Grim Fandango Remastered

There aren't that many point-and-click adventure games - it's more of a niche genre. Even fewer games embrace absurdity and play with it, finding humor in all kinds of situations. Grim Fandango Remastered is a very old game, a game that knew no bounds - and came out as a winner because of it.

Plot - 10/10

You are a Grim Reaper.

Or, more precisely, you work as one. It's your job. You died... and had to work again. A boring desk job - go out, collect souls, offer them travel packages to the place of eternal rest... A clerk and a salesman. What could be worse?

And that, basically, is the whole lif-... death of Manny, the game's main character. But in addition, he's unlucky - never can get his hands on a soul with a good travel package. A salesman with a bad record. And you thought it couldn't get any worse. Anyway, one day he decides to remedy the situation and get himself a good client. That starts his - and your - adventures of many years...

Grim Fandango offers interesting characters, unique situations, good jokes, a lot of fun, and a cartload of bewilderment. The plot is more episodic than a consistent narrative that keeps you glued to the screen, but it works perfectly alongside the rest of the game’s features.

Gameplay - 6/10

The gameplay in Grim Fandango is traditional for point-and-click adventure games and doesn't offer anything particularly special - except for one. Single. Thing.
It's broken.

No, really. The logic in the game is incomprehensible. In the beginning, it won't bother you much - just a simple method of brute force will lead you to the right answer sooner or later. But once the game’s largest area begins... oh boy. I admit, after aimlessly wandering for hours I gave up and just used a walkthrough till the end of the game. At the very least, I finished it - which is more than can be said for most players: only 18.7% of those who own the game did, if Steam achievements are any indication.

Visual Design - 7/10

Let's be fair - I can't talk about graphics in a not-completely-overhauled remaster of a 27-year-old game. You be the judge of that. I'll just tell you about Grim Fandango's visual design. It's quirky and eccentric, but not unique and memorable in all of its aspects. Just a nice visual addition to a good story.

Soundtrack - 10/10

The music in Grim Fandango always knows where to be and what to do. It can be grand and flamboyant, overwhelming us with its luster; it can be soft and comical, underlying the absurd and funny situations happening right before our eyes; it can be tragic and heartbreaking if a sorrowful moment happens to pass us by. A soundtrack of the finest quality that I sincerely recommend.

Atmosphere - 9/10

Yes, you’re in the Underworld. Everyone is either a skeleton or a bizarre demon summoned from the Land of the Dead itself. The matters of life and death are skewed - but at the same time, remain strangely like in the world of the living. People can die again, and with dying their body sprouts and gives way to plants - life. The feeling of a noir version of a perpetual Day of the Dead hovers in the air. This is what the game is about.

Verdict - 8/10

This game is a marvelous adventure game - and there aren't many of those. But it’s best suited for players who are prepared to spend hours on end seeking the next step in a convoluted maze of puzzles - or those who don’t mind playing with a guide by their side. For everyone else, it's a hard pass, which is a pity.