Grim Fandango Revisited

"Ever cheated on your husband?"

"Mr. Calavera, there's no ring on my finger."

"There's no skin on it either."

-In-game dialogue between Manny and Meche.

Originally released in 1998, Grim Fandango was the penultimate adventure game made by the kings of the genre: LucasArts (sorry, Sierra), as well as their last truly great game (no offense to any Escape From Monkey Island fans out there).

I originally played Grim Fandango in the early years of the 2000s and, at the time, it immediately earned a spot among my all-time favorite games. With lots of water having passed under the bridges, since I last played it , I decided that it was high time for me to revisit Grim Fandango, in order to see if my feelings for it had changed since last time.

This time, I chose to experience the game in its remastered version, which was released by Double Fine back in 2015. This version comes with updated graphics and the option to play with the mouse (originally, Grim was only playable via keyboard), but besides that remains the same game as it was back in the late 90's.

For those of you new to the game, Grim Fandango takes place in The Land of the Dead; a dimension inspired by equal parts classic film noir and Mexican culture, particularly the Day of the Dead (it was actually via Grim Fandango that I first became aware of this holiday).

The Player assumes the role of Manuel Calavera a.k.a. Manny, a travel agent at the Department of Death, whose job it is to sell travelling packages to the recently deceased. Exactly what package you qualify for is based entirely on what kind  life you used to lead prior to your death: If you were an exceptionally good person, then you receive a ticket to the Number Nine; a state-of-the-art express train that will take you straight to the Land of Eternal Rest. However, if you've royally screwed up your life or been a real piece of shit, then you are stuck doing the job Manny does now, until you've paid off your karmic debt.

Things used to go well for Manny; he had a large office and was the top salesman on his floor. That's all in the past when the game begins though. Now, Manny's office is in what used to be the supply closet and his smarmy rival Domino gets all the good clients, leaving Manny stuck with no-good bums who, at best, only qualify for the Excelsior Line (i.e. a walking stick). Desperate, Manny decides to steal one of Domino's clients, the saintly Mercedes 'Meche' Colomar.
Unsuprisingly, Manny's plan backfires, causing Meche to lose her spot on the Number Nine and condemning her to wander the Land of the Dead on foot for four years, like any lowly sinner. Having been fired from his job, Manny, accompanied by his driver; the demon Glottis, embarks on a journey to find Meche and make things right. In doing so, Manny finds himself mixed up in a conflict between his former employer and the Lost Souls Alliance; a secret organization bent on uncovering the corruption within the Department of Death.

Out of all the classic adventures made by LucasArts, Grim Fandango has, by far, the best writing: Marrying the great comedy seen in games like Day of the Tentacle, with a genuinely gripping plot; one whose twists and turns keep the player engaged from the moment when Manny makes his first appearance on screen, to when the credits begin to roll.Personally, I'd say that the game reaches its heights during the second year, Rubacava is one of my favorite settings found in any game and as always, I found myself almost reluctant to leave it.

Great as the story may be, the game's greatest asset is its cast. Perhaps more than any other developer in the genre, LucasArts was known to populate their games with strong characters and Grim Fandango is no exception to that rule: Each and every character in the game, from the major players like Manny and Glottis, to the tiniest bit-parts, all have distinct, memorable personalities and are brought to life (or after-life) perfectly by their voice-actors. Some characters I love, others (like Domino), I love to hate, but there's not a single character in this game that has not left an impression on me, one way or the other.

Gameplay-wise (the most important aspect of any game), Grim Fandango comports itself well. In the past, I never had much trouble with the game's original keyboard controls, but I can't deny that being able to play the game with the mouse is a boon indeed. Puzzles are usually good as well; being challenging, but rarely a source of frustration. Although I've never been a fan of some of the more time-based puzzles, such as the one involving the player having to control a forklift in an elevator.

As you have probably guessed, my feelings toward this game remain unchanged. Grim Fandango will always have a place among my favorites, everyone who has an  interest in adventure games (or games in general) should travel the afterlife in the company of Manny Calavera at least once before they have to enter it for real.

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