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xyzzysqrlI can barely believe I'm finally getting around to this playthrough. I've been meaning to get writing on GK2 since around October last year. There's probably a lot I could say, but it's going to come up during gameplay or not be important anyway so let's just get moving.
When we last left Gabriel Knight, he'd barely started his adventure...
Man does Gabriel have fantastic posture or what? This scene will get us used to our interface. Gameplay takes place in the top window, anything you mouse over causes the cursor to change to a dagger if it's interactive. Gabriel will offer his thoughts or more closely examine anything left-clicked. Down below we've got the options panel (the screaming face), Knight's inventory (the fanny-pack), the ability to rewatch movies...
Also we learn that Gabriel still isn't done violating human rights and privacy because he still tape records literally every conversation he has. Were you just really INTO the Nixon administration, Gabriel? Is that your thing? Of special note to me is that in spite of starting GK1 with a brand new tape recorder, he's upgraded AGAIN in the past year to a model that can autosplice tapes on the fly.
More than anything else, even the FMV, I feel like this is what dates the series solidly to the mid-90s. I wonder if he'd be doing this on his new phone in Gabriel Knight 4.
Sigh. Let's not think about the GK4 that never will be. Anyway. Looking around this room reveals a few things. Gabriel thinks the china cabinet is "homey", that the Hubers probably don't want him wandering through their private bedrooms, and that the cross signifies the Hubers are catholic. That's the kind of detecting skill we need in a leading man.
Clicking the duffel bag gives us a zoomed view, and another click leads to him shuffling through it and taking out a few things, leaving only some clothing behind. Trying to take this makes Gabe shrug that he doesn't need it. I would argue that after a night on a stranger's couch he TOTALLY needs a change of clothing, but Gabriel disagrees so oh joy I guess he plans to be wearing this same outfit for the full run.
Let's all be glad VR surround-smell technology doesn't exist. I'm sure he emits a manly musk.
Given that Gabriel's shoving all this stuff into either the pockets of his tightass jeans or some fanny-pack that we don't get the delight of seeing modeled, I think now's a fine time to have a glance through his inventory.
First off, we have his one-page attempt at a new novel.
Paid, published author you guys. I'm not gonna lie, I've read books that were trashier than Blake Backlash, Guardian of Truth and Light. Gabriel himself describes this page as "brilliant prose, but piss in the wind 'til I think of a plotline".
I do kind of want to know how the fuck he got to BLAKE BACKLASH from 'a female orthodontist investigates voodoo murders' but this IS Gabriel we're talking about. Get in there and self-insert your way to heroism, Gabe. We've also got a business card...
...which Gabriel claims is "a little too tasteful" for his tastes. Grace ordered them. Speaking of our favorite shop assistant, she weighs in too with a handwritten letter about the situation back in New Orleans.
Some things I want to address in specific -
A: "Detective Mostly". Ahahahaha. Well, at least he made it into the book.
B: Hey, St. George's is operating at a PROFIT, possibly for the first time in history. This could be because of Gabe's NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING Original Character Do Not Steal, this could be because they've got the talisman back and luck is on their side, either way it's good news for Team Shattenjager.
C: Grandma Knight is fine. *fistpump*
D: Gabriel is clearly not communicating with Grace near enough. He just la-dee-dah'd off to Germany with her left holding the bag and the store. That's got to be infurating.
E: "I know you hate to write..." Oh this explains a lot about Gabe's novelist career.
We've also got a letter from an "Ubergrau". What's an Ubergrau? Oh. This is:
Just how much cash DID Gabriel stuff in his coat when he was looting the cartel? Anyway, we've got a fully paid-up lawyer on retainer in Marienplatz, Munich. Good to know.
Gabe's notebook isn't very interesting. We've also got the ancestral family talisman and a sweet dagger...
...and Gabriel's wallet, which he comments actually contains some money these days.
That's a pretty goddamn DENSE info-drop, isn't it? I want to make it really clear that GK2 -bombs you- with tons of game information at all times. This is a really cerebral game and later on I'll basically be typing up a research paper on certain subjects for y'all. I just want to make sure you guys know what you're getting into. This game contains very little in the way of frivolous fripp--
-- Gabriel stop undermining me while I'm narrating. Yes, if you get this boy anywhere near a mirror he will stop and PREEN himself like a goddamn cockatiel. We can also grab a set of car-keys (with rabbit's foot keychain!) from beneath the mirror. Huh. Can we use these?
