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[jon bones]

Platforms: STEAM

Genre: Adventure (Point & Click)

What it's about:

Since losing his wife in a terrible accident several years ago, neurobiologist Dr. David Styles has become a recluse, rarely leaving his English manor, Dread Hill House. One Day, mentalist Samantha Everett appears unexpectedly on his doorstep - just when Styles is on the lookout for a new assistant. Sam gets the job.

Her first task is to find six volunteers from Oxford University to take part in one of Dr. Styles' experiments. The experiment begins harmlessly enough, but a series of inexplicable incidents is soon set in motion, while Styles is haunted by his beloved dead wife. It's now up to Sam to solve the mysteries of Dread Hills House.

Why you should care:

Gray Matter is the fist adventure game from Jane Jensen (of Gabriel Knight fame) since Gabriel Knight 3 (1999).

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpn2DHwy8UU

Screenshots: (thanks to DennisK4)

Release Date:

Out now on STEAM

Gray Matter Original Soundtrack available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Gray-Matter-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B0047WQZ3I/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1289973375&sr=8-8

PC System Requirements: (via Amazon.de)

Display Types: ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, NVIDIA GeForce 6200
Video Card: DirectX compatible, 128MB, with Vertex Shader 2.0 support, with Pixel Shader 2.0 Support
Memory: 512 MB
Processor: 1.4 GHz Pentium 4 Intel
HDD Space Required: 5.5 GB
Sound Card: 16-bit sound card

Reviews:

If you like Point n Clicks, go play it!

*Shamelessly stolen from Ceebs first OT

 

[nbthedude]

So, is it good or is it shit?

Note: average/mediocre = shit. Too many games, too little time.

 

[graywolf323]

any word if you bought it elsehwere can you get a Steam key or will it require a repurchase?

if so I'll wait for a better sale but definitely will double dip

 

[Woenix Phright]

About time, loved this game, even if the ending was a little wonky. The feature that showed all the things you could interact with was a godsend. Hope they revisit this after the other Pinkerton Road stuff.

 

[SomethingInTheSea]

Good game, really enjoyed the atmosphere and story.

 

[terrisus]

So, is it good or is it shit?

Note: average/mediocre = shit. Too many games, too little time.

The fact that someone would ask this over a Jane Jensen game makes me sad...

 

[jon bones]

So, is it good or is it shit?

Note: average/mediocre = shit. Too many games, too little time.

do you like classic pncs? people are saying this is one of the best modern examples of the genre.

 

[Famassu]

So, is it good or is it shit?

Note: average/mediocre = shit. Too many games, too little time.

It has some flaws, but it's mostly great.

 

[Cabal]

So, is it good or is it shit?

Note: average/mediocre = shit. Too many games, too little time.

I enjoyed it but your love of the genre will likely play a big part in whether you like it. It's not Gabriel Knight for sure. It has great atmosphere and some unique puzzles involving magic tricks. I did not like the main character as much as some other games I have played but the story was interesting.

I think it's definitely worth your time if you like point and click adventures. If you are only passingly interested in the genre, there are other games worth playing first.

 

[Englebert3rd]

I'm a fan of PNCs and always wanted to try this one out. Never find the time for it!
I wish there was a Gabriel Knight 4 though, I've heard a team is remaking the first one.

 

[LiK]

Hate to say it, I played this when it came out originally and I was super disappointed with it. The graphics are nice but the story felt unfinished and the characters weren't all that interesting. Some interesting concepts but the overall story sucked. It felt like they wanted to make a series out of this. The puzzles at the end were not fun, imo.

 

[Sinatar]

The fact that someone would ask this over a Jane Jensen game makes me sad...

Yea because Jane Jensen has never been involved in anything shitty...

Oh wait:

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile (2007) (designer, director)
Agatha Christie: Peril at End House (2007) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet (2007) (designer, director)
Dr. Lynch: Grave Secrets (2008) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade Of Grey (2008) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon (2009) (designer, director)

 

[Khaz]

links:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=94505580
http://store.steampowered.com/app/260570/

 

[Blizzard]

I picked this up the day it came out on Steam. I'm glad it finally made it through Steam 2 years later.

I understand the metacritic score is mediocre and I may never get around to playing it, but it looks pretty and the concept seems interesting. I like seeing adventure games on Steam.

