Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned

Those that hate obtuse puzzles will want to steer clear. The real attraction to GKIII is the information about Rennnes-le-Chateau and surrounding environs. It’s the next best thing to actually traveling to the south of France, and a lot cheaper.

There's no easy way to say this, but the game that adventure fans have patiently been waiting for has proved to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year so far, at least as far as this reviewer is concerned.

If you are looking for believable characters, good acting and dialogue, lots of bloody, horror-style vampire action, and a nice looking smooth 3D engine, you'll want to look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you are a history buff entertained by a more thoughtful experience, have the desire to play master sleuth, or really have a thing for Tim Curry and the Gabriel Knight series, give this a try.

A superb game with a truly deep story. Couple this with a rather good looking graphics engine, some great dialogue, detailed environments, and an all round attention to detail, and you have a great game. Unfortunately though, thanks to the nature of the adventure system and the pauses while loading scenes, the game can become tedious at times.

It's got a fascinating and complex plot that's based on real history and legends, so playing the game is in many ways, an "educational" experience. However, when you get down to the core, Gabriel Knight 3 is a solid, but not earth shattering adventure game.