Guess so. "Dear Herr Knight, please stay the fuck off the autobahn because the shattenjager is not immune to being splattered across the countryside if his dumb American ass forgets how lanes work in Germany." Gabriel pretty much handles going places automatically from a subway map I'll show later, there's no driving minigame or anything thank goodness.
Near that is a small pile of blank paper (with which Gabriel drafts a quick and unseen letter to Gracie to let her know he's on a new case), a telephone (Gabriel will NOT attempt to phone America and doesn't see a point to calling his lawyer), and a newspaper.
The newspaper gives us an interesting revelation.
Namely that Gabriel Knight, who has lived in Germany for one full year now... still. STILL.
Does not speak.
Or read.
A single word.
Of the German language.
Sigh.
He can at least make out that maybe the lead detective on the case is "Leebah", that the zoo is in "Thall Kirkin'", and that the police department is located in "Prince Fred Gentin Platz". Y'know, I would ask how the crap Gabe managed to mangle those so badly and then I flash back to Tim Curry mutilating French and that... that GLORIOUS attempt at an Irish...
Let's not have flashbacks anymore!
That's all that's inside. Let's check the grounds. On the way out Gabe coats up...
...doesn't look like he's still going the black leather route, but can you imagine how that damn thing smelled after he wore it out in the New Orleans and Africa summer for like 14 days straight? Grace probably dragged it behind the shop, gave it a ceremonial knifing and buried it with honors.
Out at the Huber household yard, there's a garage and the car, but let's check over by the woods where the daughter was, uhm. Devoured by possibly a werewolf. (Remember when the tone of this series was kinda light?) First off we find a tuft of ... fur? Gabriel fiddles with it between his fingers a moment, then pockets it. A little closer to the house...
"Jesus. It's as big as my hand." Gabe remarks. If we want to have any hope of finding out what kind of wolf this is, we're going to need some way to keep this muddy footprint intact. Happily, I've read the boy scout handbook. All we need to do is check the garage and see if we can find some plaster of paris, or...
...cement. Cement will work.
Gabe mixes up a bucket in the sink and totes it back out into the yard, pours it over the pawprint...
...cleans out the bucket with some really satisfyingly chunky splattering and splooshing noises and comes back to a heavy, muddy, but perfectly set...
...paw print. "It's HYUUUGE." Gabriel muses. "I wish I knew if that were normal or not."
TO-DO: Learn more about wolves, learn more about the case. Well, we know where we can do that, right?
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET. This is what we use to get around. Isn't the U-Bahn so much easier than driving? It is, actually. All we have to do is click on the YELLOW place names and Gabe will automatically go there. The red place name, Lochham, is where we actually are.
First let's head to Prinzregentenplatz and check the police station. We're on good terms with Detective Mostly... er, Mosely. Surely they'll be glad to help us out, right?
Gabriel walks up to the counter.
Gabriel: "GUTEN TAG! Uh, d'you speak... english?"
Officer: *german*
Gabriel: "Oh. Great."
Gabriel: "Uh... LEEBAH? Crimmyna Commasaur LEEBAH? ... IS HE HEEYAH?"
Officer: *german to the effect of "maybe but who the hell are you? ... YOU. Who are you? ... WHO YOU?"*
Gabriel: "...ME! Oh, me! I'm Gabriel Knight!"
He digs out a business card.
Gabriel, cont: "I'M A WRITER! Books! Me!" He begins making air-typing gestures.
)
So the cop calls up Leber, has a brief conversation during which Gabriel is going "writer!" in the background like it will help, and hands Gabe's card back.
Officer: *german to the effect of "He has absolutely no time to humor whatever it is you think you're doing"*
Gabriel: *derp?*
Officer: "NEEEEIIIN."
Officer: "Auf wiedersehen."
Gabriel: "...oh. Right. Uh. Bitte. Thanks."
Officer, rolling his eyes as Gabe leaves: "...amerikaner..."
