Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 105 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 105
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 105
  3. Negative: 12 out of 105

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  1. Beanbag
    Oct 20, 2014
    8
    From a nostalgic point of view this Gabriel Knight remake is an outstanding game. From an objective point of view, it is an OK game. The story remains unchanged from the original,and is a bit short in length.

    The interface is simple though sometimes a bit cluttered with many interaction possibilities crammed into a single area. The spacebar provides a "reveal" function which identifies    From a nostalgic point of view this Gabriel Knight remake is an outstanding game. From an objective point of view, it is an OK game. The story remains unchanged from the original,and is a bit short in length.

    The interface is simple though sometimes a bit cluttered with many interaction possibilities crammed into a single area. The spacebar provides a "reveal" function which identifies each interactable area, alleviating this problem.

    The audio is pretty good, some of the games soundtrack comes through a bit too loud but the quality is good. The background audio in game (Jazz musicians, Tribal Drummers, etc..) is great and really helps set the mood during certain sequences.

    Graphically there is something to be desired. The graphics themselves aren't bad per se, but the game tries to blend 3D characters against 2D backdrops without depth scaling. This leads to 3D characters getting inexplicably taller as they move towards objects intended to be farther away, such as doors. The players character enters one door at normal height yet barely fits under another door in the distance. Aside from the poor blend, the visuals are good.

    Overall, this remake gets an 8 from me, but a big part of that is based on the nostalgia.    … Expand
  2. JPCON
    Oct 16, 2014
    9
    For those who loves a great thriller with puzzles, real locations, historic figures, religion and romance. Its a masterpiece of Adventure Games. But don´t expect AAA game.
  3. Friederich
    Oct 16, 2014
    9
    Excellent modern rendition of this old-time classic. If you have never played any Gabriel Knight game, this is a great way to jump into this world! :)
  4. flavio_sk
    Oct 16, 2014
    10
    Wonderful. I am thrilled with this remake of one of the greatest games I've ever played. Before it was a great story that stands out, now the beautiful scenery and modern gameplay is let the fans realized.
  5. lanabanana
    Oct 16, 2014
    10
    I pulled an all-nighter to finish this game, I just couldn't put it down!! LOOOOVED it!!
    Took some time to get used to the new voices though. Gonna check out the other GK games now.
  6. Quazatron
    May 21, 2017
    6
    Hello all.
    I will be very clear and objective about this remake of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, so all who read this review can understand exactly what I mean with my words.
    1) In regards of graphics, this remake is amazing, with scenarios full of details, colors and clear passion in each one. Although, 3D models are not as good as I was expecting. In fact, I think that 2D and    Hello all.
    I will be very clear and objective about this remake of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, so all who read this review can understand exactly what I mean with my words.

    1) In regards of graphics, this remake is amazing, with scenarios full of details, colors and clear passion in each one. Although, 3D models are not as good as I was expecting. In fact, I think that 2D and 3D does not combine well.

    2) In regards of musical scores, this remake is also great, in the same line of the original, with new instruments and, again, a lot of passion.

    3) Puzzles and extras are also good and I don't have anything to point out.

    4) But in this remake of GK there is one particular thing that does not surpasses the original and that thing is the interface. This remake's interface is somehow strange, sometimes unresponsive and annoying, especially when we try walking to a certain area of screen and extra options show up undesired.

    5) Animations contribute to increase the atmosphere, but GK's animations react badly. Each time messages are shown on screen, skipping them makes ALL game animations run fast-forward until they reach the start loop point, which is awful, annoying and, most importantly, unacceptable for a new game like this. The original version did not suffer from this and even in 1994 this "strange thing" was also not an acceptable thing!

    In SUMMARY, Gabriel Knight is a decent game, with a great story, excellent graphics but with serious failures that should already be solved before launch date. I understand the passion, dedication and efforts around this project, but if the original did not miss in its aim, this one cannot definitely fail! For all this, and for the great annoyance certain things in the game causes to players, I'd give it just a 6 out of 10. I give it a 6 because I'm a GK admirer and lover, otherwise I'd rate it 5 out of 10.

