once there's an english version of Unwritten Tales I'll be sure to give it a go. Perry Rhodan was good, especially impressive in that I got into the game very easily despite never having even heard of the comics it's based on before, but not amongst my very favourites. everyone has their own tastes

I'm really lost about the graphical complaints though, looks fine for me (playing in 1280x1024 and not even with settings at max). have you checked your settings? there's a config.exe in the game directory that's easy to miss, or maybe it doesn't look quite as good in higher resolutions?
it honestly wouldn't surprise me for the graphics to be outdated though considering how long it's been in development. take a look at Dragon Age for example, BioWare spent so long working on it that by the time it was ready for release the graphics were rather behind the times, but updating them would've meant having to do a lot more work and delay the release only to potentially run into the same again so they released it anyway and despite the graphics (which are good, just not quite up to some other recent games) it was a huge, huge hit.
graphics aren't the biggest thing, game and story are. if a game has all three then that's great, but if I have to chose just one or two, graphics will be lowest priority

but like I said, GM's graphics look fine to me

Well... Awkward.

I'm both glad that you guys are playing the game, and sad that most of you are playing a pirated version.

So let me just get this straight: I will not let it ruin my "Gray Matter Day" and just stick with the gladness if you intend to buy the retail game when it's out in your region.

I can understand (to an extent) that people having waited for this game for way too long want to play it in as soon as they can, and hence I would not resent them/you to do so... if you please don't pass out on buying it if you were intending too.

Support adventure games, support a possible GM2, and give reasons to the publishers of such games to invest decent budgets in order to deliver the best games possible in terms of quality and creativity.

Sorry I hope it doesn't sound preachy, I'm really asking nicely as far as I'm concerned, but see we all, Jane, us and the other outsourcers, worked pretty hard on getting this game out, and it was for you people, seriously, no one will earn golden jetskis on this one...

And while it has its flaws as some of you as well as the reviews are pointing out, believe me when I say that it wasn't a given that this game was even finished at all, and we really did our best in the given conditions.

So please don't give the industry a reason to dis the game genre that you love, and support it by buying honestly as well as voicing your criticism and praises.

Oh, and have fun, I hope you love the game.

(please don't answer "I will/won't buy it", that's not the point ;) )

edit: just want to say by the way that this is my own thoughts on the matter, and I'm not speaking for wizabox or dtp. :)

I admit it, I play an illegal copy of the game. Yesterday morning when
I saw it available I hardly couldnt believe my eyes. There it was, a game I´ve been waiting for for so long, I almost gave up hope for it. I struggled with my consience for about 30 seconds before I pushed the download button.
I simply couldnt wait.
Will I buy it?
Yes.
Yes I will.
Like I bought all the other games Jane created, several copies of each and everyone of them.
I just couldnt wait any longer, right or wrong.

I don't get this complaining about graphics at all. It's true that animations aren't that good, but I think graphics are good. The backgrounds are really beautiful and they fit to the game nicely, and overall atmosphere is great. The mystic gothic art direction is great as well. Character models are okay, it's only animations that are below average. After years of development changes and troubles, it's unrealistic to expect amazing graphics like those games that have been created from the beginning to the end in same production team. I have played AAA-titles on consoles (Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2 etc) and surely Gray Matter graphics are technically very very old fashioned when compared to those, but I still think it's beautiful game.

Yeah, I'm at a loss on these graphic whiners too. Animations are a bit stiff but I don't really care. The 2D pre-rendered art is beautiful. So much more inspired than say, Telltale Game's 3D Tales of Monkey Island engine (which I just think has a horrifically ugly art syle) where every character is literally a copy/paste of the same 3D model.

They have my money, i want to play right now. It's pretty straightforward.

Well Book of Unwritten Tales may have smoother dialogue but I fail to see how that really matters. What makes or breaks an adventure game imho is the storyline. How is the actual plot of Unwritten Tales versus Gray Matter?

people who have a problem with the pirated version are missing the point.

(before i start this mini-rant id like to clarify i dotn have it, wont be buying it either, and will probably leave this thread in a bit to avoid spoilers, as i dont plan to play it until i have completed the GK games, at which point if it is available and i enjoyed GK i will definitely pay for it)

dtp have seemingly gone out of their way to make it hard for US jensen fans to play this game, there is no way to buy it online, or to import it without waiting weeks. so when people leak it on the web and that becomes their only option, what can you expect.

die hard jensen fans are not going to let themselves play this game without eventually giving the developer the money they deserve, that would make no logical sense.

i know if something like shenmue 3 was coming out, and leaked 2 weeks before the official release i would grab it without thinking. i would then probably buy as many copies as i could sensible afford when it was available properly, because i would want a shenmue 4.

most people are in a similar position here with jane jensen, nobody wants her to stop making games.

Exactly.... I mean, if you want to hate me for not buying "Gray Matter" on Steam, I totally understand. Oh wait.

Does anyone know where that pirated PAL version that's been floating around the internet comes from? That has to be out somewhere then. Or is it in fact the German version, which was only in German according to Amazon.de?

Official warning from Adventure Gamers:

I'll remind everyone that Adventure Gamers official policy states that we have "a zero tolerance policy on pirated software. Any messages soliciting or promoting warez will be immediately deleted and posting priveledges will be revoked."

