Grim Fandango

"'..But now we dance this grim fandango and will four years before we rest.''"

Released in 1998, Grim Fandango was LucasArts first attempt to create a three dimensional point and click adventure game. It was also to be Tim Schafer's last game for the company. Unfortunately the game wasn't as successful as it could have been, what in turn was seen as a sign that the genre was on the way out. In that regard it was the beginning of the end for point and click adventures at LucasArts. Even so, Grim Fandango has acquired quite an reputation for simply being an excellent game in it's own right. Is this justified or simply a matter of judging the game by means of the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia?

GRAPHICS
Grim Fandango has a style all of it's own. It is a mix of early to mid twentieth century architecture and technology on the one hand and South American mythology on the other. Skyscrapers, clubs, steamships and radio equipment rub shoulders with Aztec statues and friezes and most importantly skeletons that strongly resemble the calacas associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead.

The game's visuals consists of three dimensional characters moving around in a pre-rendered environment. Those environments are beautiful at times with style, imagination and charm oozing out of every pore. Sure, sometimes the textures are a little fuzzy and the resolution could have been higher but all in all there is little to spoil the experience here.

Objects and characters succeed more in revealing the game's age. Again, there is nothing wrong with their sense of style. It is just that the models do look a little rough around the edges. Textures can be a tad fuzzy and some objects and characters can look a little blocky, for lack of a better phrase. There are some collectable items that really need the descriptions given to them because it doesn't become apparent what they are by simply looking at them. A nice touch is that there is a lot of variation when it comes to the principal characters. Clothing and gear change, which is a neat way to indicate that the story takes place over many years and in different locations.

Nothing that breaks the game then and the unique design does go a long way in compensating for the weak aspects. As a side note it must be said that the cut scenes have aged rather well despite looking a lot like the ingame visuals. This close resemblance probably was a big thing back in the day and even now they look very nice.

SOUND
The score and the voice acting both deserve all the praise they can get. The music is beautifully realised, nicely complementing the peculiar visual style. It's very atmospheric, ranging from a jazzy sound to a more Latin one. It all sounds highly appropriate and in keeping with the game's presentation.

The voices really bring the characters to life. Especially the main character, Manny, sounds great, every quip and comment delivered with great timing and charm. The rest of the roster also does a good job, although it sometimes is a little too obvious that one actor does several parts.

GAMEPLAY
That unique style that flows from the game's presentation is equally well presented in the plot. The protagonist is Manuel ‘Manny' Calavera, whose job it is to guide the spirits of the recently deceased on their way to the afterlife. In this he behaves much like a travel agent, albeit one who wears a black robe and wields a scythe. He quickly discovers that something is amiss at his office and before long he finds himself on a four year journey across the land of the dead to vindicate himself, with the game showing his pursuits of each second day of November, also known as the Day of the Dead.

Grim Fandango's charm comes from the characters he meets along the way, the different locations he visits, the subtle humour and the game's sense of melancholy but the main factor here is Manny himself. He has his faults and sometimes he screws up but he always remains engaging. Despite the occasional joke and light hearted quip, he is a surprisingly serious character. In this he reflects the tone of Grim Fandango itself. It isn't all doom and gloom but Grim Fandango certainly isn't a Monkey Island or a Discworld.

The game uses an interface that is quite different from the standard point and click control scheme. Instead of using a mouse to direct the main character where to go and what to interact with, in this game he is controlled directly by using the keyboard. It's more akin to what you expect from a third person adventure title like Tomb Raider in that regard.

Instead of scouring the screen with the pointer to look for objects to interact with, Manny himself must be moved around the screen. When walking he can move a little too slowly so luckily there is the option to make him run. When there is something interesting, his head will swivel in that direction. Grim Fandango also uses a one button control scheme. This means that there is one button for all manner of interactions. The game decides if an item is picked up, looked at or used.

Managing the inventory also couldn't be simpler. It is represented by a close up of Manny coat or jacket and he will pull items from his pocket. It is rather elegant especially compared with a toolbar or a list of items. It doesn't allow combining items however.

The puzzles range from simple to complex but several can be quite devious. Like most adventure games of it's type, Grim Fandango has a kind of internal logic that sometimes may stray a little from that of the real world. It never gets too vague or esoteric but there are moments where the solution to a puzzle can seem a bit farfetched. However, this can mostly be attributed to the game's sense of continuity. During the game you will learn what makes the characters tick, what their motivations are and how their world works. A lot of the more vague puzzles revolve around the notion that the player knows these quirks. Paying attention to the smallest of details also helps a great deal, as a particularly insidious puzzle about a couple of photographs can attest too. Be that what it may, most of the puzzles on offer can be quite clever. For example, popping a balloon to scare away a few birds seems obvious but the manner in which this is achieved really made me smile.

The game does have a fair amount of locations but, with the exception of the port town of Rubacava, most of these are divided into smaller, relatively self-contained sections. There are items that are used in multiple locations like Manny's inseparable scythe but most are just confined to their section. This doesn't make Grim Fandango an easy or a short game, far from it. As was mentioned in the previous paragraph, the puzzles can be quite challenging and despite the smaller locations there is still a lot of ground to be covered.

Despite the occasional vagueness of the puzzles, Grim Fandango has a few small niggles that prevent it being completely perfect. Manny may swivel his head when he sees something interesting but if a few of those items are stacked closely together or if he is running the player can easily miss something. A line of text like in Escape from Monkey Island, it's spiritual successor, would have been handy. Not being able to combine items in the inventory and the ‘one click interface' do harbour the risk of simplifying the gameplay. In contrast to for example the two seasons of Telltale's Sam & Max, this isn't really a problem. Grim Fandango's puzzles are more then good enough to compensate and are anything but shallow.

FINAL REMARKS
Grim Fandango's presentation remains good enough despite the game's age with the audio still being excellent. The style, plot and characters are very compelling. Puzzles range from simple to devious with the emphasis on the latter. Grim Fandango demands the player's attention like few others with even the slightest of remarks being crucial to solving a puzzle. Besides the challenge the game provides, a lot of the puzzles are actually quite clever. All in all, Grim Fandango's reputation is more then deserved.

OVERALL: we dance this grim fandango all the way to a 9,0.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/06/09

Game Release: Grim Fandango (EU, 1998)