I think we made a real connection. I think if we had stuck around there would have been a real connection made between that dude's foot and Gabriel's ASS. Let's hit the zoo.
As Gabriel arrives at the Zoological Gardens of Munich, we get a short scene. This fellow rolls up pulling his cart...
...heads into the wolf exhibit and starts tossing what I can only assume are WulfTreetZ(TM) pellets...
...to the adorable and really obviously greenscreened-in wolves.
Wait... WOLVES! Behold!
Canis Lupus Lupus, or loosely translated from latin: Doggy Woof-Woof. We've found our prey.
NEXT UPDATE: We look around the zoo properly.
(Today's update spanned from 10:00 to 22:00 of the NintendoComplete Gabriel Knight 2 playthrough and oh my god I promise we'll eventually start getting more than ten minutes of playtime per update or my life will become LITERALLY HELL. Also, if y'all need me to transcribe any of the letters, I can probably do that.)
When we last left Gabriel Knight, he'd barely started his adventure...
Man does Gabriel have fantastic posture or what? This scene will get us used to our interface. Gameplay takes place in the top window, anything you mouse over causes the cursor to change to a dagger if it's interactive. Gabriel will offer his thoughts or more closely examine anything left-clicked. Down below we've got the options panel (the screaming face), Knight's inventory (the fanny-pack), the ability to rewatch movies...
Also we learn that Gabriel still isn't done violating human rights and privacy because he still tape records literally every conversation he has. Were you just really INTO the Nixon administration, Gabriel? Is that your thing? Of special note to me is that in spite of starting GK1 with a brand new tape recorder, he's upgraded AGAIN in the past year to a model that can autosplice tapes on the fly.
More than anything else, even the FMV, I feel like this is what dates the series solidly to the mid-90s. I wonder if he'd be doing this on his new phone in Gabriel Knight 4.
Sigh. Let's not think about the GK4 that never will be. Anyway. Looking around this room reveals a few things. Gabriel thinks the china cabinet is "homey", that the Hubers probably don't want him wandering through their private bedrooms, and that the cross signifies the Hubers are catholic. That's the kind of detecting skill we need in a leading man.
Clicking the duffel bag gives us a zoomed view, and another click leads to him shuffling through it and taking out a few things, leaving only some clothing behind. Trying to take this makes Gabe shrug that he doesn't need it. I would argue that after a night on a stranger's couch he TOTALLY needs a change of clothing, but Gabriel disagrees so oh joy I guess he plans to be wearing this same outfit for the full run.
Let's all be glad VR surround-smell technology doesn't exist. I'm sure he emits a manly musk.
Given that Gabriel's shoving all this stuff into either the pockets of his tightass jeans or some fanny-pack that we don't get the delight of seeing modeled, I think now's a fine time to have a glance through his inventory.
First off, we have his one-page attempt at a new novel.
Paid, published author you guys. I'm not gonna lie, I've read books that were trashier than Blake Backlash, Guardian of Truth and Light. Gabriel himself describes this page as "brilliant prose, but piss in the wind 'til I think of a plotline".
I do kind of want to know how the fuck he got to BLAKE BACKLASH from 'a female orthodontist investigates voodoo murders' but this IS Gabriel we're talking about. Get in there and self-insert your way to heroism, Gabe. We've also got a business card...
...which Gabriel claims is "a little too tasteful" for his tastes. Grace ordered them. Speaking of our favorite shop assistant, she weighs in too with a handwritten letter about the situation back in New Orleans.
Some things I want to address in specific -
A: "Detective Mostly". Ahahahaha. Well, at least he made it into the book.
B: Hey, St. George's is operating at a PROFIT, possibly for the first time in history. This could be because of Gabe's NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING Original Character Do Not Steal, this could be because they've got the talisman back and luck is on their side, either way it's good news for Team Shattenjager.
C: Grandma Knight is fine. *fistpump*
D: Gabriel is clearly not communicating with Grace near enough. He just la-dee-dah'd off to Germany with her left holding the bag and the store. That's got to be infurating.
E: "I know you hate to write..." Oh this explains a lot about Gabe's novelist career.
