Sophisticated, intelligent, witty. Not words you usually hear in relation to computer games, but Grim Fandango has them all covered. I’m listening to the soundtrack as I write, and it’s conjuring up images of the world Grim Fandango so effortlessly evokes.
Because I’d hilariously skipped playing some of the better console games, the Wing Commander series was as close as I’d got to an immersive, cinematic gaming experience. I’d played adventure games before, but they were mostly all about click here, talk to this guy, run over there. They had story, they had a setting, but not enough character. Then Grim Fandango came along and showed us how it was done. The game effortlessly captures the film noir atmosphere it’s aiming for, oozing it out of its every pore - from the music, to the characters, to the cutscenes.
In a way, it’s a shame Grim Fandango was such a pioneer. Restricted by the technology of the time, the game is in a style that’s come to be known as “2.5D” - 3D graphics overlaid on pre-generated 2D backdrops. While the end result is still rather nice, and simply lovely in places - see anywhere with a sea view in Rubacava - you can’t help but feel that a true 3D environment would have boosted its cinematic qualities still further.
I completed Grim Fandango in a week. What a pain in the arse. That’s the curse of the great adventure game: before you know it, it’s over, and there’s no way to forget the game so you can play it afresh. Bah.
