Grim Fandango Remastered

1. Midnitelouie

   Jan 28, 2015

   10

   Nostalgia aside, this is still one of the best adventure games ever created. However, I've noticed two differing styles of understandingNostalgia aside, this is still one of the best adventure games ever created. However, I've noticed two differing styles of understanding this...
   
   1.) Those who expect a very logical, concise set of puzzles, with a nice wrapping of a story around it.
   2.) Those who want to explore the nuances of the game. The style. The ambiance. The way that the game is structured. The "reading between the lines" of the morals, and themes of the story itself...
   
   If you're in category #1? Avoid this game at all costs. The game is about the sum of the parts being greater than an equal to the whole. (Much in the same way that Animal Farm is much more than just a story about talking animals running amok...) Some of the puzzles are just...odd. They don't seem to make 100% logical sense, and the game certainly isn't going to highlight the puzzle piece with a glowing exclamation point, or halo to let you know what you've missed.
   
   But...if you're in the second category, and you haven't played this yet? Then why, oh why, in the name of all things holy or not, are you even bothering to read this review? Get on your favorite platform, and get this ASAP. You'll be rewarded with the texture, style, and nuance of a finely crafted masterpiece.
   
   Playing Grim Fandango isn't about the jaw dropping graphics, or the smooth textures, or the latest in whiz-bang technology. (Which is what a lot of people who aren't steeped in the adventure genre don't quite get...) This game is about the Land of the Dead. It's about Manny Calavera. It's about the questions that plague everyone regarding life...death...and beyond.… Expand

   • 15 of 22 users found this helpful
2. PimN

   Feb 28, 2018

   10

   Some of the best writing I've ever seen in a video game. Very well written dialogue with clever jokes and a bit of cynicism and dark humourSome of the best writing I've ever seen in a video game. Very well written dialogue with clever jokes and a bit of cynicism and dark humour thrown in once in a while.
   
   The presentation is top-notch. Character design, music, voice acting and environments (though those are quite a low resolution) are all pretty much flawless.
   
   For such an old game it has aged very well. Graphics are OK, nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either. The 4:3 aspect ratio lock is unfortunate but ultimately understandable. The game is of a decent length for the asking price.
   
   This game is worth your time and money if you like point & click adventure style games and/or a decently sized single player experience with extremely good writing.
   
   One of the best games I've ever played, and that's not nostalgia talking; I didn't play games at the time the original came out.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Mastereed

   Apr 27, 2023

   9

   A MORTAL MASTERPIECE
   
   BEFORE WE BEGIN: Grim Fandango Remastered was originally developed by LucasArts, remastered and financed by DoubleA MORTAL MASTERPIECE
   
   BEFORE WE BEGIN:
   Grim Fandango Remastered was originally developed by LucasArts, remastered and financed by Double Fine, and released in 2015. It brings back several noteworthy graphical improvements from the original title dating back to 1998.
   The game is 100% complete in its pc version.
   
   DEAD, UNDEAD:
   The introduction to the game's plot is extremely straightforward and crystal clear. The superb quality of art direction that this title has to offer is already underscored by the extremely creative LucasArts and Double Fine logos alone, which always take the style of the reference game and change from time to time. Thanks to the introductory cutscene, the player is immediately able to understand everything that revolves around the protagonist Manny Calavera, a death travel agent dedicated to earning enough to reach the ninth afterlife. As soon as the movie ends, the player finds himself with a fresh assignment to fulfill and can begin his work immediately. The first thing that jumps out at you, or rather, that does not jump out at you is the lack of a HUD, this is because throughout the game it will be the player's job to unearth the interacting objects, making the adventure more interactive and surprising.
   
   PURSUING DEATH:
   The game gameplay is that of a typical early 2000s graphic adventure, with a focus by the developers to move away from what was the usual point-and-click of that era. The Remastered version then made it possible to use the mouse, which was originally blocked. As mentioned above, one of the main features of Grim Fandango is that it does not have any always-on HUD. Like other graphic adventures, there is an inventory of possessed objects and a menu of interactions with objects set up on the map, but unlike other LucasArts titles it is not possible to join possessed objects together. The additional mother feature is, of course, the puzzles. They are varied and almost always require the ingenuity of the player. Some of them, however, rely far too much on dialogue between the various characters. This becomes a problem given the inability to listen to some of them several times, making the solution of the riddles almost impossible to understand and causing them to expire at a mere use of all available options. This forces the player to wander the map in search of often nonexistent solutions. The game plot turns out to be extremely varied. It spans four years where Manny will accomplish various tasks, with numerous intrigues to be solved, both work-related and emotional.
   
