Re: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers - A SHP Playthrough

[BBP]

There was no need to spoiler that bit on day 9 dear, I think we've all managed to experience that... And that Vampire role playing sounds very cool!
1: Tough choice. I really love Gran because she looks a lot like my maternal grandmother, who was about the sweetest person you could ever meet. She's also my favourite voice actress in the game; did you guess she also voices Tetelo?
Least favourite is a bit cruel to put, but I always get kind of tired of the game when I'm interrogating Gerde, when you have to ask again about Voodoo and the Voodoo murders and almost all her answers are "Wolfgang is the one who would no about that."
2: Don't recall my initial reaction to Malia. I didn't try to guess in GK1 what the plot was going to be like, recalling how that worked out for me in GK3, but I definitely didn't expect her to be the character she turned out to be. I did suspect Dr John.
3: The mime is definitely beyond my puzzle solving capabilities, and I'm not shy to resort to walkthroughs. To play again it's a bit of a frustrating puzzle, there's always some other pedestrian that steals the mime away. But I very much appreciate the idea of it, it's quite funny.
4: I love day 3's ending. Having seen GK3 end I just felt really happy for Gabe.
5: Not too keen on Crash as character, has to do with his acting. That didn't take away the power of the moment though; what does take the steam off, is when you dislike the narrator and have her turned off. But I did feel sorry, nobody deserves death, especially after the suffering Crash seemed to have done. We don't get to see how long he's felt so scared but I imagine it must've lasted years.
6: I was on my Dino the first time, and it tended to play a little fast. Seeing how detailed it is, is quite amazing. And it's scary; knowing what these people are capable of...
7: The music in Schloss Ritter makes me prefer New Orleans, I've suffered an overkill of faux-Bavarian booze music living here; but I do love the design of Schloss Ritter, it looks gorgeous!
8: The thought of Gabe cutting his own arm makes me climb up the curtains. To him I believe his hair is the most important. His hair is his character, which he has to cut and tame.
9: Love dragons! And I love how he comes out of the window!
For the three women I guess Gran, his mother, and Grace. I think Grace loves him here already, but she really doesn't want to know. Can you blame her? She's having to deal with all the lovely ladies he discards like candy wrappers.
10: What I think of it? Oh, take a wild guess...
(Boy sarcasm is catchy.) Every time I replay that bit, I feel my heart ache just before I use the snake rod. Even though I don't die as often as I did before, on my Dino they really were too fast. It does help you to get that urgent feeling as you stand in the snake mound, violating the sanctum of a powerful spirit you wouldn't want to mess with. The closing scene of the chapter is very powerful, and I do believe the mummy chase helps that feeling. But I still hate them.
11: "Wha? wha... WHA!! Now it IS getting serious!"
12: At that time, first time playing, I was terribly edgy and fearing a scene to beat the mummies: I did watch YouTube walkthroughs to curb my fears. So I was happy with everything that broke with that: from looking at the carpet to flirting with the goats. It's the animal section that always grabs me; no matter what you do, you don't hurt the puppies.
13: Realizing what she just did, absolutely. Since her mother only passed away recently she must've been at a very vulnerable position: only fresh into the life of horrific mama loa, still grieving, sucked into this life which had also happened to her mother and will happen to her daughter... I do wonder how the loss of the idol would've worked.
14: They're both somewhat romantic and with Grace. I love the first one best though. I'm a sucker for sunsets, and I love that little poking towards the end.
15: 9.4 out of ten: -0.5 for the mummies and -0.1 for the lack of explanation of the idol. It's briefly mentioned at the table on day 9, but you can miss looking at the table. I really want to know more about it: where does it come from? What does it look like? How old is it? Where does it get its power from?

There's one thing I wonder about this game. One of the voice actresses is missing from the credits: the woman who does Franks, Lorelei and the museum lady. Perhaps the tap dancing kid too. Does anyone here have any insight on that?

[Datadog]

I already answered most of these questions in my notes, so I'm just going to have fun with this?

1. Who is you favorite supporting character of the game?

Whoo! Yardkeeper FTW!

Why?

... I don't understand the question.

2. Gabriel falls for Malia as soon as he meets her at the end of Day 1. What was your initial reaction to her appearance? Did you figure out her involvement in the story right away?

I DID find it suspicious how she kept a perfectly staight face while talking to a cop with a mutilated body sitting between them.

3. One of the most challening puzzles in Day 1 is the mime one. How do you feel about it? Did you like it or not?

I'm taking points off for the game not letting me pick up the mime and add him to my inventory. I could've really used him on Day 9.

4. How do you feel about the ending of Day 3 when Malia shows up just when Grace's leaving St. George? What do you think of Gabriel's behavior? And what about the sultry kiss between the two?

"Gracie, say good niiiiiiiiight." I'm actually surprised Gabe didn't invite Grace to join them.

