople whisper that the killings are the work of werewolves and call upon the Shadow Hunter to investigate. When Gabriel reluctantly agrees, the mystery begins.

While Gabriel heads to Munich in search of answers, his partner Grace (whom you also control in alternating scenes throughout the game) investigates a connection between the murders and a historical mystery involving the death of mad King Ludwig II. As the mystery unfolds, the connection between these two lines of investigation becomes clearer. But when Gabriel and Grace finally reunite, the most terrifying of possibilities has already come to pass--and only a desperate scheme, all but doomed to failure, has any chance of saving the Shadow Hunter from the beast within.

Weighing in at six CDs, The Beast Within is one of the largest and most impressive graphic adventures ever produced. The photo-realistic backgrounds (shot on location in Germany) and the main characters were all transferred seamlessly from film to the game and it plays like a truly interactive movie. Both the voice acting and the script itself are excellent. The brief movies that open and close each chapter also have extraordinarily high production values.

The Beast Within is also commendable for its game play. The story is intriguing and it only gets more complex the closer you come to the truth. The simple point-and-click interface allows you to concentrate on learning the truth behind the brutal murders instead of constantly worrying about hitting the right buttons at the right instant. Composer Robert Holmes's fantastic background music and effects also add to the mystery and suspense.

It's hard to go wrong with a game like The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery. It's easily one of the most spectacular adventure games yet.

Review: Enjoyment

If you like mysteries and the supernatural, you won't find a more enjoyable game.

Review: Graphics

Photo-quality graphics and location shooting in Germany make this an extremely attractive graphic adventure.

Review: Sound

Features a full orchestral sound track and excellent voice acting.

Review: Replay Value

One is enough, although it's fun to go back after you've forgotten some of the key elements.

Review: Documentation

Ample documentation, but nothing special.

Production Credits

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