   DEADLY GOOD:
   Grim Fandango's graphics, whether original or remastered, are certainly one of its focal points. It still manages to be stunning to this day, with extremely detailed and inspired models. Thanks to meticulous techniques put in place by the development team, many of the models turn out to be well-defined and far superior to those out there. The atmosphere that the art in this game manages to create is unmatched, with styles of Mexican folklore combined with the noire of mystery movies. Of course, the animations belong to that era and have remained untouched in its remastered version, so as not to spoil the authors' original tone. Moreover, the variety of environments, always different throughout the journey, grants a style that is always original and never predictable. The conception of the style and the studies that led to its development are noticeable from the minuteness of the details ranging from the backgrounds to the characters' expressions, from their characterization to the interwoven and branching story; all of which led to the creation of this majestic composition.
   
   THE NINTH NOTE:
   The music side perfectly accompanies what was described in the chapter above. The extremely inspired soundtrack goes to perfectly enhance every environment and scene in the game, as well as catalyze the setting of the noir style. Finally, an incredibly noteworthy point is that of the voice acting, which is excellent in its English language but reaches one of its highest peaks ever seen in a video game in its Italian version, which takes advantage of the numerous presence of dialects to give additional characterization to the characters.
   
   BUT WHY 9?
   
   PROS:
   Grim Fandango is for sure one of those games that once played is hard to forget. The number of positive points is staggering. It is certain that it remains a unique product of its kind but more importantly a game that borders on narrative and illustrative perfection.
   
   CONS:
   The real negative point is added by the remastering of the game, which, while adding a myriad of technical and graphical fixes, goes on to create a variety of bugs that are capable of completely breaking the game. Between those that delete game saves, those that completely lock the player out, and those that create amusing graphical glitches, it is almost impossible not to encounter any of them.
   
   RATING
   Gameplay: 8
   Music: 9,5
   Story: 10
   Puzzle: 8
   _… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. mightybaseplate

   Apr 10, 2022

   8

   Charming dialogue and characters, however puzzles can be cheap, as the game design is kind of dated.
   
   With a walkthrough, the shining partsCharming dialogue and characters, however puzzles can be cheap, as the game design is kind of dated.
   
   With a walkthrough, the shining parts of the game, environments, music, characters, can be thoroughly enjoyed… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. kwrona

   Jan 28, 2015

   7

   The original game was a masterpiece! The plot, the themes, and overall feeling of it was superb. But that was in 1998!
   The remaster hardlyThe original game was a masterpiece! The plot, the themes, and overall feeling of it was superb. But that was in 1998!
   The remaster hardly remastered anything at all. The backgrounds are still prerendered, propably in higher resolution. So are the cutscenes. It looks even morse now with the crisp colourful 3d models standing out of the scenery. Textures are still with minimalistic details. I expected more, and am disappointed.
   But overall - the game is brilliant, but remaster is more of a re-packaging of the same thing.… Expand

   • 9 of 19 users found this helpful
7. rodericrinehart

   Feb 7, 2015

   6

   The game is not as great as I remembered. I much prefer new adventure games like all the Telltale games and the new Life Is Strange game. MyThe game is not as great as I remembered. I much prefer new adventure games like all the Telltale games and the new Life Is Strange game. My daughter and I have been slogging through Grim Fandango, but the puzzles are illogical and weird, and frankly, not nearly as fun as I thought they would be. A lot of progress has been made in the adventure genre, and the majority of players (though certainly not all) will not find as much enjoyment in this decidedly old-school game.… Expand

   • 4 of 8 users found this helpful
8. somedude14

   Feb 22, 2015

   1

   Why is this getting such a high score? Yes, the base game is great, but as a remaster this is pretty poor. The biggest improvement is theWhy is this getting such a high score? Yes, the base game is great, but as a remaster this is pretty poor. The biggest improvement is the added mouse controls, which was provided as a community mod for the original game about a year and a half before this remaster came out.
   
   The backgrounds are exactly the same and completely untouched. Only a handful of the 3D textures have been re-created to look good in HD. I wouldn't care if this was a GoG re-release, but re-releasing it in 2015 and slapping a "Remaster" label on it calls for more than "compatibility patch". This is brutal.… Expand

   • 1 of 12 users found this helpful

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