The thought of an FMV adventure of that era makes me cringe a bit, and I didn't even play many of them. That's how thoroughly that approach to game design has been tarred and feathered. In this case, it doesn't seem an insurmountable obstacle; your review makes me think that Gabriel's sidekick serves as the game's saving Grace. A terrific read, as expected, despite the dearth of food metaphors.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world