Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

Gabriel Knight is a wise-cracking bookstore owner and would-be author. He is the last in a long line of Shadow Hunters, those fated to fight supernatural forces of evil. Tormented by terrifying nightmares, he must spend every waking moment scouring the side streets and back alleys of New Orleans for the key to his dark past. One day, a blood-chilling murder shocks the inhabitants of the city. The police detective assigned to investigate the crime is Gabriel's friend. In the beginning Gabriel collects evidence in hope of using the material for his new novel; but soon he finds himself personally involved in the investigation, and plunges deeper into the world of secret societies and murderous cults.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a third-person puzzle-solving adventure game. Created by Jane Jensen, the game differs from Sierra's Quest games (e.g. Space Quest) by having a realistic setting and focusing (despite its supernatural elements and humor) on mature themes and detective work. In this way it is more similar to the company's earlier Laura Bow games.

The game's icon-based interface is the same as in Sierra's previous titles, with verb commands that allow interaction with the game world and its inhabitants. Though the game still has plenty of inventory-based puzzles characteristic for classic adventure, its gameplay is heavily inclined towards dialogue. Typically, Gabriel will have to interrogate other characters, choosing conversation topics and thus gradually finding clues and advancing towards the mystery's solution.

The game's locations are done in hand-painted style. The CD version of the game adds full voice-overs to the dialogues, as well as narrator's voice to text descriptions.

Followed By The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery
Remade By Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition
Series Gabriel Knight (1)
Added March 8, 2020
Published By Sierra On-Line
Activision Publishing
Developed By Sierra On-Line
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Header Image (Windows) from Steam
IGDB Cover from igdb.com
Title screen (DOS) from mobygames.com
Alternate title screen (DOS) from mobygames.com
The first day begins... The game consists of ten days in total (DOS) from mobygames.com
Bookstore, Gabriel's "home base" and the game's starting location (DOS) from mobygames.com
Gabriel's room. Messy, isn't it? (DOS) from mobygames.com
Like in most Sierra games of the time, interaction icons can be hidden or shown during gameplay (DOS) from mobygames.com
Napoleon Bar. Stay for the drinks, chat with the locals... (DOS) from mobygames.com
Looking over the city park (DOS) from mobygames.com
This short, restricted, yet cool live-action animation appears when Gabriel leaves his bookstore (DOS) from mobygames.com
As always in Sierra games, text descriptions are plentiful. Gabriel here is admiring the local church (DOS) from mobygames.com
This is the message you receive when you try to talk to Jesus on the picture! (DOS) from mobygames.com
The strange, exotic voodoo museum. This theme leads to far darker consequences later in the game (DOS) from mobygames.com
The map of New Orleans with places of interest - at first there aren't many (DOS) from mobygames.com
The map of French District, where much of the action in the game takes place (DOS) from mobygames.com
Police station. You can still chat with characters before asking them specific questions, at which point you are taken to a separate screen (DOS) from mobygames.com
Gabriel is talking to Grace. Dialogues have multiple choices and appear on separate screens (DOS) from mobygames.com
Blues in a park. What more could you want? (DOS) from mobygames.com
Gabe and his Granny (DOS) from mobygames.com
View of Schloss Ritter (DOS) from mobygames.com
Schloss Ritter sure does have large rooms (DOS) from mobygames.com
Gabriel and his uncle, very short meeting though (DOS) from mobygames.com
When this screen appears, it usually means you're dead... (DOS) from mobygames.com
One of the game's several gruesome death scenes (DOS) from mobygames.com
This video animation shows Gabriel's recurring nightmare... (DOS) from mobygames.com
Nasty voodoo stuff - in higher-resolution CD version (DOS) from mobygames.com
No adventure game is complete without some sort of labyrinth (DOS) from mobygames.com
Bloody ritual (DOS) from mobygames.com
Airflight to Germany (DOS) from mobygames.com
Inventory with mysterious tablets (DOS) from mobygames.com
Another gruesome death - is there anything you could have done to stop it?.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
At the scene of the crime (DOS) from mobygames.com
First meeting with Malia (DOS) from mobygames.com
At Mosely's office (DOS) from mobygames.com
At Malia's home - a very underwhelming scene compared to her and her family's role later (DOS) from mobygames.com
Voodoo ritual in the bayou (1) - at several key moments the action is shown through such comic-book-like shots. (DOS) from mobygames.com
Voodoo ritual in the bayou (2) (DOS) from mobygames.com
The chapel at Schloss Ritter (DOS) from mobygames.com
Arrival at the snake mound in Benin (DOS) from mobygames.com
Probably the bloodiest scene of the game (DOS) from mobygames.com
Flying back to New Orleans (DOS) from mobygames.com
The final showdown - voodoo ritual at the secret hounfour (DOS) from mobygames.com
The ritual (2) - this is the final screenshot which I consider "not yet a spoiler"... (DOS) from mobygames.com
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam
Official Screenshot (Windows) from Steam

Year of Release:
1993

Genre(s):
Traditional

Graphic Style:
2D

Camera View:
Third-Person

Control Type:
Point and Click

Setting/Theme:
Horror Mystery

Other Tags:
Speech

Available From: