One of my favorite games of all time is a little 1993 adventure game called Gabriel Knight: Sins Of The Fathers. Taking place in New Orleans, the Sierra classic follows the titular smooth-talking, trenchcoat wearing horror novelist as he attempts to get to the bottom of a voodoo murder mystery.
When I say I loved this game, I don’t mean I played it and kind of liked it. To this day, I wear a black overcoat everywhere, just like Gabriel Knight. I have had serious conversations with my significant other if we can name our firstborn son “Gabriel Knight Brownlee.” So you know I was going to be all over this: Gabriel Knight is coming back, to the iPad and Mac.
The 20th Anniversary Edition of Gabriel Knight: Sins Of The Fathers is a remake of the original game featuring all new art and visuals, done in the distinct style of the original game. That’s great news, because while the original game is extremely low-resolution by modern standards, the art design in it is phenomenal.
For some, less welcome news is that the new Gabriel Knight will replace all of the voices of the original game with the work of new voice actors. That’s going to be a blow to some purists, since the original voice cast included Tim Curry, Mark Hammill, Michael Dorn, and Leah Remini. Unfortunately, the old voice assets have been lost, and the recordings ripped from the original game aren’t high enough quality to release in a modern title. Tim Curry’s titular performance as Gabriel Knight is awful, but it’s still a shame. I hope they allow for a classic mode as an option, at least.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers will be available on Mac and iPad in early 2014. I can’t wait.
Source: Gabriel Knight
