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All of Sierra's "main" games were very different in themes, and as a result - the way the game played, interacted, etc.

If you had to pick out ONE thing (good, or bad) - about the game, that left a lasting impression (and feel free to go into detail) - what would it be?

And I'd like it to be just ONE thing (because on some of our favorites, it's too easy to list all the things we enjoyed).

I want to focus on what made EACH game of the different titles (GK, LSL, PQ, KQ, etc) different than one another?

For me, if I had to say the one thing that stuck out about Gabriel Knight was the character development. Each of the games had an assortment of characters, but each of them felt like there was depth to them. Even the voodoo vendor at the store - he feels like he had way more character in him, than say - any of the women you meet in LSL. You feel like the characters in Gabriel Knight could be very real.

I love these games for many reasons, but what stands out to me most is how each game is like an artifact of the era from which it game.

GK came at the tail end of 256-color VGA "pixel" graphics.
GK2 is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, adventure games heavily using full-motion video and live actors.
GK3 took the point-and-click formula and mixed it with a 3D approach, and it did so quite well but sadly doesn't get the credit it deserves there.

When I first played GK3 it wowed me how good the story was. I never knew games could have such agood story with interweaving arches and red herrings! I've played beyond bedtime hours before,but that was more addictive gameplay than excellent writing. It's the game version of the book you can't put down!

The stories were so great in GK. And I think it helped because the characters were so well fleshed out, it added to the realism and pulled you into the story.

Tawmis wrote:The stories were so great in GK. And I think it helped because the characters were so well fleshed out, it added to the realism and pulled you into the story.

That's Jane Jensen for you. Same with KQ6.

Collector wrote:

Tawmis wrote:The stories were so great in GK. And I think it helped because the characters were so well fleshed out, it added to the realism and pulled you into the story.

That's Jane Jensen for you. Same with KQ6.

True. Jane is amazing. But ... I feel like the characters in GK were much more... fleshed... than in KQ6. In KQ6, they still felt like... characters you were meeting just to give you something (an item, a quest, etc). Where as Gabriel Knight, it felt like you were interacting with people in their every day lives.

Well, KQ was Roberta's baby. GK was Jane's.

Another thing about GK that made me immediately fall in love with it was the vivid culture and atmosphere of New Orleans in the first game.

Aside from the foreboding nightmare in the intro, you start the game with a simple premise as an underachieving novelist who sells rare books. After talking with Grace you can leave St. George's and explore the city. Gabriel initially doesn't have any major objectives, other than to do some research for his book and to visit Gran. Soon enough you begin to formulate the bigger picture of where the story's going, but I will never forget the feeling of exploring New Orleans at the beginning of the game. Visiting places like the voodoo museum, the drug store, the bar, the cemetery, the park, the church, etc. all left such a strong impression on me. The art style and especially Robert Holmes' score were so effective at bringing the city to life through my computer.

Mostly wrote: Aside from the foreboding nightmare in the intro, you start the game with a simple premise as an underachieving novelist who sells rare books. After talking with Grace you can leave St. George's and explore the city. Gabriel initially doesn't have any major objectives, other than to do some research for his book and to visit Gran. Soon enough you begin to formulate the bigger picture of where the story's going, but I will never forget the feeling of exploring New Orleans at the beginning of the game. Visiting places like the voodoo museum, the drug store, the bar, the cemetery, the park, the church, etc. all left such a strong impression on me. The art style and especially Robert Holmes' score were so effective at bringing the city to life through my computer.

Agreed. GK1 spawned my interest to visit New Orleans.
And when I did - I was not disappointed, and returned, almost every year for like 5 years in a row.

I never beat it myself, my dad did. But when he did he had a save game for the end which I always used to load up to listen to my favourite track in the game (which also plays for Wolfgang Ritter, apparently). It was such a strong story, even though I didn't know it all or understand a lot of it at the time (just for having not played it). Also the credits music was amazing. Some of the best use of piano work musically and compositionally in a musical score that I've ever heard. (I was quite disappointed with the remake's mix and mastering job, however)

MusicallyInspired wrote:I never beat it myself, my dad did. But when he did he had a save game for the end which I always used to load up to listen to my favourite track in the game (which also plays for Wolfgang Ritter, apparently). It was such a strong story, even though I didn't know it all or understand a lot of it at the time (just for having not played it). Also the credits music was amazing. Some of the best use of piano work musically and compositionally in a musical score that I've ever heard. (I was quite disappointed with the remake's mix and mastering job, however)

Have you never considered going through and beating the game?

I did attempt it years ago and only got as far as the catacombs. I've often considered going back but I'm just too lazy I guess. Someday soon I will.

MusicallyInspired wrote:I did attempt it years ago and only got as far as the catacombs. I've often considered going back but I'm just too lazy I guess. Someday soon I will.

The catacombs in GK1 - with the... zombies? If so - you were... pretty close to finishing, if memory serves me correctly...

I just kept wandering around seeing shadows but nothing ever happened. I guess I was supposed to do something to trigger an event but I didn't figure it out at the time. I was dumber then, though.