[Sughly]

Originally Posted by KasiaD

I wish there was more items to click on, although Gabe's comments are nothing like in GK1 - he has really lost his sense of humour in Germany

Actually I second this, I forgot to mention it myself. I was so disapointed when I found out he just mumbles one liners in response to the one icon you can use on everything, and multiple investigations produced nothing

Sorry, I don't mean to nag at the game so early - just getting used to the water...

[Intense Degree]

A few of the above comments reminded me of when I first played this game.

I loved GK1 (as some of you will have probably gathered! ) and I was really looking forward to playing GK2. However, when I first played it I actually gave up on it a couple of times because of how different it was.

Obviously the transition to FMV was a big one, and I hadn't played an FMV game before, but the biggest problem I had was old Gabe himself. I think that what I loved most about the first game was the Character of Gabriel, his comments, the way he related to others etc. and suddenly in the second game there was this guy I didn't recognise at all. I don't just mean that he looks different of course, but his whole personality seemed to have morphed into a fairly bland American sit-com star (these were my first impressions remember...) and much of his charm had simply gone.

Now obviously they couldn't get an actor who looked exactly like Gabe from the first one (pixelated faces are always hard to come by ), and in the absence of Tim Curry things weren't going to be exactly the same. However, this Gabriel seemed to me to be a bland and diluted version of the original without the wit and humour.

I should say though that even though I gave up on the game a couple of times in the first chapter I'm honestly glad I went back and played it as this is a really great game with some brilliantly compelling characters (although unfortunately Gabe isn't really one of them). So let me encourage anyone playing this for the first time who might feel like I did, persevere with this game, it's well worth it.

Did anyone else feel the same when they first played this game, or does anyone out there prefer the "new" Gabriel? Be very interested to hear your thoughts (first impressions only of course!).

[AndreaDraco83]

Hi everyone! As promised yesterday, I'm back with my usual column about the game and this time around it will be particularly rich, so I hope that you'll enjoy it!

A well-hidden depth

If you have played Sins of the Fathers or Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, one of the first thing that will strike you in The Beast Within is the lack of interactive hotspots on screen. As a matter of fact, it's pretty obvious - and many of you already noticed it - that gone are the lengthy descriptions of the environments, the fascinating details about the most unassuming objects and witty remarks just about everything. However, labelling The Beast Within as shallow will be a serious mistake. While Gabriel's first and third adventures are more similar to written novels, The Beast Within, like it or not, is an interactive movie and - just like every movie out there - its depth is conveyed more through the visuals (cinematic directions, different types of shot, cinematography, use of colors) than through written thoughts. Surely, Jane could have gone with a voice-off commentary like the beloved Tex Murphy series, but - while the off-camera voice is a common trope in Noir fiction - it doesn't lend itself very well to an intimate horror mystery. The depth, though, is there, and I will try to find it with you.

Let's start with the Huber farm: the use of roses, yellows, beiges and warm wooden tones - the cupboard, the crucifix, the table, the carpet - create a very safe, cozy ambiance and, in fact, the farm's living room will be a safe haven for all the adventure. But what does it tell us about the Hubers, even without Gabriel's remarks about the setting? The books in the sideboard, which are mostly about religious matters, and the crucifix certainly tell us that the Hubers are a very catholic family, perhaps even a slightly bigoted one, while the antlers on the wall reveal that Sepp was a skilled hunter (much like everyone from Rittersberg and surroundings). The china collection and Gabriel's comment about it - if you're a die-hard fan of the series, you know that this obsession with china is a recurring joke throughout the three adventures -, on the other hand, refers to his condemnation of a typical bourgeois lifestyle (G. Gozzano's good things of really bad taste), while hinting at his longing toward the safe world of his childhood (Grandma Knight), a world that now more than ever is forever lost to him.

Chapter One's other pivotal location, Herr Doktor Klingmann's office, reveal another well planned construction: the colors here are more dull - but not cold and aseptic like in the Biology lab at the University -, but the huge photographs on the wall are placed there for a reason. To the left of the doctor, for example, the wolves in the frame display a reddish color, like they were photographed at sunset, while the photo behind Gabriel portrays a pack of wolves in a snowy setting. The clash between the two images is a metaphor of the clash between Klingmann's point of view on nature and Gabriel's own views on the subject. More deeply, they also hint at the plot's future developments.