We've also got a letter from an "Ubergrau". What's an Ubergrau? Oh. This is:
Just how much cash DID Gabriel stuff in his coat when he was looting the cartel? Anyway, we've got a fully paid-up lawyer on retainer in Marienplatz, Munich. Good to know.
Gabe's notebook isn't very interesting. We've also got the ancestral family talisman and a sweet dagger...
...and Gabriel's wallet, which he comments actually contains some money these days.
That's a pretty goddamn DENSE info-drop, isn't it? I want to make it really clear that GK2 -bombs you- with tons of game information at all times. This is a really cerebral game and later on I'll basically be typing up a research paper on certain subjects for y'all. I just want to make sure you guys know what you're getting into. This game contains very little in the way of frivolous fripp--
-- Gabriel stop undermining me while I'm narrating. Yes, if you get this boy anywhere near a mirror he will stop and PREEN himself like a goddamn cockatiel. We can also grab a set of car-keys (with rabbit's foot keychain!) from beneath the mirror. Huh. Can we use these?
Guess so. "Dear Herr Knight, please stay the fuck off the autobahn because the shattenjager is not immune to being splattered across the countryside if his dumb American ass forgets how lanes work in Germany." Gabriel pretty much handles going places automatically from a subway map I'll show later, there's no driving minigame or anything thank goodness.
Near that is a small pile of blank paper (with which Gabriel drafts a quick and unseen letter to Gracie to let her know he's on a new case), a telephone (Gabriel will NOT attempt to phone America and doesn't see a point to calling his lawyer), and a newspaper.
The newspaper gives us an interesting revelation.
Namely that Gabriel Knight, who has lived in Germany for one full year now... still. STILL.
Does not speak.
Or read.
A single word.
Of the German language.
Sigh.
He can at least make out that maybe the lead detective on the case is "Leebah", that the zoo is in "Thall Kirkin'", and that the police department is located in "Prince Fred Gentin Platz". Y'know, I would ask how the crap Gabe managed to mangle those so badly and then I flash back to Tim Curry mutilating French and that... that GLORIOUS attempt at an Irish...
Let's not have flashbacks anymore!
That's all that's inside. Let's check the grounds. On the way out Gabe coats up...
...doesn't look like he's still going the black leather route, but can you imagine how that damn thing smelled after he wore it out in the New Orleans and Africa summer for like 14 days straight? Grace probably dragged it behind the shop, gave it a ceremonial knifing and buried it with honors.
Out at the Huber household yard, there's a garage and the car, but let's check over by the woods where the daughter was, uhm. Devoured by possibly a werewolf. (Remember when the tone of this series was kinda light?) First off we find a tuft of ... fur? Gabriel fiddles with it between his fingers a moment, then pockets it. A little closer to the house...
"Jesus. It's as big as my hand." Gabe remarks. If we want to have any hope of finding out what kind of wolf this is, we're going to need some way to keep this muddy footprint intact. Happily, I've read the boy scout handbook. All we need to do is check the garage and see if we can find some plaster of paris, or...
...cement. Cement will work.
Gabe mixes up a bucket in the sink and totes it back out into the yard, pours it over the pawprint...
...cleans out the bucket with some really satisfyingly chunky splattering and splooshing noises and comes back to a heavy, muddy, but perfectly set...
...paw print. "It's HYUUUGE." Gabriel muses. "I wish I knew if that were normal or not."
TO-DO: Learn more about wolves, learn more about the case. Well, we know where we can do that, right?
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET. This is what we use to get around. Isn't the U-Bahn so much easier than driving? It is, actually. All we have to do is click on the YELLOW place names and Gabe will automatically go there. The red place name, Lochham, is where we actually are.
First let's head to Prinzregentenplatz and check the police station. We're on good terms with Detective Mostly... er, Mosely. Surely they'll be glad to help us out, right?
Gabriel walks up to the counter.
Gabriel: "GUTEN TAG! Uh, d'you speak... english?"
Officer: *german*
Gabriel: "Oh. Great."
Gabriel: "Uh... LEEBAH? Crimmyna Commasaur LEEBAH? ... IS HE HEEYAH?"
