Review of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers – 20th Anniversary Edition by Doom

I’m not sure. If they aimed at modern crowd, they probably missed the mark. Not only the hardest and/or archaic parts were left untouched. Some frustrating logic puzzles were added. They make zero sense, they are no fun. And why would anyone EVER want to solve a “bonus” gem puzzle?

The graphics are now HD, but hardly up-to-date. Because of choppy animation some scenes that require good pathfinding or quick reflexes might really get on your nerves now. Not to mention that quite a number of animations are completely gone, making it more of a downgrade. The interface was reworked, and that’s certainly good news for those used to simpler point-n-clicks. Although that panel at the bottom reminds me of hidden object games too much.

Old-timers will immediately notice the significant change in art style. Many locations feel less atmospheric, lack details, character, New Orleans! Some of them - like the family castle - were completely redrawn. I do appreciate the updated cutscenes though. Now they look wonderful!

Slight adjustments were made to the gameplay. Unnecessary linearity was added here and there. Some locations are hidden or closed for stupid reasons unless you really need them. Several episodes were reworked as well. For example, one beautiful puzzle that required a little attention from the player was barbarically removed and substituted with a primitive “take/use” manipulation for no reason.

While the game certainly looks more polished compared to Moebius and Cognition, and obviously more effort was put into production, it still feels like a budget re-release, not a remake of one of the greatest adventure games. And it’s not just about the lack of money; it’s about craftsmanship. I’m not so sure Gabriel Knight 4 would be such a good idea now.

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Time Played: 5-10 hours
Difficulty: Just Right