Grim Fandango Remastered

Long story short, this game comes from a time when many developers utilized obtuse and tedious gameplay mechanics to pad the length of their games. This wasn't entirely unreasonable at the time, making big games requires a lot of storage and storage was at a premium, but it just does not hold up to the standards of modern games. Grim Fandango does have a very good story and some interesting characters, the setting is likewise quite intriguing in its choice of influences. But this doesn't make up for the limitations in gameplay. If you don't mind dealing with a puzzle game that will have you fumbling around for solutions to ambiguous goals, this classic might work for you. If you, like me, don't have any desire to spend your leisure time on tedious tasks (I have a job for that!) this game is probably not for you.

The strengths are known, excellent writing and visual charm, but it remains extremely dated. Most glaringly, as was the case with point and click adventures of the era, it is often exceedingly obtuse. Furthermore, the remastering is very incomplete and the Linux version is finicky. The former is helped by the Grim Fandango Remastered HD amateur project and the latter by just running the Windows version using Wine/Proton. Even though the solutions ultimately are clever and entertaining, you can expect no shortage of frustration before then. I say this as someone who, though they were before my time, appreciates them very much. A hint system a la Monkey Island Remastered (or most other modern P&C's) would have been suberb but instead you can expect to fumble for hours unsure if the solution is something you haven't thought of, or also just your difficulty activating the right object, timing an interaction, or spotting something in the pixelated background. Perhaps, you just should be comfortable using a walkthrough, but then perhaps you should save your money and just watch someone play it instead. Sorry, Double Fine, this is ultimately a difficult recommendation to anyone who does not already want a slightly more playable version of the previous, flawed game.

When Grim Fandango went out- it wasn't, by any means, a flawless game, but one can argue that it never was a game in the first place. It's a piece of culture, a mastepriece of beautiful craftsmanship. From the dark bridges and streets of casabalnesque Rubacava, to the undewater coral mines on the edge of the world, the Land of the Dead amuses with its spiritual richness and depth. The journey of Manuel Calavera isn't just a pursuit after Mece- it's a pursuit after long-lost justice, emotions and, ultimately- the sense of life and death itself. With polished textures and improved lighting, acompanied with one of the best orchestral soundtracks in years (masterfully brought back to life for the remastered edition), this gem, while retaining some flaws of the original, just cannot be percieved through them- just as noone is judging Rembrandt's canvases through the quality and age of their material, but for the essence that resonates though them. And the resonation of Grim Fandango was, indeed, never such a strong one.

I've been a fan of the Adventure genre ever since I first laid my eyes on King's Quest 6 in that quaint old basement, and since then, I've played more than I can even remember. I'm used to moon logic puzzles, and even the bad action sequences, and I won't let that deter me from a great adventure that's been laid out in front of me. The thing is, though, that there is a line. Grim Fandango has great writing and an excellent sense of humor that I loved right from the beginning; it's not often that a game makes me laugh, but I was already starting to hurt before the game part of the game even started. Played maybe 5 minutes; I'm stuck. Consulted a walkthrough for a hint; great for a few more minutes and I'm stuck again. This takes moon logic to a whole new level, with most puzzles not having any kind of logical conclusion or even a satisfying one. Fine; I'll just follow the guide to the letter and enjoy the ride; it wouldn't be the first time. Nope; now, every other puzzle or so is some goofy minigame or bad action sequence with buggy timing. This thing repeatedly commits all the worst sins of the Adventure genre before you even finish the first chapter. I'll gladly watch a playthrough, but actually playing it is a chore, and when it gets to that point, it might as well have been a movie or animated series.

I bought and played the original, compelling atmosphere, dialog, music. narrative and great puzzles.