Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
The game begins in Gabriel's store, St. George's Books, in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having suffered a recurring nightmare, Gabriel learns from his assistant, Grace, that his friend Mosely has photos for him to help him with his book based on a spate of killings across New Orleans, dubbed the "Voodoo Murders", mostly because the killings have Louisiana Voodoo overtones. During his visit to the police station, Gabriel discovers his friend is attending another similar murder at Lake Pontchartrain. While there, Gabriel and Mosley spot Malia Gedde, an African-American socialite, pull up to the crime scene. Gabriel becomes infatuated with her, and later has Grace determine where she lives, posing as Mosely to meet her. Gabriel also investigates the voodoo angle of the murders, tracking down more information on a partial pattern, and any snake scales that could be matched with one found at the scene. During his investigations, Gabriel meets a number of individuals connected to the voodoo scene, including a voodoo museum's curator, Dr. John, and a member of a French Creole family. He also meets with a Professor Hartridge at Tulane University, who, upon being shown a reconstruction of the pattern from the crime scene made from additional partials from the other murders, identifies it as a vévé that is used in Voodoo. Hartridge agrees to examine and do more research to discover its origins while Gabriel continues his work.
Mosely brings in a known crook and drug addict named Crash to interrogate for information on the murders, but learns nothing of use. Gabriel manages to get information from Crash after spying him visit a rada drummer in Jackson Square, where he learns that the murders are connected to a Voodoo Cartel. Before he can learn more, Crash dies, forcing Gabriel to look elsewhere for information. To his annoyance, Gabriel learns that Mosley has ended the investigation, claiming it was the work of gangsters from Chicago, though he knows otherwise. Gabriel forces him to reopen the case after recovering plenty of information proving the voodoo element of the murders is real. He demonstrates that the cartel is a threat by showing him a newspaper article from 1810 that describes a murder done in the same manner. He convinces him that the group killed Hartridge because he had uncovered information on the reconstructed vévé; and evidence was found linking Dr. John to the murders - a scale from the python in his museum. Mosley soon disappears, suspecting the cartel might have influence on the police, after learning no-one would help him. Gabriel confirms this chilling truth when he goes to Mosley's office to retrieve a tracking device.
During his investigation, Gabriel learns more about his family while visiting his grandmother. He learns that they originally came from Germany, that his grandfather changed his name, and that his grandfather mentioned something called Schattenjäger. His grandfather's original name helps Gabriel realize that a man named Wolfgang Ritter is a long lost relative; this prompts him to call him. Ritter invites Gabriel to come to Germany, but, after learning that the cartel is having a meeting in the Bayou St. John, he decides to pursue matters in New Orleans first. Gabriel, in disguise, tracks the location of the meeting in the swamp and discovers the cartel is headed by Malia. He realizes that she is possessed by a Loa spirit named Tetelo, who identifies him as a witch-hunter. Gabriel is rescued by Grace before anything can happen to him. Later he calls Ritter about what he has found out. He soon learns that "Schattenjäger" comes from two words meaning "Shadow Hunter", a sort of modern-day inquisitor, and that his family has been involved in it. Worse, Tetelo stole a talisman of immense power from one of Gabriel's ancestors. She had it hidden with her remains, after she was discovered to have been involved in voodoo murders centuries ago, and was burned to death as a result. Unable to find her remains in the Gedde's family tomb in New Orleans, Gabriel travels to Bavaria, Germany to meet Ritter and to research the second possible location where her remains were taken.
In Germany, at Schloss Ritter, the family's home, he meets a German woman named Gerde who tells him that, shortly before Gabriel's arrival, Wolfgang disappeared after visiting his library. She has no idea of its location in the house. Searching the building for it, Gabriel undergoes an initiation ritual for Schattenjägers hoping that it will help him find it. During that night's sleep, he is visited in his dreams by a dragon who initiates him, passing onto him the mantle of Schattenjäger. In the morning, Gabriel discovers the library is attached to Wolfgang's bedroom. He learns from the books that Tetelo's remains are hidden in Benin in a snake mound of a "wheel within a wheel". Travelling to Africa, Gabriel ventures into the snake mound when, upon solving a puzzle, he finds himself dodging mummies. He meets Wolfgang, who helps him to get into the inner chamber of the mound where the pair attempt to open a sacrificial table. In the process, Wolfgang is killed, leaving Gabriel angry at Tetelo and swearing vengeance on the spirit.
Returning to New Orleans, Gabriel learns, from a note left by Malia, that Grace has been kidnapped. In the note, Malia urges him to leave New Orleans or face being killed. Meeting with Mosely at his book store, the pair learn the cartel's power is strong, but decide to shut them down. Gabriel travels to the location he believes their hounfour, a sort of voodoo temple, is hidden, and manages to find Grace. Using disguises, Gabriel interrupts the cartel's latest ritual, and wards off Tetelo, destroying a stone idol that powers the Gedde tribe. During this moment, Gabriel becomes torn between fulfilling his duty as a Schattenjäger, or saving Malia.
The game can end in two ways. If Gabriel fulfills his duty, he is killed by an angered Malia, and both Grace and Mosley reflect on what Gabriel did and whether it could have ended differently. If he chooses to save Malia, Tetelo tries to stop him, but Malia regains control and realizes that Tetelo is a threat, and that the cartel will do more damage if she remains, so kills herself to end the Loa's hold. Both Gabriel and Grace reflect on the former's new status and his future, before Grace notes that, although Gabriel seemed to have changed, a passing remark makes her realize she was wrong.
suspenseful, cult