    PS: I'd change my mind if I saw, in the future, these main problems solved. I can't be totally on the side of user CURUNIR, but I do understand his frustration.    … Expand
  7. VideoGameLord
    Oct 20, 2014
    10
    Phoenix Online and Jane Jensen have outdone themselves with an almost flawless remake and 20th Anniversary edition of Gabriel Knight. This game combines being true to the original while making improvements and modernizing. And its visually stunning!

    +Amazing HD graphics! I love the way they kept the original composition as much as possible. +The new voice-over cast is a surprising    Phoenix Online and Jane Jensen have outdone themselves with an almost flawless remake and 20th Anniversary edition of Gabriel Knight. This game combines being true to the original while making improvements and modernizing. And its visually stunning!

    +Amazing HD graphics! I love the way they kept the original composition as much as possible.
    +The new voice-over cast is a surprising success!
    +The new remastered music is wonderful!
    +Hints system and notes adds to the gameplay experience!

    -Some visual collision and sliding issues on animations, kind of jagged at times.
    -Had to reload a couple of times due to problems with continue function

    The new voice-over cast was initially worrying. Not so strange being a hardcore fan of the old 1993 version, having played it close to 30 times. However after a couple of hours into it, I found it surprisingly refreshing and wonderful. Especially happy to see the essence of Gabriel's cocky New Orleans character being intact. I would also mention Grace, Dr John, Mosely and Frick as outstanding performances.

    Visually its a balanced mix of photo and painted textures, blended with pre-rendered backgrounds and real-time props & characters. A nice touch is the ambient atmospheric particles & lighting effects.

    The original music is remastered by composer Robert Holmes. This is a huge improvement from the early 90s midi tracks.

    The bonus option to view old concept art from the different locations, combined with info and audio interviews with the original developers is a nice addition for fans of the old game.

    I would highly recommend this game for adventure fans, looking for a story driven game. If you are already a fan of Gabriel Knight, what are you waiting for?    … Expand
  8. EliOli123
    Nov 4, 2014
    9
    Faithful to the original. It's a pleasure coming back to this series. The technical glitches do detract from it a bit and keep it from being the perfect experience, but it's nice seeing this classic game with a fresh coat of paint.
  9. SherlockHolmess
    Oct 18, 2014
    7
    The game itself is ok... it is GK after all.
    But somehow i miss the magic in the remake which the original inherited.
    The graphics tbh.. i think they could been better, the backscenes often look very stale and lifeless. Same goes to the characters, they look like moving puppets. The music is good overall, Robert Holmes still has it. The voice acting... well it's not bad i know some of    The game itself is ok... it is GK after all.
    But somehow i miss the magic in the remake which the original inherited.
    The graphics tbh.. i think they could been better, the backscenes often look very stale and lifeless. Same goes to the characters, they look like moving puppets.
    The music is good overall, Robert Holmes still has it. The voice acting... well it's not bad i know some of the actors but most voices do not fit to the person and even if they put effort in it trying to sound like the originals, they just don't
    Overall it is a nice game but i think they could have done much better for the remake.    … Expand
  10. Curunir
    Oct 18, 2014
    7
    The game released in a poor technical state but all the leaks were plugged promptly. The story is the same old classic people love so not much to say about that. Now that the most glaring, immersion-breaking technical issues have been dealt with, I can recommend this as a pretty decent way to relive the original without any DOSBox shenanigans.
  11. Dunge
    Oct 20, 2014
    7
    Review from someone who did not play the old version, but who played tons of point&click. Great game in general.

    The HD remake portion is pretty good. New backgrounds and cutscenes are nicely detailed and the technology work great. 3D models are a bit low-res, but still good. Game length is fair. The story start a bit dull, but near the end it get really interesting. It is also    Review from someone who did not play the old version, but who played tons of point&click. Great game in general.

