"Have you got a gold ticket?"

One of the best adventure games ever.

How do you define this game in general? Sure, it's an adventure game made by LucasArts, who are responsible for the genius Monkey Island. Well, this game suggests a more dark and cultivated side to LucasArts. Grim Fandango is a sattire of death and a black comedy. Who would have thought something of this high standard and quality would be produced by the Monkey Islanders? This game represents everything adventure games are today and the wonders of this genre which is still, unfortunately, underrated in video game history.

Grim Fandango's title stems from the Mexican theme the game. It sattirises life after death and the life people do lead in society today. You play Manny Calavera, a dead guy, who lives in the Underworld, dealing with crimes and every day occurances to that of a normal life. You do have to think regarding Monkey Island, where the inspiration for this game arised from. It's required thinking time made it a cult favourite and a big time seller amoung adventure games. The game itself is clever, slick and highly enjoyable. It does not suit everyone's taste because of it's very subtle scheme.

The game has no competition, and stiffly floats amongst the rest. Enrolling visual grandeur with wonderfully designed characters that come packaged with the typical LucasArts' intriquing and resounding characters. Grim Fandango is just the perfect paunch for any veteran adventure game fan dying with dignity to see their genre rise from possible extinction and whimsical gamers peeking through the door - if you value true humour with a unique story with so many pawky parodies at Hollywood films such as Casablanca and Gone With The Wind, then it's almost quite upsetting if you never experience this little partridge game. An immaculate conception, if I do say so myself.

LucasArts have been known in the past to create ludicrous, bizarre yet humours storylines aka yet again the Monkey Island series. This is no exception but there is a tone of maturity incensed in the game, whilst still containing the trademark humour fans have come to adore. Overall, this game sattirises life after death; the Underworld. The general statement in this game is that if you live a good life then you will be granted eternal happiness when you die and here it is a gold train ticket on a number nine express. And you take control of one Manny Calavera, who works for a derelict corporate business called Department of Dead dealing with these tickets. Manny's typical day is flaunting his incontinent charisma to doomed clients who either end up with redundant packages, or lose the stomach to sit through his sales pitches. Other than that, he enjoys vain flirting with the secretary and revels in spewing mental spite at his flashy, suave rival Dom, who cumilates the premium contacts and happens to derive compliments from the chain smoking, cantankerous boss.

Things soon start to change for the better when Mercedes Colomar walks into his office. Then they take a u turn and hit the dirt again when Manny discovers she can't qualify for a gold ticket even though she is practically a saint. A computer error? Nope. Just a major sense of corruption in the DOD. Realising this and the injustice of Mercedes, Manny joins a cause to overthrow the Corporate but is thrown into oblivious places while on the search for Mercedes - the woman he can never forget or live without finally helping her, and falling in love with her just comes naturally. The plot is wild and sometimes a little far fetched but when it all ties in, you actually admire it's intelligence. You also have to take into consideration of the depth of this title, which is a mile off from their previous efforts (I'm trying to escape the M word). The plot is a remarkble tale of romance and corruption and the many ways your life could still go wrong even when you're dead. Irony at it's best.

Characters are now a profound factor in adventure games. And this game is full of various characters with witty and mysterious personalities. Glottis is the eccentric and not very smart accomplice whose heart is as big as his rear and provides a pleasant dose of slapstick and dunce comedy, he's adorable! Olivia is the sophisticated squeeze of conniving vindictiveness of the game with her elegant presence and rather pompous poetry. Mercedes Colomar is another deceptive character who develops through the story excellently well, from naive saint to feisty femme who proves to be a formidable love interest for Manny. The parity of the supporting to minor characters are placed and used to their potential, creating the perfect depiction of the Underworld.

Grim Fandango is the first game of LucasArts that I know of, to be done in 3D. I know they have since gone on to more advanced things but if this was their first attempt, then it worked amazingly. These graphics are beautifully rendered with detail and dark effects that emphasise death in a cartoon slightly comical look. The tones of the locations and characters have been clawed until they appear almost flawless. Have you ever seen the Underworld pictured so gorgeously well? The detailed characters animate superbly well, and the visual presence of them all testify the power of the PC and whole deluxity and grandeur of the game. Grim Fandango is simply beautiful, ever more so than any other adventure game I've ever played.

When you think of Grim Fandango, you think of a action game don't you? Well maybe not. But it doesn't matter, because it's my analogy. But aha! Lucasarts making a action game?! Ha! No, this is another adventure game sans the pointing and clicking. Your options are the keyboard or a controller, which is a nice new feature. There is less of item combination and more of item use and dialogue importance. There are various puzzles in this game which are ironically fun and non frustrating. Yet, without a controller and left with the keyboard, the controls can be rather parlous.

The weapon in this game is not just your thinking and logic, but your scythe, which is used for good purposes ironically. And the sprout gun, which if shot with, turns you instantly into a shroud. Personally, I think the conversations are the best part of the gameplay, the wit and viewpoints of the plot from these characters is fascinating and also non ignorable like some other apsects of the game. While the gameplay doesn't break any new grounds, it just about parries any distraction in thinking it sits above the mould of the rest of the games in it's catergory. Plus, the never ending fascination of the flow of time and places Grim Fandango takes your hand and travels with you is just utterly compelling and all the more worthwhile to experience.

The sound is this game is amazing. The voice acting is superb as well as the mexican music. The dynamics flow in with the locations, situations and sound affects. In this aspect of the game, it is easily overshadowed compared to the other outstanding aspects of the game but it is completely flawless and in my opinion, probably the best thing of the game. The music content flows from Mexican jazz and folk music which amazingly conveys the atsmophere in the game. The mexican theme is orchestrated and brillantly demonstrated throughout the game. Pat on the back goes to the actors of Manny Calavera, Mercedes Colomar and Manuel who provide the funniest spice to their characters.

All in all, Grim Fandango is a gem in it's own right and for LucasArts. I think this is adventure genre at it's shockingly best. However, it is not something for everyone and will only appeal to particuliar fans and a certain sense of humour. But nevertheless, it's genius deserves attention and class status or even a cult status. Personally, I find the quirkiness and individuality in the content of this game fascinating. Grim Fandango would have made a great novel. But it makes a greater game and a great counterstrike to the critics who are quick to condemn these titles nowadays and a painful tearjerker as you find it unbearing to say goodbye to this world of beautiful graphics, rivetting plot and unforgettable characters. Grim Fandango is simple one of the best games to ever be created and your heart strings will be tugged hard when you find yourself having to say goodbye to this fascinating world you stumbled upon.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/05/04, Updated 12/03/04