Gray Matter

 PC
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27
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  1. PC Gamer UK
    Feb 16, 2011
    74
    A welcome return for one of adventure gaming's patron designers, if not quite a glorious return to form.
  2. Absolute Games
    Feb 12, 2011
    74
    Gray Matter makes the most of its small scale. There are no mad supervillains, and no one here wants to plunge the world in the eternal darkness. This is a convincing, emotionally mature story about grief, estrangement, and longing to be with a beloved person.
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Mar 9, 2011
    70
    A great narration job is partly betrayed by terrible animation and a sketchy finale.
  5. GameSpot
    Mar 1, 2011
    70
    Prosaic puzzles take the edge off this point-and-click adventure's absorbing melodrama.
  6. PALGN
    Feb 28, 2011
    70
    Gray Matter weaves an intriguing tale that will please adventure game fans, but won't necessarily impress them.
  7. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 12, 2011
    70
    It took seven years to create this remarkable game. The story and characters are written so well it would have been better if Gray Matter was made into a novel or movie rather than a videogame. [Dec 2010]
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  8. PC PowerPlay
    Mar 31, 2011
    60
    Jensen can weave a fine tale, but she's forgotten what it takes to craft an enjoyable point-and-click puzzle. [Apr 2011, p.67]
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  9. Metro GameCentral
    Mar 4, 2011
    50
    An ambitious slice of interactive fiction but not really a very good video game, with unsatisfying and often perfunctory puzzles.
  10. Edge Magazine
    Feb 12, 2011
    50
    The game requires very little of what its title suggests. (…) If you make a leap of deduction, the game won't proceed until your character, through exhaustive dialogue choices and object examinations, has caught up. [Feb 2011, p.98]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 106
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 106
  3. Negative: 9 out of 106
  1. ChoicestGames
    Dec 11, 2012
    9
    This is old-fashioned adventure gaming with a 21st century veneer. For the adventure gaming veterans, this is heaven. Gabriel KnightThis is old-fashioned adventure gaming with a 21st century veneer. For the adventure gaming veterans, this is heaven. Gabriel Knight writer/designer Jane Jensen returns to create another paranormal mystery game with challenging puzzles and an intriguing plot.… Full Review »
  2. dionissos
    Jan 1, 2012
    8
    We didn't see very often in adventure games the same product quality like Gray matter. The game has bring a fresh air to this kind of games,We didn't see very often in adventure games the same product quality like Gray matter. The game has bring a fresh air to this kind of games, has a nice lyric story, nice graphics and memorable characters. Nice game for all the adventure fans.… Full Review »
  3. doyourealize
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    It would be easy to harp on the problems with Gray Matter (slow-moving, some awkward conversations, leaps in logic), but that would beIt would be easy to harp on the problems with Gray Matter (slow-moving, some awkward conversations, leaps in logic), but that would be ignoring what it is supposed to be. Point-and-click adventure games, at their heart, tell a story with the help of the player. So one way to rate the game would be to rate how appealing the story is, and Gray Matter's story is intriguing and well-paced, littered with interesting characters. At times, the voice acting can fall flat, but in a $30 game (I got mine for $15, downloaded from Amazon), this is not a problem, and the acting is far from distractingly bad, ala Final Fantasy X and others.

    The heart of the story revolves around Samantha Everett, a stage magician who uses tricks (illusions, Michael!) to get what she needs from others. The magic interface is well done, and you find yourself looking forward to the next time you have to use your magic book and various items to dupe a student or professor. There are actually several things happening in Sam's life, both on her own and within her new "job" as assistant to Dr. Styles, a reclusive ex-professor at Oxford (where the majority of the game takes place) who now stays home and conducts endless experiments in his basement. The game deserves credit for bringing all these plot points together competently.

    The other way to grade the game would be the content of the puzzles, and as far Gray Matter goes, the puzzles are not only satisfying, but actually fit organically into the story, a place where many adventure games fail. At no point will you be forced to complete a non-sensical sliding block puzzle just because the developers aren't original enough to come up with anything else. Sure, there are a few puzzles that seem to stretch the rules of ordinary logic, but nothing so jarring that you lose the sense of immersion.

    There are minor annoyances, as well. Some were mentioned earlier (and it should be noted that while the game moves slow, the music is good enough that you never really mind), but something that can be particularly bad is that only a handful of areas stretch beyond the confines of one screen, and it can be unclear when you are in one of these areas. If what you need to solve the puzzle is just off the screen, it may take you a while to figure out. Luckily, there are guides to get you through some of the smaller actions you need to take that aren't quite clear, these included.

    Overall, Gray Matter deserves your attention if you enjoy this type of game. The story is interesting and well-written, pushed forward by puzzles that never lose their sense of place.    … Full Review »
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