5. Crash's death is a pretty shocking and grim moment, and a very powerful, emotional one. How do you feel about Crash? Do you pity him or do you think he got what he bargained for?

Can't I pity him while thinking he got what he bargained for? In the spirit of the game, I think Crash would've made a great zombie.

6. The Bayou St. John segment is incredibly haunting and ominous. The feeling of danger is almost palpable. What do you think about the voodoo ceremony? Did it scare you?

I'm still miffed that I don't get invited to naked snake-dancing parties.

7. The tone and atmosphere of the game changes radically as soon as Gabriel sets foot in Germany. Do you prefer the New Orleans' mood or the Schloss Ritter's one?

New Orleans: tourism, great music, Lucky Dogs, close to family, an easily-harassed assistant, dancing lessons for dogs
Schloss Ritter: four rooms and Gertie peeling potatoes.

As awesome as Germany is, I'll have to give this one to New Orleans.

8. The Schattenjaeger Initiation ceremony is very profound and metaphorically rich. Which step resonated the most with you? And which one was more simbolically important to Gabriel, in your opinion?

I think the hand-washing was the most symbolic of the bunch. Nothing speaks more of half-assing it through a sacred ceremony than washing one's hands in the snow instead of using a sink.

9. Did you like Gabriel's eerie dream? In your opinion, who are the three women that purely loved Gabriel?

I want to make an AMV of that dream sequence using the Trogdor theme song.

And the three women who love Gabriel purely: his Grandmother, Jane Jensen, and Every Fangirl.

10. What do you think of the mummy-evading segment in Day 9? Do you think that its frenzied pace adds something to the experience?

GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

11. Wolfgang's death. There's no way around it: this is a turning point, both for Gabriel and the game. What was your reaction to it?

I was indifferent to it. People tear out their own hearts every day. It's a natural part of life.

12. The Voodoo Hounfour is an awesome location, one where you're led to constantly fear for Gabriel's safety. What was your favorite moment of the last segment of the game?

Die Hard Mosely.

13. What was your reaction to Malia's death? Did it touch you as much as Wolfgang's?

No. People fall into burning lava pits every day. It's a natural part of life.

14. What do you think of the final scene of Gabriel and Grace on the terrace? If you have already played GK2, which closing sequence do you prefer?

I like the ending where Gabriel dies. It just make the beginning of GK2 so much better because then you're all shocked and saying "HUH?! DIDN'T HE DIE?!" But he lived. Without a scratch. Because he's Gabriel Knight, dammit.

15. Finally, on a scale from one to ten, how would you rate the adventure?

On a more serious note, I'm going to knock this one down from a 10 to a 9 for me. The big kick-back was the flawed game logic where you're expected to stumble across plot points in obscure location or solve hidden goals. The room design in the catacombs was also flawed where the backgrounds aren't displayed well enough to suggest that dodging zombies or swinging on vines is a viable option. And then there was all those tedious visits to grandmother's house where she gets up, answers the door, hugs her son, invites him in, etc.

What still keeps the score on this game pretty high for me is that it DOES have one of the best stories ever featured in a game. There's solid character development, some very decent acting, endearing characters, a classic mythic structure built into a modern-day quest, and it actually predates shows like "Buffy" and "Supernatural" by almost ten years. It's a game well ahead of its time and probably deserves a higher-res remake at some point (the 320x240 graphics don't do the game justice.)

Let's hear from you!

Are we doing another SHP Play-through? Will it be GK2 or can we play the field? I'm feeling in the mood for a comedy now.

[Maiandra]

1. Who is you favorite supporting character of the game? Why? And the least favorite? Why?

I would have to say Grace is my favourite, since she's not a player character in GK1. I love the banter between her and Gabe.

My least favourite is probably Malia. She just seems rather blah. I don't know why, but she just felt very flat to me.

2. Gabriel falls for Malia as soon as he meets her at the end of Day 1. What was your initial reaction to her appearance? Did you figure out her involvement in the story right away?

It was pretty obvious what their relationship would be from the first scene, but I felt disappointed at their interactions after that. She just didn't seem to have much emotion or personality, which is a shame, because the character seems like it could have. I often felt like the game just didn't quite get it right in conveying their supposed depth of emotion for each other.

3. One of the most challenging puzzles in Day 1 is the mime one. How do you feel about it? Did you like it or not?

Since I remembered what to do this time around, it didn't seem challenging and I didn't think much of it one way or another. I vaguely recall being frustrated with it the first time(s) I played and having more difficulty in both figuring out what to do and actually doing it.

4. How do you feel about the ending of Day 3 when Malia shows up just when Grace's leaving St. George? What do you think of Gabriel's behavior? And what about the sultry kiss between the two?

When I first read the question, I missed the part about Gabriel and imagined a sultry kiss between Grace and Malia. *insert needle-being-yanked-off-a-record sound* Needless to say, I realised that wasn't right and reread it.
I mostly felt puzzled by how catty Grace was being (why does she care?) and disappointed by the lack of conveyance of passion between Gabriel and Malia.