Spoiler:

The snowy wolves refer obviously to Ludwig, while the red ones hint at Klingmann's connection with the (were)wolves responsible for the death of Tony Huber and, generally speaking, at his views on the state of nature

Philosophy: The State of Nature

Herr Doktor Klingmann's theories about wolves clearly refer to a philosophical concept known as state of nature. If we read Hobbes' work, and he's perhaps the first philosopher to create such a notion, we see that his theory of bellum omnium contra omnes, sometimes referred to as homo homini lupus, is an obvious precedent of the "survival of the fittest" and a type of mentality Klingmann seems to endorse. In this theory, anyone has a natural right to to do anything to preserve his life, as much as any state, on a political scale, as the natural right to do anything to preserve (and expand) their wealth, even at the cost of less powerful states. Life in this state of nature is described by Hobbes in the Leviathan as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.", and - aside from the last adjective - I find that this description perfectly fits what we will find out later about the Black Wolf. This pessimistic view was later discarded both by Locke (who used Christian beliefs to formulate his theory about Reason as the fundamental law of nature), and Rousseau, who - despire never actually using the "noble savage" expression - indeed postulated a state of nature where people where neither good or bad, while writing that "you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody." (Discourse on Inequality)

Occult Lore: On Werewolves

We may, however, say that a werewolf is a human being, man, woman or child (more often the first), who either voluntarily or involuntarily changes or is metamorphosed into the apparent shape of a wolf, and who is then possessed of all the characteristics, the foul appetites, ferocity, cunning, the brute strength, and swiftness of that animal. [...] The Transformation, again, such as it is, if desired, can be effected by certain rites and ceremonies, which in the case of a constitutional werewolf are often of the black goetic kind. The resumption of the original form may also then be wrought at will. Werewolfery is hereditary or acquired; a horrible pleasure born of the thirst to quaff warm human blood, or an ensorcelling punishment and revenge of the dark Ephesian art

Montague Summers, The Werewolf in Lore and Legend, Dover 2003, p. 2 (originally published in 1933 as The Werewolf)

Real-life Locations: Marienplatz

Literally meaning Mary's Place, Marienplatz is the most important - and perhaps the most famous - Munich landmark, with its beautiful Glockenspiel, which celebrates the end of the 1517 plague (and the subsequent tournament of 1568), the golden Marian Column, the Old Town Hall, originally built in 1474 and reconstructed after World War II, the Church of the Holy Spirit (interior, exterior) and, of course, the stunning New Town Hall.

I don't know if you're already familiar with Ipkiss's Real Life Locations Tour (he's even a member here, and I really hope that he can take a little time and hop in), but, in my opinion, his videos are priceless. So, in my Real Life paragraph, I'd like to link at his tours and, if you haven't already seen them, I strongly suggest you to do so right away: the first part of his original tour take us to the zoo and to Marienplatz, while these other two videos (Part 12, Part 13) focus on the platz itself and on Ubergrau's office (exterior and interior).

Chapter One in the Novel
He was a tall man, at least six-two. He was extravagantly handsome with dark hair that curled on the shoulders of his immacolate gray suit and a strong, rugged yet boyish face. As he stepped forward, the breadth of his shoulders and the long, angular lines they narrowed to struck a chord of envy in the shorter American. [...] "Gabriel. Like the angel" the main said, looking with bemused curiosity into Gabriel's eyes.

Jane Jensen, Gabriel Knight: The BEast Within, Roc 1998, pp. 48-49

PS: Sorry, I couldn't resist to put up a quote from my favorite character!

[Sughly]

Yay, chapter one is done! I have to say, the puzzle involving

Spoiler:

the tape splicing

was simply annoying as all hell. Also with the receipt when you had to

Spoiler:

use it on the mirror

was a complete fluke. I was basically out of options and was joking around when I did it .

I think the ending of the chapter is starting to give me a more filmic sense of where it can go which is cool. I think I'll wait for more of the game before I comment any more on particulars...

EDIT: Interesting points there on the choice of decor and whatnot Andrea! I was liking the youtube tour until it started showing shots of parts I haven't seen yet and I had to close it

[Fien]

Originally Posted by DaveyB

I don't think it's possible to finish with less than 90 points! (is it Andreas?)

It is possible, because I managed it the first time.

Spoiler:

Didn't see Frau Huber's note, but I could pick up the car keys anyway.

Re the zoo, I actually hadn't been there in the 15 years I've lived in Munich, but was there for the first time only 5 months ago (It's what happens when you've got a 2-year-old child!). So I can vouch that the Zoo (like every other "real" location in the game) is authentic - I made sure I checked out the wolf enclosure while I was there . It's possible the fences were manipulated a bit, but fundamentally, it's the same. (Don't think any "spoiler" bits are needed here? I'll need to try & work out how to do them for other bits in a minute!)

Huu! And the youtube video (which I have seen before but I plain forgot the zoo was in it too) confirms what you said, although it's hard to get a good view of the fences. Remind me to give the wolf area a wide berth, next time I’m visiting the Munich Tiergarten.

