Grim Fandango Remastered Reviews
Long beloved as one of LucasArts' best adventure games, 'Grim Fandango' receives a brand new remaster keeping the original spirit - and difficulty - intact.
Time has done little to diminish Grim Fandango's beauty or relevance. It is an adventure game not to be missed.
A confident remaster of a true classic. The puzzles have aged badly, but the sparkling humour and world design still shine.
Definitely be careful of rose-tinted memories. The puzzles and its relatively early peak can't and shouldn't be ignored. Nor though can everything that it does right, from its sheer heart and creative polish, to the genius of its ideas and characters. Even when it stumbles, it stands as a fine reminder of why LucasArts at its prime was seen as the industry at its best, and few other adventures have deservedly gathered so much affection. It was an instant classic back in 1998. It's still very much a journey worth taking today, albeit ideally with a walkthrough.
The remastered version is a nice reminder of – or introduction to – the heyday of adventure games, warts and all
Grim Fandango remains an absolute delight--funny, good-hearted, and fun to play.
The entire adventure genre owes a debt to Grim Fandango. It pioneered the immersive, cinematic gameplay that would later be used by the likes of Telltale and Quantic Dream, and its quality writing and puzzle design set a high bar that almost every adventure to follow would strive to meet.
The Remastered edition might not be quite as modernised as we'd hoped, and it's sorely in need of a little more PC-specific TLC, but it is such a pleasure to have it back, so much happier on a modern monitor and good speakers than the original edition, and with non-crazy controls too.
The fact you've been able to play Grim Fandango Remastered on your TV and in handheld form elsewhere for years doesn't matter one bit, because this gem of a game is still as enchanting and evocative as it was the first time you popped open that oversized cardboard box back in PC in 1998. Here and now on Nintendo Switch, this port looks and runs noticeably smoother than its fellow portable versions thanks to Double Fine's deft adjustments, so if whether you've already joined Manny on his afterlife odyssey or this is your first time among the dead, Switch is 100 percent better for its inclusion.
If you’re an old fan, don’t expect the visual upgrades to blow you away. Sure, Grim Fandango definitely looks better, but it’s not as significant an update as you’d get from Resident Evil HD or Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. But it’s still Grim-freaking-Fandango, the greatest adventure game ever made. And, after playing it for the dozenth time thanks to this new release, I can still happily confirm that it’s my favorite game of all time.
Although perhaps more could have been done, Double Fine have implemented a set of changes that make a truly classic title more palatable to the modern gamer.
The mythical graphic adventure of Lucas Arts returns remastered and with several extras. Relive the adventures of Manny Skull in the Land of the Dead.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you enjoy a well written story, great characters, excellent voice acting and music and interesting (possibly time consuming) puzzles, this game is a great pick up for both veterans and newcomers alike.
A jewel that after 17 years is back available to everyone, including (finally) console owners. Those who did not play it at the time will do well to repair.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The comedic beats Grim Fandango hits in the opening cinematic alone are delightful. Reminds you how rare “funny” is in games. Some adventure game puzzle logic and Glottis’ chunky orange polygons aside, it doesn’t feel dated. It’s well-written, rich, heartfelt, funny, and I’m glad as heck it’s readily available for everyone to play.
Grim Fandango invites you to find meaning in just one life. It just so happens that you're already dead when it starts.
Technical frustrations aside, we're glad that this piece of gaming history is finally back for anyone to try. With its oddly imaginative world and characters brimming with personality, Grim Fandango is absolutely worth this second lease on life.
Grim Fandango Remastered is a welcome chance to play a visionary game that everyone, in the name of creativity, should rightfully experience at least once.
More a reissue than an actual remaster, but the game itself is still as wonderfully unique and entertaining as ever – with some of the most memorable characters in all gaming.
Grim Fandango is a game that should be experienced, plain and simple. The combination of story, presentation, and atmosphere come together in perfect harmony to offer arguably one of the best point-and-click adventure games ever created.