Gray Matter

 PC
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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. BlackKnight
    Feb 25, 2011
    7
    Solid adventure with a nice storyline. Graphics are nice, riddles are okay. Gamelength is ok for adventures.
    Nothing really impressive, but good enough for adventure fans.
  2. hfffoman
    Jun 26, 2012
    6
    Try the demo before buying. The game has a cartoon graphics feel that makes the atmosphere rather feeble. I don't believe it is JJ at her best by a long way
  3. runner
    Dec 18, 2015
    7
    While Gray Matter is far from perfect, I'd still give it a 7 for I haven't enjoyed like this from a classic adventure type of game for a very long time.

    Gray Matter presents us classic point and click like at old times, and it manages to bring back the long-gone magic of these old gems, unfortunately it's mostly done as if we're actually still at those old times, and that gives place to    While Gray Matter is far from perfect, I'd still give it a 7 for I haven't enjoyed like this from a classic adventure type of game for a very long time.

    Gray Matter presents us classic point and click like at old times, and it manages to bring back the long-gone magic of these old gems, unfortunately it's mostly done as if we're actually still at those old times, and that gives place to some sad problems and disappointments.

    The game was mostly if not completely crowd-funded by a kickstarter, as far as I know, which got lots of attention as the lead writer of the project is no other than Jane Jensen, the same lady of the famous Gabriel Knight series. While I'm not sure how much money the devs actually obtained by the kickstarter, and not sure whether the lady Jensen actually kept in mind that with the great support of the community come great expectations.

    Gray Matter felt quite cheap, at the end of the day. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like a low-budget game. The overall experience was good as I said, but you just couldn't ignore the clunkiness of the entire business.

    Gameplay, first and foremost, is your regular point n' click as I said. It doesn't try to impress or revolutionize anything. Too bad the interface was uncomfortable and felt rather awkward. But I got that with love and acceptance, and blessed the 'magic tricks' system which I found pretty cool although heavily linear and pre-scripted.
    The puzzles were pretty good and are the strong point of the game, in my opinion. Not too easy, not too difficult, and most importantly, does not necessarily require pixel-hunting if you use the hotspots function. That's good, I hate pixel-hunting. Cool puzzles? Yay. The difficulty was just right, I managed to finish the entire game on my own, without feeling that it mocks my intelligence and also without getting stuck on the same section of the game for hours.

    Story was good, albeit it didn't completely delivered its promises. Besides the rather weak introduction, the story felt intriguing and absorbing, and I enjoyed it a lot. Playing through the story was pure fun for me. Except the very end of the game, the last two chapters to be precise, which were good gameplay-wise, but not storywise.
    The game has 8 chapters total, it took me about 1-2 hours to finish each, and yet the story feels short. Why's that, you may ask? Because 10+ hours is more than enough for a decent point and click.
    The answer is, that the first 6 chapters felt a lot like a warm-up for what's coming next. And then the rest just finished the story in a way that felt somewhat bland and abrupt.
    Yes, you do get the answers to the "big" questions of the plot, but you're left with many little plot holes scattered around, feeling a little cheated.
    The ending of the game felt rather stuffed just to fit in 8 chapters, and the story felt like it goes a few levels down.
    That's a shame, and being the writer of Gabriel Knight is not completely a reason to get away with that.

    Rest of the game is filled with mediocrity, with the cast of characters being intriguing enough, but not too complex, and poorly dubbed. The writing and script being very so-so, the graphics being alright but nothing too marvelous (although they do portray real locations of england nicely!), and the soundtrack being alright but getting sort of recycled throughout the entire game.

    So, yeah, it's still fun, you just may want to lower your hopes a little tiny bit. The mediocrity I could forgive but the ending of the story was what really made me disappointed of Gray Matter, and I won't judge the entire game based one that, because: 1)The story was told pretty well up until the last two chapters, and 2)The puzzles in the game's ending were very fun and almost covered up for the plot, so...
    Eventually, I feel we're left with an alright game.

    I'm don't regret playing it, or buying it. Wouldn't recommend it for full price, though.    … Expand
  4. MadAdventurer
    Jul 2, 2023
    7
    A very good game with an interesting story. It has its flaws (the magic system), but I wish so much see the second game... the plot was very interesting!

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. IGN
    Apr 27, 2011
    75
    Gray Matter's winding story and masterful presentation captivate enough to hold everything together, particularly as the tale reaches its bizarre climax in the final chapters.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    Apr 19, 2011
    90
    Overall, this is an exceptional game that will grab hold of your senses while you play and put you in a state of immersion that few games can match, much like the very best of its spiritual predecessors. A few audio/visual foibles and a slow, methodical pace might drive some players away, but for anyone who is interested in quality adventure titles or relaxing, contemplative gameplay experiences, I couldn't recommend this game more.
    Read full review
  3. 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]
See all critic reviews »