Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned is the third installment in a series of adventure games. Taking its inspiration from various legends related to the Holy Grail, you must explore different locations and solve puzzles to unravel a historical mystery.

The game was produced by Sierra, the company behind many other narrative-driven adventure games like King's Quest Collection and Police Quest Collection. However, while the company's best-known games of this type are 2D, Gabriel Knight 3 is fully 3D.

A cinematic experience

The game is designed to have a truly cinematic feel, complete with elaborate opening titles and the voice of actor Tim Curry (of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame) in the title role of Gabriel Knight. The plot begins with the main character arriving in France by train and soon becoming embroiled in the famous mystery of Rennes-le-Château.

A character-based story

The gameplay of Gabriel Knight 3 involves exploring the surroundings, which range from the protagonist's bedroom to various mysterious chambers. As you interact with objects, Gabriel will provide wry comments in voiceover, bringing a large amount of characterization to the storyline. Your job is to look for clues that will push the plot along.

Broad in scope

Given the number of areas to explore, the complexity of the puzzles, and the presence of two playable characters at different parts of the game, Gabriel Knight 3 is broad in scope. It will take hours to complete, though, as is typically the case with games of this type.

A point-and-click adventure classic

Having been released back in 1999, certain aspects of the game — particularly its graphics — are now dated. That said, it stands as a relic from the time when point-and-click adventure games were at their peak. It should be of interest to anyone who is fond of this genre.