@Matan: Oops! Wrong chapter. I hate it when people spoil my fun, so I'm very sorry.

@Danigar: I will give you the gist of the German lines but you may be disappointed.

Spoiler:

The policeman is trying to get through to Gabe and he says what you’d expect him to say: No, I don’t speak English, can I help you? What do you want? Who wants to see Kommissar Leber? You are...? He is busy, he has no time, he cannot see you, goodbye. Americans... pfff.

Baron Von Zell: I don’t want to discuss it here with you.
Herr Doktor Klingmann: My apologies, I have honestly no idea why... [enter Von Glower]

Von Zell simply tells Von Glower he has to leave.

Andrea:

Herr Doktor Klingmann's theories about wolves clearly refer to a philosophical concept known as state of nature. If we read Hobbes' work, and he's perhaps the first philosopher to create such a notion, we see that his theory of bellum omnium contra omnes, sometimes referred to as homo homini lupus, is an obvious precedent of the "survival of the fittest" mentality Klingmann seems to endorse.

On the contrary. Herr Doktor Klingmann actually *denies* believing in the survival of the fittest, just before he explains his Language of Death theory.

[AndreaDraco83]

I expressed myself wrong. I meant that his mentality seems to stem from Hobbes' theory about the State of Nature (which, in turn, influenced also the survival of the fittest mentality). The two theories - bellum omnium contra omnes and survival of the fittest (Darwinism, sort of) - have the same philosophical root (as per Bertrand Russell, On the Philosophy of Science, 1965), even if they are not exactly the same - semantics, of course, since one can easily see Survivalism as a direct consequence of the natural right to war expressed by Hobbes. However, Klingmann, in that sequence, is simply discarding the most popular application of the negative Hobbesian state of nature, while endorsing its more noble philosophical counterpart.

[Vel]

Just letting you know that I'm replaying that title too, for the first time since I was uh, 14. I ought to get a more mature view of things this time round, being almost 22. First thing that struck me - poor video quality, and this is without interlacing. Perhaps I'm just too spoiled by HD quality movies, but still. Also, most of the cast is okay-ish, including Gabe, but there is the occasional bad, non-professional actor. Take that scientist or the clerk at the lodge for instance. On the other hand, Peter Lucas pretty much steals the show. As a matter of fact, he was in Lynch's latest picture, Inland empire. Although it is a very difficult film, he shines there too. I'm off to play chapter 2, despite my disliking for Grace, who is the weakest main actor in my opinion.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Vel

On the other hand, Peter Lucas pretty much steals the show. As a matter of fact, he was in Lynch's latest picture, Inland empire. Although it is a very difficult film, he shines there too.

INLAND EMPIRE is a masterpiece.

[Intense Degree]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

INLAND EMPIRE is a masterpiece.

I'm with you there. To be honest pretty much anything David Lynch is a masterpiece, Mullholland Drive is my favourite [/offtopic]

[AndreaDraco83]

Since David Lynch is my favorite director and INLAND EMPIRE features Peter J. Lucas this is not off-topic!

Just kidding, of course! Back to The Beast Within!

Anyway, my favorite Lynch movie is Mulholland Dr. as well, tied with Fire Walk With Me, tied with Blue Velvet, tied with A Straight Story... Heck, I love everything he did! And I even met him in Milan, when he opened with a piano concert his art exhibit The Air is On Fire: he's a great man!

[Fantasysci5]

This Gabriel was the first one I was introduced to, but after playing the first one, I see why people would miss the wise-cracking Tim Curry. I don't know if this was it, but he was probably really destraught when (spoiler for first game)

Spoiler:

Malia died,

so maybe that took some of his spunk out?

I like the attention to detail they put in the game, even down to the little task of washing out the bucket after using.

[KasiaD]

The Muenchen tour is just awesome! Very funny and ingenious.

Just don't get me started on Von Glower

If I were a man, I would definately consider switching to a different orientation -

Spoiler:

and I am suprised Gabe didn't

[zobraks]

A word of warning: when you find a document in GK 2 make sure that you not only (personally) read every page, but that Gabe/Grace also "read" them (by simply clicking on every page until the reader's voice is heard - you can stop the reading aftewards by clicking again on the page if, for some reason, you want so). I remember that I couldn't go further from certain locations and wondered what I did wrong, only to find that it was because I did not let Gabriel or Grace read the whole letter/document (which I did, of course).
This is specially important when:

Spoiler:

- you read the letter from Gabriel's ancestor
- you browse the documents in Vagner's museum

This comes later in the game and you would probably be warned by Andrea too, but since it caused me a lot of trouble I thought it would be appropriate to share the experience with you who now enter the scary but wonderful world of The Beast Within. What a great game, I envy you all who play it for the first time .

