Gray Matter Demo

Making a successful point-and-click adventure game is all about telling a good story, because everything else fades in the background if the player’s mind is fascinated by the events unfolding on the screen. Hence, adventure games are much more like books in this regard, which means that the writers behind them need to be quite skilled and have the ability to captivate the public in one way or another.

Gray Matter is about as classic as it can get when it comes to the genre it falls into, but the person behind it makes the game a must-try for every adventure fan out there. Hence, it was Jane Jensen who designed it, who is famous for being the mastermind behind the Gabriel Knight series as well. Hence, if these names tell you anything, you probably won’t need a review to convince you.

Just like previously mentioned, the story is crucial in cases like this, and Jane is renowned for her abilities to create marvelous plots and intriguing characters. In this case, the story falls a bit short, but it’s by no means bad, just a tad too empty and lacking in substance from time to time. In essence, it all revolves around a girl by the name of Samantha Everett, who stumbles into a mystery surrounding an Oxford professor and is compelled to solve it. Things evolve in the usual manner from here on out, but you can't stop from feeling rushed from time to time.

The puzzles are an important part of the game as well, since they are the instrument that allow you to advance the plot further. Because Sam happens to know a few magic tricks and clever illusions, some of the puzzles require you to use trickery in order to get the answer. Riddles and mazes are also part of the equation, which means that you do not have time to get bored.

Visually, it is obvious that a lot of work went into depicting the locations and the environments, not to mention the charismatic characters that decorate them. The graphics look beautiful and you might often find yourself gazing at the scenery, or admiring the realistic features of the characters. The voice acting and the music are excellent as well, which should complete the experience quite nicely.

All things being equal, Gray Matter is by no means a bad game, but it could have turned out much better. Considering the talent behind it and its spiritual successors, this release feels a bit rushed and unpolished, so it doesn’t  come close to what the Gabriel Knight series managed to do for the genre.