Prototypes of the new gaming engine that will be used in the next installment of the Gabriel Knight adventures has apparently allayed fears that the move to a 3D environment may not be as bad as envisaged by fans.
Although specifics about how the engine will present itself in the new game, speculation is running rampant that it will base itself upon the look and feel of how the first game (Gabriel Knight:Sins of the Fathers) allowed you to visit locations, but providing a greater level of depth to explore the surrounding environment (such as being able to zoom/move towards objects like desks to open drawers, move through doorways to enter new rooms). Yet at the same time, it is expected that the technology will present the environment in a "third-person-perspective" view, meaning that the character begin controlled (i.e. Knight himself, or someone else) can also be viewed performing said actions.
Compared to the somewhat stuccato motions that were performed in both GK1 and GK2, it could lend an interesting effect in the absence of any form of FMV type sequences which many people agreed helped GK2 no end. Lets just hope that the strength of the puzzles are weighed more logically against the storyline which is sure to be as good an experience third time round...
Regarding the plot, Jane understandably would give little away, but still had time to say:
"We are not planning to reveal the subject matter and setting of the game until a bit later, when we plan to create a GK3 web page. However, the plot is underway and everyone involved is very excited about the setting and the theme of the storyline."
"It's something that involves history, secret cults, the esoteric/mystical, a Great Mystery, and lots of 'built-in' puzzle possibilities in the very theme itself. It should be one of the best GK stories (assuming I can get the actual plot to live up to the material!)."
Jane also goes on to say that they expect production to begin in April, with completion expected in the the latter part of summer 1998. I guess everyone should keep a beady eye out on Sierra's web page for screenshots and such like...
Thanks to Andy Bellati for supplying this top info, via his newsletter!
As many of you are no doubt aware (including those who took the time to personally email me 
, the new GK novel is now out, at least it is in the USA. And if that wasn't enough for you, I have been informed that it also contains a translation of the German poem that is used in the first GK game (and referenced at the beginning of each day/chapter of the game). Many thanks to WeirdXXX@ for supplying me this info!
Although no reviews have yet been seen/read, current smatterings of criticism in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.adventure have given a general "thumbs-up" to the new novel, which paves the way forward for Ms. Jensen to carry forward in producing the novel based on, wait for it, "Gabriel Knight 2:The Beat Within".
To order the book over the internet, you can obtain a copy from http://www.amazon.com/, whereby you can search for the boko with the following details:
Author : Jensen, Jane Title : Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Publisher : ROC (aka Penguin, aka New American Library) ISBN : 0-451-45697-6
Not to be confused with the ace eponymous titled show from the stable of Chris Carter (Me? biased on serial killer type fingys? Shurely not...), but rather the title that was to have been Jane Jensen's next game after Gabriel Knight 2, but mysteriously went "pop", with the only rumours that it was due to the cost required to translate the story (As yet unknown) into a game format.
Consequently, it was Jane's intention to create it into a novel format. But that apparently went on the back-burner after the new (old?) found interest in Gabriel Knight.
Current rumours indicate that we may expect both game and novel! Though don't quote me on that...
New information will be posted (and credited) as and when I can get it. If you have some news related to anything Schattenjagery, contact me at raymond.chitolie@tesco.net.