[danigar]

Wow thanks Andrea, that's a very interesting and wonderful insight. I think the part about the philosophy is very interesting and I can't wait when we get more in depth in that side of the game as it progresses. I have to agree that what this game lacks in interaction or with the characters' remarks, it completely makes it up for it with its cinematic style and depth. Like Fien said, nothing beats real actors I would say, cause I understand why people would not like Gabe's or Grace's actors in contrast with the ones in the other games, but this way feels like more compelling and closer to a movie form and gives it a total new depth, like Andrea perfectly put it... I also loved the tour as well! I haven't seen it before and I enjoyed it immensely, it is indeed very funny (loved the end of part 13 ). I didn't see it all but I supposed Andrea would provide the respective locations that are explored in each Chapter ... By the way guys thanks for mentioning Lynch and those movies, I'm not really familiar with his work but now you got me all interested. I'll have to check it out

[zobraks]

Originally Posted by KasiaD

I must admit it was a shock to see Gabe in Beast Within - i still cannot sort of get accustomed to the fact that he is supposed to be the same person as "Tim Curry" in GK 1 and 3. He wears high heels and has red hair...

That's what I felt too. I couldn't have been more disappointed with Gabriel's persona (it looked like he's going to grab Von Glower's a$$ at any moment ). I still remember that it's thanks to him that I've learned (the true meaning of) the English word "drawl". I cursed the creators of the game for not supplying the titles all the time I was playing GK 2 .

Originally Posted by danigar

... Lynch and those movies, I'm not really familiar with his work but now you got me all interested. I'll have to check it out

Boy, are you in for a (magnificent) surprise .

[DaveyB]

Originally Posted by Fien

@Danigar: I will give you the gist of the German lines but you may be disappointed.

99% right I think Fien (with obviously some possible translation variations), not bad for the "gist" . Only thing I think you missed was

Spoiler:

after (I think) the policeman said "Goodbye", he then said "the door please".

@Danigar: As Fien says, there's nothing stunning in the German that you're missing (nor should there be) but the policeman's very nicely done and the conversation between von Zell & Klingmann makes sense later on. All well done: you're not missing anything if you don't understand German, but it's a nice little "extra" if you do - all typical of Jane Jensen.

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

Let's start with the Huber farm:The books in the sideboard, which are mostly about religious matters, and the crucifix certainly tell us that the Hubers are a very catholic family, perhaps even a slightly bigoted one

Much as it almost feels like sacrilige to disagree with Andreas on the subject of Gabriel Knight, but I can't go along with that. I'm not spotting the books in the sideboard at all (maybe they're mentioned in the book? Or am I being blind?) and having a cross in the wall in countryside (as opposed to Munich - quite a different thing!) Bavaria doesn't actually show the inhabitants are necessarily very Catholic, and certainly not bigoted. It's a common cultural thing, the same as school classrooms still have a cross on the wall. It doesn't actually signify that the people are strict Catholics.

[Vel]

I never said Inland empire wasn't a masterpiece, I just said it was difficult. If you're looking for a starter, try Mulholland Drive or, if you have more free time, Twin Peaks. Also, if you have already seen all Lynch movies, do try those of Atom Egoyan, they are rather similar in mood if not in style. [/offtopic]

I'm replaying the game faster than I thought I would, I'm now as far as chapter four. Guess I'll just post all my thoughts when I finish it.

[Little Writer]

Finished day one with 90 points as well.

Prologue: I never understood what the guy calling the woman and child is saying, and I still don’t. The whole sequence is very atmospheric and really sets the mood, even though its meaning will only become clear much later. I also like how (watch out, very heavy spoiler here!)

Spoiler:

the door that guy locks turns out to be the dungeon of the Rittersberg town hall.

The only thing that bothered me about it is one shot of a white tower-like building with the flames in front of it. It looks like obvious artwork instead of a real location.

In fact, I've noticed that several inventory objects are obvious drawings as well, where they don't even bother to make them look real. Like the talisman. With other items it's hard to discern whether they're artwork as well or actual photographs of real objects.

Opening movie: the introduction of the new Gabe. When it comes to physical appearance, I think Dean Erickson fits the bill. His voice is another matter, though. I’ve tried paying attention to his comments and content-wise, it’s very reminiscent of the “Sins of the Fathers” Gabriel. Only Tim Curry could sound very sarcastic, and it seems Erickson’s voice is too “soft” to pull that off. His remarks just don’t carry the same weight or the correct intonation. I don’t know, this is hard to explain since it’s more of a feeling than actual facts, so I hope you can understand what I mean.

