Sierra scores another hit in CD-ROM adventure The Beast Within

Business Wire, April 3, 1996

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 1996--Adding to its arsenal of outstanding live-action adventure titles, Sierra On-Line has scored another hit with its supernatural thriller The Beast Within.

A challenging third-person adventure game, The Beast Within is climbing the charts and earning gamers' praise as a benchmark graphic adventure due to its complex plot, rigorous gameplay and high production values.

In the three months since its release, the title has received

numerous awards, including:

-- Editor's Choice Award, PC Gamer

-- Five Star Review, Computer Gaming World

-- Golden Triad Award, Computer Game Review

-- Adventure Game of the Year, Strategy Plus

-- A- Review, Entertainment Weekly

Sequel to the award-winning 1994 adventure Sins of the Fathers, this new Gabriel Knight mystery weaves a mythical and mysterious tale of eerie supernatural lore taking players from a New Orleans bookstore to the dark forests of Germany.

The Beast Within features Gabriel Knight, a Schattenjager (or detective-like investigator of the supernatural), who is enlisted by the villagers of his family's Bavarian hometown to find and destroy what they believe is a murderous werewolf.

Two separate storylines unfold in six alternating chapters as Gabriel and his familiar associate, Grace Nakimura, investigate different leads and discover an historic link between Gabriel, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, composer Richard Wagner and the werewolves of Germany's past.

"It's exciting for me, as the author of The Beast Within, to see so many people enjoy this new form of interactive fiction. I love mystery stories, and they lend themselves exceptionally well to the adventure genre. It's my belief that sophisticated plotlines with compelling characters will keep consumers coming back for more," said game designer Jane Jensen.

Contained on six CDs for an estimated street price of $59.95, The Beast Within is available through multimedia retailers or directly from Sierra at 800/757-7707.

Founded in 1979, Sierra On-Line is one of the original developers and the current marketshare leader of the interactive entertainment industry. Sierra's product lineup includes entertainment, home productivity and educational titles. The company's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol SIER. Sierra's corporate headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington.

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CONTACT: Rebecca F. Buxton, 206/649-9800, ext. 5891