Grim Fandango

there is so much to say about this game... that i just don't know where to start. you know, every once in a while a great game is being created... the game is so unique and that it just steals your heart and makes playing it an unforgettable experience.. but no game has ever..ever combined so much genius and at the same time, soul and creativity... and in this game, "grim fandango", you have so much of them both that just looking at the environment of the game melts you... now i have played a lot of games from all kinds, and there were some games that made me feel this way, games like monkey island, neverhood, oddworld and many more games that are all very good. but never, ever, a game so good with such a great plot and art directions has been created, and to create a game like this takes a gigantic Passion for games, intelligence and a really large heart. this fantastic Mexican film noir style game can be played over and over as a game, as a movie, or even just to remember the great characters on it such as many calavera, the hero or glottis his friend, that are so hard to say goodbye when the game ends... there is no reason in the world why this game should not be voted 10, and it can be described in 3 words: best - game - ever. but on the other hand, it cant be described in words... because only when you play it you understand the greatness of it...

Introducing Manny Calavera to you all, salesman and dead. With a risk of sounding necromantic I must say that I'm in love with Grim Fandango. This is highly enjoyable for everyone but I think we moviebuffs get even more out of it. This game is shockful of references to movies, from the "Glengarry Glen Ross" style opening were Manny doesn't get access to the best clients to the Casablancaesque police officer and the film noir feeling of it all. This is just a game you need to own. The cut scenes are beautiful, the voiceovers are the best of this world, the puzzles are also ace, it's all so good that it's really hard to describe. The only bad thing was the ending, not because it was a bad ending but because this game ends and because it doesn't open up for a sequel. Go buy this now instead of reading this review.

10/10

Grim Fandango is most definitely the best title of its Genre EVER! You play the part of Manny Calavera a travel agent of death selling nothing but poor travel packages for the long journey to the 9th underground to his recently passed away clients, but Manny senses crime and corruption in the department of death when he find that his associate Domino gets all the good clients and Manny is stuck with all the poor clients. In my honest opinion Grim Fandango is the best title of its genre. Of course there are downsides like the long loading times between scenes and controlling Manny can be difficult at times but it doesn't get in the way of it's great storyline.

Grim Fandango is one of the best games in its genre. Its almost a movie in its rich storyline and character development. You know who the heroes are and you certainly know who the villains are but somehow you are left guessing until the very end because you are in a different world then our own and nothing is quite the same. I'd say that this would make a great movie, as long as its not bogged down with trying to be aimed at kids because its not.

This game is simply awe-inspiring. It uses its consistently excellent plot to hold you, while it presents fiendishly difficult puzzles for you to solve. The game felt immensely satisfying both intellectually and aesthetically.

The story follows Manny Calavera in his four year journey of the soul through the land of the dead, as he searches for a woman he believes that he cheated. There are classic themes of corruption, redemption, love, betrayal, karma, and others. The story has a profound sadness to it, lamenting for time, love, and opportunities stolen by injustice and greed. At the same time, the game never loses its sense of hope, and never loses its razor-sharp wit. In short, this plot is as good as many of the movies out there.

As for the puzzles, they are extremely challenging. If you have played Lucas Arts adventure games before, you would know the formula. Basically, it consists of this:

1) You cannot possibly lose the game

2) There is no general time limit, or indeed, general progression of time at all

3) You are given a general, limited area in which to find items and to solve puzzles necessary to advance the game

This particular game seems to require you to find comparatively few items (compared to the other Lucas Arts games I've played), and relies more on the clever use of your surroundings in order to solve a puzzle. Most of the time, I found I had all the tools I needed to solve the puzzle on hand, which was very useful. The puzzles are still difficult enough to keep you entertained for hours.

The only flaw I found was the control system, which was clunky and irritating at first, but the environments become easier to navigate and I stopped noticing. Despite the obvious flaw, I found it hard to justify deducting a star from the overall rating. The game was really that good.