And the Oscar for most pouty facial expression goes to … Wesley Mann! (Sepp Huber). I thought it was funny to see this actor here, totally unexpected. I remember seeing him often as waiter or butler or something like that in several movies and TV shows.

Most famous voice … Kay Kuter! This actor has a very impressive filmography, and he has voiced characters in “Grim Fandango” and “Curse of Monkey Island”.

The actual gameplay begins. I’m reading comments of bad movie quality, not enough hotspots … I say: meh. I remember I was totally ecstatic to actually see real video on my computer back when I first played this game, the quality never really bothered me and still doesn’t. The amount of hotspots: same thing. Yeah, it’s fun to have a lot of things to examine and hear comments about. I call this game time-efficient: ideal for people who play games on a more occassional basis and often take weeks (sometimes even months) of real time to finish one. I think there are still enough extra little things to examine in the game and I never felt myself wanting more.

Cue the dramatic violins whenever Gabriel discovers something interesting.

Something that struck me when I started playing was how silent the Huber farm actually is, with only that ticking clock. I’m missing some background music. Of course, with constant music, those violins wouldn’t sound as dramatic. And I noticed that, whenever they do add some music, the voices are very hard to discern.

Another thing about Gabriel’s comments: sometimes the quality is so bad it sounds like lines he phoned in afterwards. He sounds very muffled.

I liked how

Spoiler:

collecting the wolf hair is similar to collecting the snake scales in "Sins".

The tour of Munich. A bunch of fantastic extras in this game. The police officer is brilliant. I understand a bit of German so I never had a problem with his speech, although I did miss that “Liebe” facial expression up till now.

The prize for most bug-eyed expression: Gil Neuman as Thomas the zoo keeper. Talk about over acting … Did you know he’s actually listed as assistant director as well?

Something I’ve always wondered about. When

Spoiler:

they’re with the wolves, one of them starts barking and growling at them. But the wolf is shown as being behind a fence. So I would think the animal can’t reach them, yet they still run away. I guess it was the only safe way to film an angry wolf, and they didn’t bother or couldn’t afford the technology to edit out the fence in post production.

I don’t know, I just thought it was weird.

Wolf Muser as Klingmann. I remembered him as a bad guy in an episode of MacGyver.

The person to win a year of therapy for his OCD: Harald Übergrau! Every time someone leaves his office, he turns the little globe on his desk. There must be a one inch indentation there already. I’ll also give him the prize for spending the most time at the hairdresser. Yes, even more than Gabe himself. I used to think he resembled our crown prince Filip, though that could just be me.

And finally we reach the lodge. I just love Xaver! Did you know the guy’s a yoga instructor, as well as a writer of children’s books?

Von Glower. We’ll see plenty more of him. I still remember watching “Independence Day” and there’s this one second shot of a Russian reporter on the tv news when the ufo’s reach the major cities, very bad quality, but I immediately recognized Peter Lucas. Must be the hair.

The others in the lodge:

Richard Raynesford (Von Zell) has this Gordon Ramsey thing going on. Atttitude and all. He just finished a new horror movie, “Psychosis”, but I don’t know what kind of part he has in it.

Clement von Franckenstein (Von Aigner) has appeared in many movies and tv shows. I saw him once after playing the game for the first time, but I don’t remember where. He played a German as well, I believe.

Edmund L. Shaff (Hennemann) is the dolt of the company, it seems. Impressive resumé as well, though, and he even appeared in recent shows as “Mad Men” and “Desperate Housewives”.

Clabe Hartley (Preiss) always freaked me out here. Never liked this character, and never understood why he was actually there.

[Intense Degree]

Finished day 1 now. I must say that a couple of things struck me on this playthrough that hadn't before:

1. Funky 90's female clothing!

Gerde & Grace both have the dowdy unflattering look, whereas Ubergrau's secretary is a whole new level of hip! It makes me laugh but I love it! (...I wonder what my wife would say if ... NO NO! )

2. Award for the campest German ever in a game!

Michael at the university is the most fabulously camp character I think i've ever seen in a game. This is a story that deals with desires and passions of many sorts and it's nice to have, what might be called, a bit of lighter comic relief here and there. (Hybrid? ... Oooh, you mean when a Wolf and Dog...)

If you've never watched any David Lynch before i'd probably start with Blue Velvet, although Mulholland drive has the most powerful cinematic moment ever in it in my opinion. [/offtopic]

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Intense Degree

Michael at the university is the most fabulously camp character I think i've ever seen in a game.

I must agree!