Gray Matter sneaks out early

By Fred Dutton Published 16 November, 2010

Buy Gabriel Knight creator's comeback now.

Gray Matter, the long-in-the-offing comeback from point and click guru Jane Jensen has quietly made itself available for download.

Rock Paper Shotgun reported that a PC version of Gray Matter is available to buy from Amazon Germany for €35.99 or download from online retailer Games Planet for €39.95.

Apparently, the game comes with English voiceovers so is fully playable for those who don't speak German.

Strange news, considering the game's publisher announced last month that the title's UK release had been pushed back to February 2011 due to "the need for more polishing of the game."

Gray Matter was first announced way back in 2003 for PC and Xbox 360 before being bogged down in years of development hell. It hopped between various publishers and developers, before dtp Entertainment picked it up and promised a 2010 release with Lace Mamba Global.

Eurogamer's Kristan Reed discussed the mysterious adventure game's lengthy gestation earlier this year with creator Jane Jensen.

Long in the tooth PC gamers should remember her work on classic Sierra adventure titles like Gabriel Knight, Police Quest and King's Quest.

We're following up with Lace Mamba Global to find out if that official global release date of February 2011 still stands.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (13) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mkreku #1 2 years ago

    Perfect Christmas gift for my mom!

  • Wendelius #2 2 years ago

    I'm only in Chapter 1 but I've been enjoying it so far. I've been following the game intermittently for years and suddenly, it just appeared, as if by magic. It's only fitting.

    The German version does indeed have full English voiceovers. If you go for the download service, like I did, then you only get a German PDF manual. But the game tutorial has explained every concept so far. So it doesn't seem like we are missing out; apart maybe the opportunity to read Jane Jensen's foreword and short intro on the chars.

  • Oh-Bollox #3 2 years ago

    Any in-game text in Deutsch, Wendelius?

  • randompanda #4 2 years ago

    "so is fully playable for those who don't German."

    Or in this case, don't proofread?

  • Oh-Bollox #5 2 years ago

    Not Germaning is natural to some.

  • Wendelius #6 2 years ago

    If I remember correctly, you choose the language when installing. If you choose English, the whole game is in English. Not a trace of German in the game itself or the menus.

  • trip919 #7 2 years ago

    I hope this turns out to be a corker!

  • bf #8 2 years ago

    The collectors edition looks neat but €60 is a bit steep, looks like it'll be feb next year before I get it.

  • Shinetop #9 2 years ago

    That's a bad sign. Announcing that it needs to be pushed back for polish and then releasing it anyway? This suggests a studio in trouble that just released what they had because they knew they wouldn't make make it financially until February.

  • taurus82 #10 2 years ago

    I guess this means there'll be no PS3 version, that sucks!

  • Wendelius #11 2 years ago

    @Shinetop

    Nope. It's only been released in Germany. It's more likely to be because it is DTP Entertainments' market where adventure games are more popular but also more expensive. And the German crowd doesn't mind importing.

    Notice they haven't moved the UK or US release dates. The polishing is more likely to have been an excuse while guaranteeing themselves some home sales and avoiding the Christmas game glut in less enthusiastic markets. Or maybe there is also some time needed to add localisation for other markets.

    I'm not at the end of the game yet. So I can't say if it will feel rushed or unfinished. It's not the case yet, but who knows.

    Wendelius

  • darleysam #12 2 years ago

    Set in Oxford? I may just have to give this some attention.

  • roughsleeper #13 2 years ago

    I got this as soon as it was mentioned on the Jane Jensen forums. English installation is indeed available.
    NO SPOILERS HERE...
    I was enthralled from the first opening chapter through to the perfectly toned end. The voices are excellent, the pacing perfect and puzzles intelligent and fun.
    There were a few areas that seem to be slightly broken, especially near the end where a plot development has either been overlooked or not included into the dialogue/cut scenes, but is mentioned in the quest notes and headings. This should be remedied in a patch, as it links into possible sequels, and I was a tad miffed...
    But! ... there is not one moment throughout the clicking, thinking and forehead slapping that I wasn't completely content with my purchase.

    It really does feel like Gabriel Knight has flipped to an alternative universe...the empathy, plot, characters and music all flow wonderfully. With quick double-click transitions from screen to screen and a great map alongside the option to highlight clickable areas, it enables you to play in a number of ways, ensuring all forms of gamers will be comfy with the controls.

    Altogether the best adventure game I've played in a very long time. 9/10 (-1 for the bug - cos its DAFT!)