A masterpiece by any standard, Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within is remembered as one of the greatest CD-ROM adventure games ever. It's storyline, complex plotting, and compelling characters have made it really stand out amoung other games, and whereas the production value can't match Hollywood, the acting, storyline and overall flow of the game puts many movies to shame. This game is by far the best Gabriel Knight title if not the best game I have ever played. I will never forget the indredible story Jane Jensen told, and I urge anyone who hasn't played this game to do so.

When I first played Gabriel Knight 2, I thought it was just another cheap FMV game. At the time, the only filmed games I had seen were Rebel Assualt 2 and Wing Commander 3, and although they were good games, they were by no means great. I didn't think an entire game could be filmed, be interactive, and still be good. I was wrong. The Beast Within is entirely filmed, is extremely interactive, and is the most enthralling game I have ever played. The only problem with the game is the film quality. The film quality is good, but not great. The game play only runs at 256 colors, and the movies are made to run at only 256 color! They can run at around 1000 colors, but at higher video color modes some of the lighting effects are diluted. However, for 256 color Gabriel Knight does look damn good! The film quality if overall decent, but no where near as good quality as TV and movies. Despite the film quality, the game still was a blast to play. Besides, the image quality wasn't horrible or anything, it just left a little to be desired. Most current filmed games like The X-Files and Riven run at 24-bit color (16,700,000 colors), so there has been a noticable advance in interactive movies since Gabriel Knight 2. Don't confuse the film quality with the film location though, the game was filmed in Germany and other beautiful places. The locations where the game was filmed really were wonderful and made the game stand out amoung other FMV games.

Just in case you didn't know, in Gabriel Knight 2 you play two characters, Grace and Gabriel. Although you control them both at various points in the game, the main character is Gabriel and he is who you probably will pay the most attention to. He is the most interesting character, a lot of cool stuff happens to him, and he has a way of "sticking his neck out". No wonder his chapters are the most fun to play. As Grace, you basically do researching. Don't get me wrong, Grace's chapters can be fun, but Gabriel's are always more exciting, unless you just dig researching.

In Gabriel Knight 2, you do a lot of researching into Bavarian past and it can actually be interesting. You research the "mad" King Ludwig II, and a mysterious someone called "The Black Wolf". Of course, not all the info on King Ludwig II is true, but most of it is. Just don't put "Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within" as a resource on your graduate dissertation. Quoting a computer game may not be very credible.

If you ever are stuck in Gabriel Knight 2, it may seem very frusterating and you may even want to download a walkthrough. Don't do it, unless you absolutley must! Walkthroughs can be very halpful at times, but in Gabriel Knight 2 they tend to take away from the fun of the game. The game is a mystery story, after all. In Gabriel Knight 2 having anything ruined for you can take away from the suspense and mystery of the game. If you are stuck, closely, closely examine your environment. That one hint helped me numerous times, often I was stuck just because I was missing one small thing. Never be deceived by a location that seems to have nothing left to do there. Often, there is something to do. Also, it is a very good idea to closely examine your inventory. Another thing to do if you re stuck is to watch the chapter movies. They are very important. Although it is a good idea to rewatch all of them, the very imporrant ones are the chapter 3 opening movie, the chapter 3 ending movie, the chapter 5 mid-point movie, and the chapter 6 opening movie. If you still are stuck after using the tips I posted, then email me with a detailed account of where you are stuck at, and I will be able to assist you, or if you must, check out a walkthough.

In this game, history plays a major role in the game's plot. You research the Bavarian König (King) Ludwig II, and in the process visit many of his castles, and other locations in throughout Germany. As a History major and overall lover of European History, I found this aspect of the game to be fascinating. Most of the information given about King Ludwig II is true, he did build many castles (Neushwanstein, etc) and was believed to be crazy. However, there was no lost Wagner opera although Wagner and King Ludwig II were good friends. Also, Ludwig II's insanity wasn't the result of anything supernatural, he simply was crazy. That is what is believed. I haven't done much research on Ludwig II (although I am interested in his life), so I can't give my opinion on whether or not he was truly crazy, but he probably was. Also, I have a Wagner CD but that is the extent of my knowledge of Richard Wagner. Needless to say, I can't give any further info on either Ludwig II or Wagner. I am interested in both of them, and if I ever have time I may do some researching on their lives. When that happens, I'll post any additional stuff I find out about them that is relevent to this site.

Overall, The Beast Within is one of the best games ever made. The storyline, dramatic plot, and compelling characters really add atmosphere to the game. Too bad it wasn't made into a movie, then again if that happened we wouldn't be able to play it! It is a good thing the series continues with Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the damned, and it is worthy of the name Gabriel Knight.

Athough this may be one of the greatest adventure games ever created, it is virtually impossible to find nowadays at retail stores. If you are looking for it, I would suggest going to your local software dealer and buying the Gabriel Knight Mysteries, which contains GK2. Another way to get the game is used at Half.com. Last I checked, several copies were for sale online through half.com. Also, a novelization of GK2 has been released a few years back and I find that the story is very interesting to read as well as play! You might be able to order the novel online at either Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. However, I believe that the novel has become somewhat rare recently, so if it cannot be found at stores check Half.com and I believe you will find it there! I suggest reading it!