Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astonishing., 6 Jan 2003
First of all, if you don't like to tinker around, then don't buy this game if you're running Windows XP or 2000. Second of all, download the patch! You'll probably need it eventually. Thirdly, excuse all spelling mistakes in this so-called review ;)Okay then. Grim Fandango is an adventure game, and it's the first adventure game to make the step up to 3D for LucasArts (The finest adventure game company since... ever). Some people complained at this, but these people are just plain boring. The game is superb. You play Manny, a travel agent, so to speak. Only he's a different kind of travel agent. He's dead. He's kind of a Grim Reaper. You see, when you die, you have to cross through the land of the dead to make it to the 9th Underworld (Heaven). Now, if you've been good, you get a decent form of transport to take you there, but generally, people aren't good. The agency that Manny works at is heavily corrupted, and a story begins to uncoil itself and lay about on your PC screen, just waiting to be tickled. The atmosphere is spectualur, very Film Nóir (As Movie students would say, although they're probably cursing me now for saying that they would say that). Everyone has cigarettes (Hey, they're dead), and the music is extremely groovy jazz. The voice acting is superb, and the range of characters that you meet is spectacular, including the fantastically obese half-wit demon Glottis, your Chaffeur, so to speak. Plays a mean piano too. This isn't an Indiana Jones affair either. Everyone has a sense of humour, a dry wit, a wet wit, and a knack of humiliating themselves, or at least someone else, be it intentional or not. Mr Tim Schafer, the (main) guy behind it, is hilarious, and it shows. On to the gameplay. The puzzles in Grim Fandango are just as good as ever - No, better. You'll be frustrated when you realise how obvious everything really was. There's nothing too elaborate here, everythings logical and makes perfect sense. The only problem is that you might get lost in the vast cities, but, they're not really that vast, there's no repeating scenery, so don't worry too much. It's nice to have a look around, see the festival, discover the secret undergr... I'll shut up. Schafer has pulled off a cracker here, probably the greatest adventure game yet - At least in sheer terms of atmosphere. I love it to pieces, and I'm currently trying to twiddle it to work in 2000. :( Buy it, Buy it, Buy it. Buy It.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic - Nothing less, 22 Sep 2005
Not just one of the greatest games of all time but one of the greatest stories ever told. It's very rare that games maintain their timeless quality, with graphics getting sharper and discs holding more information allowing more epic scope to their plots. However, there are a few games that, no matter how old, one year or ten years, they maintain their quality and value.
'Grim Fandango' is one of those rare games.
The hand drawn (pre-rendered graphics) work perfectly to keeping the correct atmosphere throughout (Rubecava remains one of the most inspirational locations of any game - taking us back to the clubs and casinos of 1920's America), accompanied by the fantastic musical scores throughout.
However, this is nothing without a good plot, and this is where Fandango delivers further than most other games. Manny, a greedy, non-sentimental man (or skeleton), is stuck in the `land of the dead', a void between the real world and the `land of eternal rest' with the job allowing other, more worthy, members of the dead to their rites of passage to the land of eternal rest.
Finding an opportunity to leave his job, he accidentally sends the saint, Miss Meche Colovard, out on her feet to face a long travel of uncertain peril, losing his job and possibly soon his [after]life as well.
Seeking redemption by facing the same perils to find and save Colovard, and to reach his own paradise, Manny gets caught in the middle of a plot that could send the most evil members of the undead to the eternal rest they've never deserved.
Characters are enchanting and almost all indisputably likable. Their styles and animations are simple yet irrepressibly lovable. It reaches between post modern and mythical. Neither demanding attention with outrageous Monty Python acting or patronising downbeat monotone, it just works at creating a serious yet witty tone throughout. Many have their own stories and philosophies to tell and every voice actor putting out a standout job.
The game also has a fantastic sense of humour, just right so that whether the game is played by a seven-year-old or by a someone fifty odd, the humour is playful yet sophisticated to impress whatever age.
Controls are not point and click but by either by keyboard or gamepad. This is possibly the only remote fault in the game, as it provides some getting used to for fans of the point and click genre not used to more action/ platform adventures.
Locations are detailed with one of the most stylistic, most sophisticated and unique representations ever. 1920's America meets Aztec would be the best way to describe but seeing is believing! The places you go range from a 20s New York to the paradise port town Rubecava to snowy plains.
The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard. It deserves an entire review of its own. Consisting of mainly Jazz & blues with various hints and influences of traditional Russian or Celtic, Mexican/ Spanish culture and the like.
Puzzles in this game are one of the very rare that had me not wanting to use a guide. Although some can be monstrous at times (although I'm not the best adventure gamer, admittedly) it allowed me to search high and low on the game, speak to as many people and spend more time embracing the game.
The conclusion, if you have a PC then there is absolutely no reason for you not to have this game. Because as games such as 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Halo' are fun for the moment, 'Grim fandango' will remain in your nostalgic mind forever and will keep you coming back again and again.
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34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent, 27 Sep 2001
Every once in a while, a game comes along which forces the game's industry to review just how good a game should be made. Grim Fandango completely redefines the graphic adventure genre and still manages to add that little bit extra. The game borrows quite heavily from the Film Noir period, with its quick and snappy one liners, dark alleyways, bars and labyrinth like plot.
Set in the the Land of the Dead you play the role of Manny Calavera, a Grim Reaper/travel agent who reaps the souls of the recently departed and ushers them on to a four year journey to eternal rest. However, things have not been going to well for Manny lately and he has found himself falling behind his 'sales' quotas. Meanwhile Manny's main rival, Domino Hurley, seems to be getting all the praise and choice souls. It is your job to help Manny out of this 'sales rut' and find out what the connection is between Domino and Manny's boss, Don Copal.
The difference between Grim and graphic adventure's of old is that Manny is now the interface instead of an action bar on part of the screen, for example when Manny walks past an item of interest his head turns to look in that direction. By pressing the relevant key, Manny will make a comment or pick the item up. Grim does away with the old inventory bar as Manny's jacket now acts as the inventory and any items you pick up are accessible within.
Grim's fantastic locale art is inspired by ancient Aztec history that can be seen to effect throughout the 100 game locations. Each location has it's own musical score which has the upbeat of Jazz and Swing-Era Bebop, my personal favorite being the score outside the nightclub in Rubacava.
Grim is considerably large with puzzles that will keep even the most ardent gamer occupied with a period of roughly 30 hours to complete. A truly magnificent game, worthy of space in anybody's game collection.
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