I installed it at least!

 

[Apdiddy]

I ended up getting this because I'm a sucker for '90s style point and click PC adventure games.

Now if Phantasmagoria 1 & 2 and the Gabriel Knight series can be on Steam that would be great (I'm also getting The Telsa Effect too).

 

[SkeptiMism]

Wishlisted it as soon as I saw it on Steam and remembered it's a Jane Jensen game.

Will buy when I have more time and/or money.

 

[JaseC]

any word if you bought it elsehwere can you get a Steam key or will it require a repurchase?

if so I'll wait for a better sale but definitely will double dip

The latter. It's unfortunate but you can't exactly blame Viva for not wanting to clean up DTP's mess.

 

[terrisus]

Yea because Jane Jensen has never been involved in anything shitty...

Oh wait:

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile (2007) (designer, director)
Agatha Christie: Peril at End House (2007) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet (2007) (designer, director)
Dr. Lynch: Grave Secrets (2008) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade Of Grey (2008) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon (2009) (designer, director)

I happen to love the Agatha Christie games.
Haven't played the others, but I would certainly give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Tizoc]

Just a little nugget I thought I'd share:
If you got Gray Matter from Amazon or any bundle in the past, sadly you WON'T get a Steam code.

Is anyone making a thread of Moebius? that's another Jane Jensen game releasing soon!

 

[Pedersen]

YES!!!

Have thought about buying this for some time now, but have been holding of because I heard it was coming to Steam. To bad I just received Ghost Trick and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in the mail today and I have a huuuge backlog atm. + I am currently playing Dead Rising 3 and Zelda: ALBW

 

[Deepo]

Re-bought! Can't believe it finally made onto Steam.

 

[jon bones]

links:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=94505580
http://store.steampowered.com/app/260570/

thanks, updated the OP!

looking forward to starting this up tonight

YES!!!

Have thought about buying this for some time now, but have been holding of because I heard it was coming to Steam. To bad I just received Ghost Trick and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in the mail today and I have a huuuge backlog atm. + I am currently playing Dead Rising 3 and Zelda: ALBW

well first thing's first: stop playing dr3 and zelda and start up ghost trick. such an amazing game.

then play the ace attorney trilogy, and be sad that you'll never play a better VN

 

[a secret-boss]

gonna double dip

 

[Mr_Zombie]

So, is it good or is it shit?

Note: average/mediocre = shit. Too many games, too little time.

It has some flaws, especially in UI design - I ended up with labels for interactive items constantly turned on, because while hovering mouse over those items, the label appeared with a slight lag. Graphic-wise it's also not a killer. Backgrounds and art during cut-scenes are great. 3D models are so-so when viewed from a distance. However during dialogs you see characters' mugshots and they look awful :/

The story is quite engaging, although the final act and the whole conclusion was banal and once you reach one point in the game, you should be able to guess how it all ends (even though characters still act all surprised). Puzzles are interesting, especially the use of magic tricks. Sadly, they are not on the same level of quality and difficulty one would expect from a Gabriel Knight series creator.

I wouldn't call it "one of the best modern examples of the genre", but it's still a good game.

 

[jon bones]

thanks for your impressions - about how many hours did the game take you?

 

[Mr_Zombie]

I don't have the game installed at the moment so I check. However, I think it was something about 9-10 hours.

 

[jon bones]

sounds like the perfect length, thanks!

 

[UrbanRats]

I'll get it at a future sale.
I have a huge backlog of P&C adventures already.

 

[Mr_Zombie]

I've just noticed, there's a typo in the thread title: "Jane Jenson". For shame jon bones, for shame.

 

[styl3s]

I don't know if the thumbnail it uses on steam is a nod to The Dark Knight but it's a straight up copy of the Dark Knight promo posters.

The thumbnail in question is just a cropped version of her with the card which is why i assume it's some sort of nod? I don't know anything about the series.

 

[jon bones]

I've just noticed, there's a typo in the thread title: "Jane Jenson". For shame jon bones, for shame.

i'm using my phone! honest mistake 😔

 

[indigo-cyclops]

I don't know if the thumbnail it uses on steam is a nod to The Dark Knight but it's a straight up copy of the Dark Knight promo posters.



The thumbnail in question is just a cropped version of her with the card which is why i assume it's some sort of nod? I don't know anything about the series.