    The HD remake portion is pretty good. New backgrounds and cutscenes are nicely detailed and the technology work great. 3D models are a bit low-res, but still good.

    Game length is fair. The story start a bit dull, but near the end it get really interesting. It is also pretty evident a female was the writer here based on some sentences.

    I encountered two places where I think it's impossible to think you need to do this without a guide, which is much less than the majority of p&c games, so it's good. I encountered few smalls bugs (Gabriel not pushing the dead professor out of his chair the first time I entered the room, the mummies animation not getting triggered and wondering why I was dead, journal hints stay active even after completion of objective), but it's nothing game breaking.

    Voice acting is the poorest point of this game. The narrator voice is seriously irritating and cringe-worthy. Gabriel was not really nice to hear too. (sorry devs).

    Still a very great game to play for others like me who did not play the original, or for big fans of the original who want to see it again.    … Expand
  12. fluxmulder
    May 27, 2016
    6
    When I heard they were re-releasing this, I thought it would be a straight up remaster; upres the original graphics, improve the sound quality, squash a few bugs, etc. Instead they straight up remade the whole game. I'm not sure this was such a good idea. The original was VERY unique, created by a group of master artists and programmers at the now defunct Sierra. Pinkerton Road are quiteWhen I heard they were re-releasing this, I thought it would be a straight up remaster; upres the original graphics, improve the sound quality, squash a few bugs, etc. Instead they straight up remade the whole game. I'm not sure this was such a good idea. The original was VERY unique, created by a group of master artists and programmers at the now defunct Sierra. Pinkerton Road are quite frankly not up to the challenge. Yes, they may have more cutting edge tools at their disposal, but it's like telling a high school art student to recreate the Mona Lisa. Some of the "improvements", such as streamlining down the UI, feel like concessions made for the casual crowd. Go back and play the original if you want the true authentic experience.… Expand
  13. jorel75
    Dec 15, 2014
    9
    I played the original when I was 20 years old, spending long hours trying to find that one last clue to progress onto the next day (mostly because the graphics limitation that won't let you see it :P ), when I finished the game, I felt sad that I no longer get to live in that world. I was happy to get the chance to play it again with the improved graphics with my wife (she loved it), and II played the original when I was 20 years old, spending long hours trying to find that one last clue to progress onto the next day (mostly because the graphics limitation that won't let you see it :P ), when I finished the game, I felt sad that I no longer get to live in that world. I was happy to get the chance to play it again with the improved graphics with my wife (she loved it), and I liked how they offered us the view to how the old game looked like. Overall, it is a great P&C adventure game that I would recommend to any genre fan.… Expand
  14. lpiniki
    Nov 29, 2016
    10
    They just don't make games with souls like this anymore (it's become so rare). I miss that era. Here is to the hope that remakes like this will stir things up and see not only continuations to these old classic gems but also new beautiful soulful games. Fans make some noise please!!!

    The game: Engrossing story based on real historical facts - locations- people mixed with myths and the    They just don't make games with souls like this anymore (it's become so rare). I miss that era. Here is to the hope that remakes like this will stir things up and see not only continuations to these old classic gems but also new beautiful soulful games. Fans make some noise please!!!

    The game: Engrossing story based on real historical facts - locations- people mixed with myths and the supernatural, entertaining, fun to play and provoking characters(even when some act in a cliche way there is always a reason for it), excellent dialogue and atmospheric music. Challenging riddles and a classic point n click adventure gameplay.

    The remake: True to the original with beautiful graphics and very good voice acting. A job well done.