This is not a debate, argument, or invitation to discussion at all. Don't like it? Doesn't matter. Those who have already admitted to downloading an illegal version of the game will face sanctions of some kind to be determined by us. Anyone else who does so from this point on will face a permanent ban.

On a personal note, I certainly believe that some of you have already pre-ordered or will certainly later order the game legally, and I do at least applaud that. Anyone else should just be ashamed of themselves.

when will a community playthrough happen for this? is it usually somehting done with games most epople have already played before? because i will play all the GKs soon and try and get involved with the playthrough if its in the pipeline.

The way community playthroughs usually work is that someone "leads" the playthrough who knows the game inside and out...in kind of a retrospective-host manner. Right now I doubt many of us have even seen the game yet and who knows how long till the US even gets a legit release....but I guess it's up to the crowd. Seems to me this would work best in a few months when everyone can play along.

just finished the game and it is a work of art. I think I missed some of the bonus points in a couple of chapters though but I'm not sure if getting them all unlocks anything

Spoiler:

the post credits scene: is this a sequel hook I see before me? dare I hope?

Finished too, dead tired but couldn't leave it waiting for tomorrow.

It's simply the best adventure game of the decade. 5/5

The game only had two flaws: the clumsy animations and at least at one point I managed to do an action that I got a clue for afterwards.

Spoiler:

I pushed the professor about the affair with Sherry before hearing the phone conversation

And those are hardly flaws in a superb adventure like this.

I think the game was a bit on the easier side but clearly felt more like a game than most of the recent adventures that have been closer to super easy. The puzzles were much more fun and the characters and dialogue is just on the different level than most of the adventures I've played in years.

Bot protagonists are great and all the relationships in the game are just juicy. Jane has a great sense of humour that doesn't spoil a "serious game". And there is enough suspense to make the game exciting but it never turns into horror (I dislike most horror games because honestly they are just too scary for me to play).

I managed to get almost all of the bonus points, missed a few in two chapters I think. No idea if they matter in anything.

it did feel easier than, for example, the Gabriel Knight games, but it's hard to say whether that's because it is easier or I'm just better at puzzles than I was several years ago. it's certainly not as easy as Alter-Ego for example
there's a few places I was stuck for a while but only one where I was tempted to find a walkthrough (big surprise, there aren't any yet :P I managed to figure it out on my own anyway)

Spoiler:

the "enter the name of the mage" bit. I tried Mephistopheles, Houdini, even Harry bloody Potter before thinking to try Lewis Caroll

the story kept me guessing nicely too

Spoiler:

at first I was sure Malik was a plant from Linkweller, and then when evidence started supporting this theory I couldn't decide whether he was a red herring or not for a while. I was also convinced that there were two ghosts, one who had killed Laura (this after seeing the photo) and Laura herself, but that Styles was unknowingly feeding the wrong ghost. when Laura's message began "IM" I was expecting it to eventually reveal "IMNOTALONE". then I suspected Helena, the only Lamb who didn't seem to have an agenda or any evidence against her so of course she became my top suspect. until there was evidence against her of course :P it wasn't until Styles flashback to the student in his office that I became sure it was Angela (could just notice the scottish accent behind the voice distortion) but even then I wasn't sure she was behind everything.
I loved how the ending also left you not entirely sure just how much of the goings on were down to Angela and how much was Laura. after all, the message "IMPOSTER" proves Laura was there
and then the page from the book, Bride of Frankenstien... sequel to the story Sam has been reading. subtle hint at a Gray Matter sequel? I hope so

What's required to complete the bonus percentages? for example, in chapter 1?

Quick thoughts:

1) Graphically, yes, not groundbreaking. It doesn't matter. The backgrounds are fantastic. The models are a little stiff and bland and the animations not impressive. A few graphical glitches so far were a little ugly, like Sam getting on the bike. Yuck.

2) Love the cut scenes. Awesome art style. The ending cut scene for Chapter 1 dispenses any concern that it's not a Jane Jensen quality game.

3) Like the music but wish there was more so far. A tad repetitive, even how good it is.

4) The game runs great on my machine, very fluid and fast which can't be said for all adventures.

5) It lacks a little polish overall for a game that has been in development so long. Nothing game breaking but just a little.

6) Puzzles do seem easy overall and I can see how the whole magic thing was probably hoped to be better than it is.

Just nitpicks.

Why's that depressing? I don't blame people for getting the game early, I can barely wait myself! Not only that, but I live in Italy where the game (like all games) will only be released in Italian, which I am not fluent in. When it's available to buy in English (and completed), I will order it online. As long as these people BUY the game when it's available, I personally have no problem with their practices. Downloading illegally & not buying, however... I disapprove.

What's really depressing is the anticlimactic reaction so far.

Any idea if it will be released on Steam? I'm buying many of my games there nowadays and wish more adventures were distributed there. I refuse to pirate it so will wait either way.

German magazine GameStar gives it a 77/100, criticizing the graphics, the puzzles and the very beginning of the game in particular. I myself would have to add that at least the first chapter made me despise the protagonist. On top of bad voice-acting (German version in particular) she delivers lines that would rather suit a teenage goth girl than a woman. And I'd have to agree with Phod that the game lacks overall polish.