"FMV at its best!"

Gabriel Knight 2 came out when FMV was the "in" thing. It was hailed as the next best thing in adventure games. However, most games using the technology were... bad. Terrible, actually. Could Jane Jensen use this seemingly very hit-and-miss style to create something great?

Well, it worked pretty well...

Story: The story is something that Jane Jensen never skimps on and this is no different. The story once again mixes fact with fiction to create an awesome experience. It involves werewolves and King Ludwig, taking place completely in Germany. It is a compelling game, one that will be hard for anyone who enjoys a good story to put down.

Gameplay: The game is a standard point and click adventure game. It feels a bit stripped down, though. To save the great amounts of space an FMV game can take, the player only has one smart cursor; no more look, touch, walk, talk. The player clicks on something with the "smart cursor" and something happens. It is mostly a classic interface that works well. The puzzles are well thought out, but one in particular is extremely absurd.

Graphics: Because of how taxing an FMV game was space-wise, the game comes on a whopping 6 CDs. At the time of release, the game had great video, but it has not aged well. The video is pretty small on most modern resolutions and it has a bar running across it at every other line.

Acting: Necessary for an FMV game. The acting is adequate. Dean Erikson does a good job with Gabriel Knight; many prefer his take on the character to Tim Curry's. The acting is pretty good, but there are times when it is laughably bad. It doesn't happen too often, but that's still too often ;).

OVERALL: The game does suffer from some problems, but they are actually quite minor once you get playing. The story hooks you and before you know it, its over. That is a mark of a great story and the guys at Sierra have done an excellent job, creating a sequel that works well on almost every level.

7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/01/05