    Recommended for: Adventure, point n click, mystery, puzzles, horror, gothic, story rich, detective enthusiasts. Also people that like books. ;)    … Expand
  15. Give_em_hell
    Mar 20, 2019
    8
    Good adventure game. Nice setting and story, interesting content. I didn't play the original 2d game but the new version seems quite good, both visually and audio-wise. There were some rough edges though, like some slow-paced animations, and some overly-heroic teenager stuff. Overall nice game. And you will learn a lot about Woodoo.
  16. Thilus
    Oct 31, 2014
    7
    A nice comeback for Gabriel Knight, even though I would much rather like to see a GK4 instead of a remake, especialy that the original GK had this old-school feel that everybody loves (at least everybody who lived in that era). Basicaly it's the same old GK1, but with refurbished graphics, audio and UI. The rest is pretty much the same. Unfortunately the game is bug-riddled. I spent moreA nice comeback for Gabriel Knight, even though I would much rather like to see a GK4 instead of a remake, especialy that the original GK had this old-school feel that everybody loves (at least everybody who lived in that era). Basicaly it's the same old GK1, but with refurbished graphics, audio and UI. The rest is pretty much the same. Unfortunately the game is bug-riddled. I spent more than 10 hours with this game and encountered at least 10 crashes. That gives an average of one crash per hour. Horrendous. Hey, Phoenix Online techs, do something about it!… Expand
  17. Archvile-UT
    Oct 23, 2020
    7
    Отличный квест с большим внимание к деталям и интересным сюжетом. После прохождения очень много узнал о вуду, прямо как небольшую энциклопедию прочитал. Стоит отметить просто шикарнейшую музыку, которая идеально вписывается в историю и играет на атмосферу.
    Идиллию нарушает провисающая как в плане истории, так и в качестве загадок вторая половина игры. До середины сюжетная интрига лихо    Отличный квест с большим внимание к деталям и интересным сюжетом. После прохождения очень много узнал о вуду, прямо как небольшую энциклопедию прочитал. Стоит отметить просто шикарнейшую музыку, которая идеально вписывается в историю и играет на атмосферу.
    Идиллию нарушает провисающая как в плане истории, так и в качестве загадок вторая половина игры. До середины сюжетная интрига лихо закручивается, а вот с середины (когда мы уже приблизительно узнали, что тут собственно происходит), начинается более ровное повествование. В концовке ждешь что расскажут почему все происходило, но разработчики как-то плавно обходят этот вопрос стороной и выдают вполне обычную концовку без изюминки. Но несмотря на это история получилась очень даже.
    PS Всю игру впечатление настырно портили постоянные рандомные зависания, причину которых установить не удалось, но игра определенно недотестирована.    … Expand
  18. bancandrei
    May 21, 2020
    5
    Couldn't get into it because it is old school frustrating and don't have any nostalgia for it. Sorry is good and engaging. Grab it on mobile, you will figure out during the first chapter demo of you like it.
  19. bergcamp101
    Oct 5, 2020
    7
    Very challenging game... Nice plot, nice characters, but puzzles really do it. Can't complain!
  20. kassalex
    Feb 21, 2023
    10
    zseniális játék! az atmoszféra annyira magával ragadt, a karakterek nagyon jól kivannak dolgozva, a humor zseniális
  21. widhie75
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    Great high quality visual, totally improve from DOS version, great sound, great remake game.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 38
  3. Negative: 1 out of 38
  1. GameCritics
    Mar 6, 2015
    70
    For players new to the adventure genre, this package offers a great opportunity to play one of the best adventure titles ever made. The compelling crime narrative, intriguing characters, and great puzzles are all there, and an integrated hint system minimizes the need to alt-tab to a walkthrough. It's a shame that this remastered version squanders much of the charm of the original, though—I can't see it converting those cold on the genre, but fans and players interested in adventure gaming's roots would do well to check it out.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Jan 9, 2015
    80
    Sins of the Fathers is possibly the best showcase of the golden era of point’n’click games. [13/2014, p.71]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 3, 2014
    60
    Nicely done remake that shatters the veil of nostalgia and reveals the mistakes of the original. Fortunately remake also brings the story we can't see these days anymore. Must-have for all adventure fans. [Issue#247]
See all critic reviews »