The game had been in development for a long time. Tough to say as development predated any of the movies. What's it matter? And cards are a thing in the series since the girl is an amateur magician.

 

[inm8num2]

Gray Matter is a very good game, perhaps great (though it comes with some minor technical quibbles).

Any adventure fan should play it.

 

[indigo-cyclops]

Gray Matter is a very good game, perhaps great (though it comes with some minor technical quibbles).

Any adventure fan should play it.

Most definitely. The price is right, it's on Steam, and people should support Jane and her efforts now that she's indie. It's a really great original Jensen game, has a killer atmosphere and soundtrack, and some great puzzles.

 

[Wiktor]

Yea because Jane Jensen has never been involved in anything shitty...

Oh wait:

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile (2007) (designer, director)
Agatha Christie: Peril at End House (2007) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet (2007) (designer, director)
Dr. Lynch: Grave Secrets (2008) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade Of Grey (2008) (designer, director)
Women's Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon (2009) (designer, director)

I;m sorry. But just because a game is casual doesn't mean it;s shitty. All those were genuinelly great casual adventure (asid from maybe Dr.Lynch, I didn;t play it) and they played a huge role in advancing the whole casual adventure segment to a current point, where those games can often be enjoyed by traditional adventure fans.

 

[styl3s]

The game had been in development for a long time. Tough to say as development predated any of the movies. What's it matter? And cards are a thing in the series since the girl is an amateur magician.

I doubt that exact art was made 5 years ago.

Nothing is wrong with it, i just found it odd it used the exact same art.

 

[firehawk12]

It looks the game was picked up by a new publisher, which is nice.

I'll probably double dip during a Steam sale though. I still have an Impulse account because of this game. lol

 

[inm8num2]

Most definitely. The price is right, it's on Steam, and people should support Jane and her efforts now that she's indie. It's a really great original Jensen game, has a killer atmosphere and soundtrack, and some great puzzles.

Yea, that's the spirit! And while Jane wasn't quite as involved with Gray Matter as her other games, it still is very much a signature Jane Jensen game. Robert Holmes did a bang up job on the soundtrack, too.

I hope this can help Jane get some exposure as Moebius prepares for launch. It's too bad Gray Matter was in development hell for so long and didn't quite take off in the way some of us hoped.

Jane's probably my favorite game designer of all time, so I'm just really rooting for her to have the success she deserves.

 

[MrBud360]

Incredible Game!!!
Jane JENSEN please.......

 

[Sorcerer]

Incredible game. Never quite understood the lukewarm reception.

Jensen was on a recent Sup Holmes podcast, and he did a great job going through her history, but somehow this game was never brought up.

Was Jane's involvement really as minimal as I have heard?

Was the game designed by others and she just basically gave approvals along the way? Something like that?

 

[graywolf323]

I don't know if the thumbnail it uses on steam is a nod to The Dark Knight but it's a straight up copy of the Dark Knight promo posters.



The thumbnail in question is just a cropped version of her with the card which is why i assume it's some sort of nod? I don't know anything about the series.

the game originally came out ~2 years after Dark Knight so it's possible

 

[Enduin]

Very solid game that any Point and Click fan should try out. I enjoyed it a lot.

 

[FlyinJ]

 

[Lucumo]

Average game. While I liked the style and the puzzles are ok, the story was rather bad, especially the ending...so disappointing.

 

[Risk Breaker]

Yeeessss

 

[LiberaTeExInferis]

Hahaha!!Amazing!!
And yes, Jane Jensen is the one and only Lady!!

 

[terrisus]

And yes, Jane Jensen is the one and only Lady!!

Roberta Williams would like a word with you.

 

[jon bones]

got around to playing this for a little bit last night.

my impressions are similar to others: beautiful art and music, janky as hell animations. too early to comment on the plot or characters but it's very promising.

 

[s_mirage]

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who likes point and click games; I found I enjoyed it more than the first half of Broken Sword 5. That said, it could have more puzzles, and I'm not really a fan of the whole "you can only enter certain rooms/pick up certain items when you need to" approach that the game takes, but other than that, nice!

 

[lutheran]

I loved her old games so I just took the plunge, for a lousy 8 bucks it is money well spent if it helps to keep her in the game. I look forward to her new game, hopefully it will be on Steam as well but much earlier than this one hit.