It’s one of LucasArts most unique and memorable games of the ‘90s to not feature an X-Wing or a lightsaber and has dated far better than many of its contemporaries that were also dipping their toes into 'proper' 3D.ĭouble Fine did a fine job deftly updating its own legacy with Grim (studio head Tim Schafer oversaw the original at LucasArts before it was shuttered and remains one of the most important creative minds in the industry) and the Nintendo Switch port benefits from each little adjustment as a result. There’s the Dia de Muertos (the Day of the Dead celebration in South America) aesthetic that informs its character designs the cool yet bleak approach to storytelling that doffs its cap at the classic noir mysteries of film and literature. Following Manny Calavera, a travel agent working in the Land of the Dead who discovers a menacing conspiracy involving the souls passing through its gates, Grim pays homage to so many different inspirations through its four-act story. There’s just so much appreciate here.Įven its story and dialogue is still as pithy and self-referential as ever. It’s remained one of the best-loved adventure games ever made for a reason - the fact it was the first LucasArts adventure game to use 3D graphics on static backgrounds the way Peter McConnell’s eclectic score weaved Latin flavour with noir gloom the sheer brilliance of its voice performances. It doesn’t matter that this prim and proper version has been out elsewhere for nigh on four years - including plenty of handheld platforms at that - because it’s just as brilliant as ever.
Wherever you might sit on the spectrum, you’re in for a treat now that Grim Fandango Remastered has arrived on Nintendo Switch. A proper highlight for LucasArts, for a studio that was already pumping out some of the decade’s best software. But for many of us, Grim wasn’t just a game. A relic of an era where polygons were blocky, textures lacked detail and aspect ratios were square at best.
Twenty years! For some of you reading this review, the following game might look just like any other title from the transformative PC gaming days of the ’90s. Somehow, somehow, Grim Fandango is 20 years-old this year.
0 kommentar(er)
