So, apparently (https://twitter.com/jensen_jane/status/387614969111384065) Jane Jensen's Pinkerton Road is doing a remake of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers to mark the game's 20th anniversary.
http://www.gabrielknight20th.com/
Does this scene look familiar to you?
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BWEVnqwCcAAlyN6.jpg:large)
Holy cow! That's great. I hope she won't change anything in the plot and just updates the graphics. I hated her last game...
I'm not wild about the 3d Gabriel, but those backgrounds are lovely.
Quote from: Gribbler on Tue 08/10/2013 19:14:53
I hated her last game...
You hated Gray Matter?..
The only problem with those otherwise lovely screens is the aspect ratio :/
Though the lighting in the bayou background suggest New Orleans has two suns...
Quote from: qptain NemoYou hated Gray Matter?..
Yep. Something about this game was terribly off putting for me. I didn't like the dialogues, too. I just couldn't play this game. In the back of my head I always had the thought "you're just wasting your time" instead of "Gee, I wonder what happens next". I remember I waited for this game for years, following its slow production. And when I finally bought it and played it... It was a huge let down. I didn't finished it, maybe there something great later in the game but I just gave up.
I probably have the unpopular opinion that this looks awful. I get what they're trying to do, but the backgrounds just look plastic and soulless. I don't get what the need is to remake all these classic adventures. It's not going to pull in a new audience, and it can only lead to disappointment from the fans of the original. I have DOSBox and the original on CD, I'll stick with those, thanks.
Also, in the spirit of Ben304's fury at the Monkey Island 1 remake and its lazy art, I've made my own grade for Gabriel Knight:
(http://i.imgur.com/ZBtlnNW.jpg)
Quote from: Gribbler on Tue 08/10/2013 21:04:14
Yep. Something about this game was terribly off putting for me. I didn't like the dialogues, too. I just couldn't play this game. In the back of my head I always had the thought "you're just wasting your time" instead of "Gee, I wonder what happens next". I remember I waited for this game for years, following its slow production. And when I finally bought it and played it... It was a huge let down. I didn't finished it, maybe there something great later in the game but I just gave up.
You, sir, are wrong about everything ever. :(
Quote from: Grundislav on Tue 08/10/2013 21:06:22
I don't get what the need is to remake all these classic adventures.
I can't agree more that it's unneeded from the player and artistic perspectives BUT come to think of it it's not such a bad stepping stone for Jensen to firmly establish her new studio and hopefully gain some resources for the future projects. Besides, she claims on the site she couldn't stop thinking about GK, so, eh, her call.
Quote from: qptain NemoYou, sir, are wrong about everything ever.
My math teacher used to think so too when she was checking my homework :)
It's clear that Jane's been influenced by Calm Waters ;)
From Eurogamer: (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-10-08-gabriel-knight-sins-of-the-fathers-is-getting-remade-by-jane-jensen)
QuoteOne thing that will be replaced is the audio, which unfortunately means the protagonist's voice-over by Tim Curry is no more. Why is that, you ask? As it turns out, the original audio files simply weren't available
Oh :sad: I don't really see the point then. Why not do a new game?
I love GK, and will probably pick this up.
But I'm not sure what to think of the backgrounds. A couple of them look good, like the Crypt. But some of the others look a bit plastic-ky.
Personally I think I would have preferred a more illustration style. Something like the Preacher comic series.
Quote from: JoshuaSmyth on Wed 09/10/2013 00:42:07
Personally I think I would have preferred a more illustration style. Something like the Preacher comic series.
Thank God that didn't happen. I hate the Preacher art style. :)
I'm looking forward to this edition and hopefully a 3D GK4 afterwards, but of course the definitive GK1 will always be the original floppy version, without the awful voiceovers, the sloppy hi-res paintovers or compression artifacts in the superbly graphic novel like cutscenes.
Quote from: Azure on Tue 08/10/2013 23:05:13
From Eurogamer: (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-10-08-gabriel-knight-sins-of-the-fathers-is-getting-remade-by-jane-jensen)
QuoteOne thing that will be replaced is the audio, which unfortunately means the protagonist's voice-over by Tim Curry is no more. Why is that, you ask? As it turns out, the original audio files simply weren't available
Oh :sad: I don't really see the point then. Why not do a new game?
Butbutbut...surely anyone with the original game's CD and a copy of SCIStudio VGA can get all those things? I am certain you can rip graphics using it...that isn't possible with sound? Or is it a legal matter?
After seeing the first screenshot in the thread, I was about to post "I sense bad-taste 3D" (even though it wasn't obvious)
...And then I saw the screenshot posted by Grundislav, and it became crystal-clear: this 3D is AWFUL!
Quote from: Babar on Wed 09/10/2013 19:06:29
Butbutbut...surely anyone with the original game's CD and a copy of SCIStudio VGA can get all those things? I am certain you can rip graphics using it...that isn't possible with sound? Or is it a legal matter?
I think it's a matter of sound quality. The compressed files used in-game don't really cut it.
Quote from: Grundislav on Tue 08/10/2013 21:06:22
I probably have the unpopular opinion that this looks awful. I get what they're trying to do, but the backgrounds just look plastic and soulless. I don't get what the need is to remake all these classic adventures. It's not going to pull in a new audience, and it can only lead to disappointment from the fans of the original. I have DOSBox and the original on CD, I'll stick with those, thanks.
Also, in the spirit of Ben304's fury at the Monkey Island 1 remake and its lazy art, I've made my own grade for Gabriel Knight:
(http://i.imgur.com/ZBtlnNW.jpg)
I think you're a bit harsh. The quality of the screens in the gallery varies quite a lot, and while this, the Bourbon St. exterior and the church are a bit plasticky, the St. Louis cemetery, the bayou and to an extent Gabriel's shop look quite a lot better.