Officer: *german to the effect of "maybe but who the hell are you? ... YOU. Who are you? ... WHO YOU?"*
Gabriel: "...ME! Oh, me! I'm Gabriel Knight!"
He digs out a business card.
Gabriel, cont: "I'M A WRITER! Books! Me!" He begins making air-typing gestures.
)So the cop calls up Leber, has a brief conversation during which Gabriel is going "writer!" in the background like it will help, and hands Gabe's card back.
Officer: *german to the effect of "He has absolutely no time to humor whatever it is you think you're doing"*
Gabriel: *derp?*
Officer: "NEEEEIIIN."
Officer: "Auf wiedersehen."
Gabriel: "...oh. Right. Uh. Bitte. Thanks."
Officer, rolling his eyes as Gabe leaves: "...amerikaner..."
I think we made a real connection. I think if we had stuck around there would have been a real connection made between that dude's foot and Gabriel's ASS. Let's hit the zoo.
As Gabriel arrives at the Zoological Gardens of Munich, we get a short scene. This fellow rolls up pulling his cart...
...heads into the wolf exhibit and starts tossing what I can only assume are WulfTreetZ(TM) pellets...
...to the adorable and really obviously greenscreened-in wolves.
Wait... WOLVES! Behold!
Canis Lupus Lupus, or loosely translated from latin: Doggy Woof-Woof. We've found our prey.
NEXT UPDATE: We look around the zoo properly.
(Today's update spanned from 10:00 to 22:00 of the NintendoComplete Gabriel Knight 2 playthrough and oh my god I promise we'll eventually start getting more than ten minutes of playtime per update or my life will become LITERALLY HELL. Also, if y'all need me to transcribe any of the letters, I can probably do that.)
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no subject
Date: 2016-09-04 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-09-04 01:10 am (UTC)Not that you would know that from the amazing GabeFace happening here.
no subject
Date: 2016-09-04 02:16 am (UTC)fanny packs
Date: 2016-09-03 12:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-09-03 12:44 am (UTC)*Flashbacks to Day 1 crime scene investigation of the Voodoo Murders* ... not really, no?
I do find it kind of odd (I mean, necessary or else we wouldn't have a game, of course, but in-universe odd) that Gabe's character started out where it did, then he grew, matured, went on a whole spiritual dream purification thing from the ancestral laserdragon, matured more as he stood up and took down Tetelo, and then somehow by the start of GK2 turned into even more of a dingus than he was before his growth on GK1 day 1.
Poor Grace, though. She was (and still is) the glue that holds Gabe's entire operation together and I know I'm not exactly telling you anything you didn't already know, but she kind of deserves better. Man.
no subject
Date: 2016-09-03 12:49 am (UTC)In GK2 I just do not really FEEL that. He comes off less as "clever rogue" and more "out of his depth good ole boy". Gabe sharpens up as the situation demands it later, and he really does have moments, but when we get to ACTUAL PUZZLES I will point out where it feels like he's just getting lucky and where it feels like he's actually putting in effort and getting his lazy brain out.
It's just, we really haven't gotten to the scenes where that's a THING I can offer comementary on yet. So it's all Gabeface dot png up in here.
no subject
Date: 2016-09-03 02:28 am (UTC)First in line to be out there lurking, eyeing ingenues and smirking
Working on a master plan, trying to get fed the best they can
Wondering if Grandma got much meat. Endeavoring to not be indiscreet
"So, how many of those baskets she go through a month?
And how does she react when she misses lunch?
What direction was she living in again?
Well you better hurry off and go and visit her then!"
But wolves are speedier than little girls
Barely pausing to devour jackrabbits and squirrels
The wolf arrived; All the rest:Despicable lies!
All this talk of assumed identity! Let it be:This wolf was indelibly wolf-like
Forthright, too! He said "Grandma, here's what I'll do:
Swallow you whole, your kinfolk forafter
Then I can keep living so you don't hafta
Sorry: Starving wolf, no choice. Get in my gullet, just follow my voice."
Huh!
Date: 2016-09-04 05:51 am (UTC)(A Volkswagen Fox, specifically.)
I've never played this, but I'm not sure I could. I don't mind some FMV, but this looks a lot heavier on the filmed-action than the Tex Murphy games. Those are about my limit.