Grim Fandango Remastered Reviews
An incredible game that stands up to the test of time, but a disappointing Vita port and quirky logic spoil what could be near perfection
This is a game that is not easily forgotten - its originality and creativeness is unheard of in modern games. Grim Fandango Remastered deserved better than this.
Grim Fandango has a style of gameplay that isn't for everyone, but if you're into that sort of thing, or if you're simply riding along for the story, you're in for a great and well-written adventure that is certainly worth the price of admission.
Grim Fandango is very much a product of the late 1990's. It's an extremely well put together story, with interesting and funny characters that you begin to care about as the tale unfolds. It's an absolute stone-cold classic of gaming history, and is a title that everybody should play. The remastered character assets and re-recorded audio simply look and sound great, and whilst the overlaying of these on the classic VGA level of backdrops is sometimes disjointed, it never feels "wrong". In fact, Grim Fandango Remastered holds up so well it's a little scary. I would like to think this isn't nostalgia clouding my judgement, but it was hard to suppress a smile the first time I bumped into Glottis and he knocked together the Bone Wagon for me. If you've got the patience to deal with some devious puzzles, and want to experience the final hurrah of the LucasArts point and click legacy, this reissue is more than worth the download. Vita cross-save bug aside, I absolutely loved the chance to get back into Manny's Land of the Dead, and I can now proudly say "Grim Fandango? Yeah, finished it. Great game."
A great noir adventure let down by technical issues, and features missing from its superior PC counterpart.
Grim Fandango manages to feel fresh in a crowded gaming market. Its bright colors, foreboding setting, and compelling story kept drawing me back. When every side character comes alive with personality, that's when you know the writing is good and the game has staying power. On top of that, you drive around in a car called the Bone Wagon. Who knew the afterlife could be so much fun?
I should be glad that Grim Fandango hasn't had the same crushing change to its main character that the Monkey Island remasters had, but a part of me wishes a little more had been updated. It's still a bit rough around the edges, the graphics are only slightly improved, and the animation just as broken as the original. But it's funny, the writing is fantastic, the voice acting simply superb, and it's a joy to play from start to finish.
Even if the mechanisms of this game seem a little dated now, we're reminded how the story and its characters are timeless in their good humour and quality, and in that respect, this Remaster should hold almost as much joy for newcomers as it does for returning fans.
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.
After seventeen long years, Grim Fandango finally makes its console debut on the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. This is a remastered port of one of the best point & click adventures of all time, and the Tim Schafer classic hasn't missed a beat. It's overflowing with fascinating characters and a story full of twists and turns. No matter if you're new to the Land of the Dead or a returning visitor, Grim Fandango Remastered is a must-play.
Grim's lack of availability may have helped it achieve sainthood, so its baffling puzzles may comes as a shock to many. If you can tolerate frustration, though, Schafer's final LucasArts production provides one of the best adventure game stories ever crafted—just be sure to keep an FAQ nearby.
Call me selective, but I wanted the comedy without the tedium which broke the cinematic effect. Perhaps this inability to fawningly linger over "Grim Fandango's" highly static environments is a product of time. Regardless, the bony truth is that our lives sometimes intersect with games at inopportune moments.
While 'Grim Fandango Remastered' is very tame in its remastering, it is still an improved (and playable) version of one of the best adventure games of all time. It easily represents the "gaming as art" concept while remaining funny and entertaining throughout. If you have never experienced 'Grim Fandango', now is your chance. If you have experienced it, it is worth picking up the remaster, if only just.
Strangely poignant and profound, Grim Fandango Remastered is a well-deserved return to an adventure that fans of this genre cannot miss. Far from the easy tears and technical expertise of The Walking Dead,this title is a distinguished example of a time when updating a flawed release was much more complicated. Original, fun and indispensable if you like well-written scripts in video games, we are happy to remember Grim Fandango. If you've never played it, take it,this is your chance to enjoy it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Due to the difficulty of puzzles it is hard to recommend the title to just anyone, but if you are a fan of the genre or the original release you should definitely check out the legendary adventure of Manny Calavera.
Even with its lack of that graphical "wow" factor, Grim Fandango Remastered is able to become a classic yet again, this time for a whole new generation of gamers. Whether you're a returning fan, or someone new to the adventure genre, Grim Fandango is a must-play experience.
Even though its old-school puzzle design may be off-putting to many modern gamers, Grim Fandango Remastered still boasts an engaging story and a memorable world to explore.
Like watching a classic old movie, Grim Fandango Remastered feels like a hearkening back to the golden days of gaming, when PC adventure games ruled and games didn't have difficulty settings so easy that it seems like the game is playing itself. This is as much a history lesson as it is entertainment, lest we forget the roots of great gaming. Sure, the backgrounds and cutscenes are untouched, but remember the fit everyone threw when they edited the original Star Wars trilogy too much (Han shot first…)? Grim Fandango Remastered has been put together with care as a passion project from Tim Schafer, and is sure to delight both players new to the game and long time players of Grim Fandango and the LucasArts graphic puzzle adventure genre. Perhaps most important to this release will be the potential effects that bringing this game back into the limelight will have on the future development of adventure titles, and the thought of a merging of great classics and new technology really excites me.
It deserves to be played as one of the most beautiful productions from the past to the present.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
It's clear to see Grim Fandango was a great game in its day with superb characterisation and humour shining through. Getting through its logic-defying puzzles though is like staying in hell for a few days.