Of your specific criticisms, I'm not sure what you mean by "poor matte", and I don't see why it's a problem that the lights and the trash cans in the park (Jackson Sq.) are all the same design. Isn't that what you'd expect (and what it's like in reality)? And the shadows are inconsistent, sure, but that's true of pretty much any pre-rendered 3D (or 2D!) game.
Quote from: Monsieur OUXX on Wed 09/10/2013 19:09:23
After seeing the first screenshot in the thread, I was about to post "I sense bad-taste 3D" (even though it wasn't obvious)
...And then I saw the screenshot posted by Grundislav, and it became crystal-clear: this 3D is AWFUL!
Exactly! I think the problem with Grundilsav's awful screenshot isn't just to do with the SIMs-esque saturation and lighting. The problem is the camera angle. It's exactly the same as the low-res original, which was framed like that (if memory serves) because scrolling wasn't possible and because at some point Gabriel looks at the park from a distance. The detailed 3D reveals the horrible long-lens-to-the-point-of-isometric flatness of the original frame.
I think translating it into 3D without re-evaluating the camera angle is a mistake.
EDIT: That said, this one is OK. The texturing is massively better than the others, and they've managed to avoid adding rainbow lighting effects. The camera is still to high, and the frame too 4:3 for my taste. (Why are they remaking it in 4:3!?)
(http://www.gabrielknight20th.com/wp-content/gallery/gk20/stlouiscemetery.jpg)http://www.gabrielknight20th.com/
Snarky: When I say poor matte, I'm referring to the fact that they've clearly taken a texture/photograph and pasted it in with no effort to make it look natural. That screenshot in particular looks like a bad hidden object game.
Also, I'm being harsh because GK1 is one of my favorite games, and seeing it redone this way just makes me sad.
Guys, you can contact production team via their site, write email or something, and point out all those background mistakes to them. The game is still in development, maybe there still a chance to address those issues and save the game, so to speak. Maybe they'll listen to the fans.
That grass texture looks as flat as in GK3, that's true.
Also, I don't remember Gabe having 6 clones of himself in that scene.
Surely the image Grundislav posted is just some tossed together placeholder thing? Right?
Right?!
But, coming from someone responsible for some fairly lousy CG of his own (and therefore not really comfortable critiquing anyone else), that image and character model is...not very good.
On the other hand, the image that Ali has highlighted is decent enough. Looks a little off-the-shelf "Daz3D", though, which is what I used to make these (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=47967.msg636450361#msg636450361) old, thematically similar, images.
But it's early days, and maybe these images are just to give us a taste of the intended style.
GK is Jensen's pride and joy. I really wouldn't worry about it, she won't risk ruining its legacy. I would be worried if it were someone else, like some crappy Hollywood remake, but it's not.
Besides, apart from a few obviously unfinished screens and placeholders there, it doesn't look bad at all. Infact, it looks pretty damn promising. And anyway, like Gribbler and LF say it's still early days.
E: ...But that is just my opinion. Thought I should add this so as not to get flamed! (laugh)
Or perhaps we're spoiled by 3D graphics in AAA games which are not feasible for a game of this budget and a small indie studio. The people behind The Book of Unwritten Tales and The Raven seem to be the only adventure devs around that can do 3D third person point & clickers good looking enough to put against games of other genres. Well, Telltale Games too, but it took them many, many games to reach that point and their games still come off as cheapish looking sometimes.
Unrelated, but I wish they kept Gabe's coat, hair and overall Mickey Rourke look from GK1.
I'm not so fussed about the backgrounds, but Mr Knight looks like something out of Poser...
Which reminds me, better add the original ones of this series to my "get around to playing" list...
QuoteThe people behind The Book of Unwritten Tales and The Raven seem to be the only adventure devs around that can do 3D third person point & clickers good looking enough to put against games of other genres. Well, Telltale Games too...
Am I the only person who thinks Telltale done a shit job at 'reviving' Monkey Island? Wow, those were shiiiit.
Yeah they were awful. But I love the Sam and Max games. :P And hate The Walking Dead games. Now i think they're just going to keep recreating Walking Dead because that's what sold well for them.
The first image didn't look that bad to me, but seeing that 3d version of Gabriel is quite a bummer...Love GK so i hope those models are really place holders or something.
Quote from: Armageddon on Thu 10/10/2013 05:08:18
Yeah they were awful. But I love the Sam and Max games.
Yeah, they're pretty good. Credit given where it's due :P. Sam and Max just work so well in 3D for some reason as well.
PC Gamer has a recent interview with Jensen, Gabriel Knight interview: Jane Jensen on the revival of her classic adventure game (http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/09/02/gabriel-knight-interview-jane-jensen-on-the-revival-of-her-classic-adventure-game/), if this is still on anyone's radar :)
I think this will ruin the classic version if the graphics shown are final. The art presented in the original version was/is phenomenal back in its era and until now. Either use the top graphics of the present day or not. What I see now is tasteless. I've seen independent AGSers here doing better 3D than this (not saying that AGSers are less important, just trying to say that when a team tries to renew a classic commercial game they should at least be top of their fields of work).
Not sure about copying the same puzzles, I don't recall an outdoors view of the police station as well.
(http://www.gabrielknight20th.com/wp-content/gallery/gk20/policestationext_01.jpg)
Personally, I'll stick to the original... GK is one, if not the, of my favorites. I hated what they did to "him" with GK2 and 3... if they really want to redo something, then they should redo 2 and 3! :p