First of all... I'm a big fan of Tim Schafer and Double Fine, so it's hard for me to be objective when reviewing this game. I played Grim Fandango when it was first released and then I played the remastered version a couple of years ago. And I really enjoyed it both times. I guess that's what makes a game a classic. Grim Fandango excels at everything a great adventure games needs: an interesting story, charismatic characters, puzzles that really make you think. Besides it has that peculiar brand of Tim Schafer-style humour that at times almost goes over the top, but always maintains a certain elegance and doesn't plunge into vulgarity. I guess, the only negative thing about this game I can think about is the traditional controls that may seem uncomfortable for some players, but the remastered version features alternative controls to remedy that. Grim Fandango is one of the best adventure games ever made, so I recommend everyone to give it a try.
Being a big adventure game fan since my childhood, I'm really happy that there are so many adventure games being released in the last few years. While it's mostly up to indie developers to maintain the genre alive, there are plenty of talented people with fresh ideas. Speaking of which, it's evident that the developers of Irony Curtain love the genre. The entire game seems like a tribute to classic adventure games with all the traditional mechanics and some puzzles forcing the player to think out of the box. Still, I don't think this game is going to become a modern classic, because it cannot offer anything new to an experienced player. The story, despite a fresh, alternative cold war setting, is not very original. It's an okay comedy with occasional funny jokes, but it's not on the same level as Lucas Arts or Double Fine games. That's why I think that die-hard adventure game fans will enjoy the game (I know that I did), but, if you are new to the genre, I'd recommend you to start with either a classic game (Monkey Island, Broken Sword, Grim Fandango) or a better modern game (e.g. Whispers of a Machine).
