I’ve played a lot of video games in my time, and while it has led to some unforgettable adventures- there are times where the game I play lack originality and become a bit homogenous. Grim Fandango is not one of those games.
The first 10 minutes of this game have enough creativity and personality to be painted across an entire game and be impressive. The fact that it is only just the tip of the iceberg highlights how special this game is. In the span of this 10-ish hour adventure I was continually impressed by virtually everything it had to offer. Every corner of this world is dripping with atmosphere so palpable it’s hard not to be immersed. I fell in love with every character, and found them all to be as funny as they were genuinely compelling. The amount of care, wit, and outstanding writing poured into the narrative never got dull and I was sad to see the credits roll just because I was so absorbed into it. On top of everything, the smooth jazzy score and Final Fantasy VII-esque pre-rendered backgrounds combined with the stellar art direction presented this game with a matching level of enchanting enjoyability.
My only real criticism I have here is that the puzzles are hard, and while that is not inherently a bad thing- they aren’t hard in an always compelling or fair-feeling way. Many times the solution felt so obtuse I never slapped my forehead and said “oh man, I sure am dumb” when I resorted to a guide. Some solutions that I did find out were pushed aside by some occasionally unresponsive controls. It lends itself to a gameplay experience that is not always as consistently enjoyable as the rest of the elements of this wonderful game. I don’t often use the pretense of “play the game with a guide”, but in this case I don’t think it is of any shame- and if it lets you experience this story in a more accommodating way it certainly should be on the table.
Overall, I get why Grim Fandango is so revered now. It got its hooks in me fast and didn’t let go until the end. From its characters, iconography, and even things like little bits of Spanglish added to my vocabulary- it has left a massive impression on me already. I loved Grim Fandango, and I think my highest praise is that I am already considering playing through it again. Great, great time here. I will be keeping this near my heart, or where it used to be.
The first 10 minutes of this game have enough creativity and personality to be painted across an entire game and be impressive. The fact that it is only just the tip of the iceberg highlights how special this game is. In the span of this 10-ish hour adventure I was continually impressed by virtually everything it had to offer. Every corner of this world is dripping with atmosphere so palpable it’s hard not to be immersed. I fell in love with every character, and found them all to be as funny as they were genuinely compelling. The amount of care, wit, and outstanding writing poured into the narrative never got dull and I was sad to see the credits roll just because I was so absorbed into it. On top of everything, the smooth jazzy score and Final Fantasy VII-esque pre-rendered backgrounds combined with the stellar art direction presented this game with a matching level of enchanting enjoyability.
My only real criticism I have here is that the puzzles are hard, and while that is not inherently a bad thing- they aren’t hard in an always compelling or fair-feeling way. Many times the solution felt so obtuse I never slapped my forehead and said “oh man, I sure am dumb” when I resorted to a guide. Some solutions that I did find out were pushed aside by some occasionally unresponsive controls. It lends itself to a gameplay experience that is not always as consistently enjoyable as the rest of the elements of this wonderful game. I don’t often use the pretense of “play the game with a guide”, but in this case I don’t think it is of any shame- and if it lets you experience this story in a more accommodating way it certainly should be on the table.
Overall, I get why Grim Fandango is so revered now. It got its hooks in me fast and didn’t let go until the end. From its characters, iconography, and even things like little bits of Spanglish added to my vocabulary- it has left a massive impression on me already. I loved Grim Fandango, and I think my highest praise is that I am already considering playing through it again. Great, great time here. I will be keeping this near my heart, or where it used to be.