5. Crash's death is a pretty shocking and grim moment, and a very powerful, emotional one. How do you feel about Crash? Do you pity him or do you think he got what he bargained for?

I don't think most people imagine being killed by a Voodoo Loa when they turn to a life of crime, so I can't really say he got what he bargained for. I imagine he was scared shitless when he first realised what he'd gotten into, but by then it was probably too late to back out. I actually did feel a little sorry for him. It seems like a horrific and painful way to go.

6. The Bayou St. John segment is incredibly haunting and ominous. The feeling of danger is almost palpable. What do you think about the voodoo ceremony? Did it scare you?

I wouldn't say the ceremony itself scared me (I actually thought it was kind of cool), but I had a definite fear of Gabriel being discovered and me getting a death message.

7. The tone and atmosphere of the game changes radically as soon as Gabriel sets foot in Germany. Do you prefer the New Orleans' mood or the Schloss Ritter's one?

As much as I loved Germany in GK2, I did prefer the atmosphere of New Orleans in the first game. It was just such an intriguing mix of cultures and religions in high contrast with each other. When Gabriel wasn't in New Orleans, I felt like I was missing something.

8. The Schattenjaeger Initiation ceremony is very profound and metaphorically rich. Which step resonated the most with you? And which one was more symbolically important to Gabriel, in your opinion?

I think that him cutting his hair was probably the most symbolic, since he was so attached to it (literally and emotionally).

The destroying of the "evil" self part of the ritual resonated with me the most, since it's such a classic, archetypal theme. (I always assumed the dream was part of the ritual.)

9. Did you like Gabriel's eerie dream? In your opinion, who are the three women that purely loved Gabriel?

I've already stated my opinion on this one. Although I'd like to include Grace at this point, I think it makes more sense this early on in their relationship for it to be Gran, his mother, and Malia (kind of a soulmate thing, even though I think it wasn't portrayed very well).

10. What do you think of the mummy-evading segment in Day 9? Do you think that its frenzied pace adds something to the experience?

Since I recalled the sequence this time, I didn't find it added to the experience or frustrated me very much. The first time(s), I played, it was very frustrating and a little disjointed from the feel of the rest of the game until then.

11. Wolfgang's death. There's no way around it: this is a turning point, both for Gabriel and the game. What was your reaction to it?

I hate that part. I'd say it was probably the most emotional moment in the game for me, partially because it was the death of a character I liked and because his sacrifice was very tragic and impressive.

12. The Voodoo Hounfour is an awesome location, one where you're led to constantly fear for Gabriel's safety. What was your favorite moment of the last segment of the game?

Tricking Dr. John into leaving his room and stealing his key card. That way I was able to snoop in every single room. Those people are messed up!

13. What was your reaction to Malia's death? Did it touch you as much as Wolfgang's?

It didn't touch me as much as Wolfgang's, but it was probably the part where I felt the strongest for the character. It had a kind of tragic appeal and I was impressed with her for taking the "responsible" route at the end and not risking Gabriel or anyone else further. I felt bad for her that she was trapped in that life.

14. What do you think of the final scene of Gabriel and Grace on the terrace? If you have already played GK2, which closing sequence do you prefer?

I liked their conversation at the end. In fact, it was Grace's comments that got me thinking more about Malia's character and sympathising with her more. It was a good way of discussing it and I preferred it to the still images, which I feel separate the viewer/player from the story rather than immerse them in it.

I think I preferred the ending of GK2, because of the medium. However, it's been a while since I played it, so I can't say for sure.

15. Finally, on a scale from one to ten, how would you rate the adventure?

The GK series is one of my favourites and, judging the game within the context of the time it was made, I'd say it was a 9 out of 10. There were a few frustrations with it and I never felt like it properly conveyed the depth of Gabriel and Malia's relationship. However, it left me totally amazed the first time I played it (and pretty darn amazed at subsequent playthroughs). What a great depth of story and characters, as well as the level of research and detail. It had a great story.

[Shakar]

Just went through this whole thread. Aww man. I'm sad I missed this. I would've loved to play along.

[Collector]

Welcome to SHP! I assume that you are Shakar from the now dead GK boards. Andrea was going to lead us through a playthrough of GK2, but has been too busy. Perhaps if he gets some more time.

[Shakar]

Hey! Yes the same Shakar. I was wondering why those boards weren't working. I've been part of this since original GK board back in 2003.

I just recently installed GK2 with DOSBox setup. So I'm ready to playthrough when the time comes

[Collector]

I'm sure that you will find other familiar faces here. Things have been a little slow of late, but they will probably pick up again before too long.

[AndreaDraco]

Hi Shakar, it's good to see you here! How are you?

As soon as I have a bit of free time, I'd like very much to host a GK2 playthough. It's my favorite game of the trilogy, after all