Grim Fandango

[matei]

My wife was playing an old-ish PC game the other day that she picked up for about €2.00 called "Grim Fandango".

The game has some of the coolest Art Deco-inspired sets I've ever seen. The storyline is actually quite interesting and I found myself actually watching her play - it was like watching a film.

The office building where Manny, the main character, works has got a dynamite lobby.
http://www.lucasarts.com/products/grim/lobby3.jpg
http://www.lucasarts.com/products/grim/gf-screen2.jpg
http://www.womengamers.com/images/articles/revprev/adv/ss/grim3.gif

It is great to see Art Deco make an appearance in a new medium (even if the game is rather old).

 

[Deleted member 259]

1. I own and have finished that game. Excellent.

2. For even more impressive Art Deco graphics, check out a game called Syberia.
Screen Shots

 

[matei]

Cool looking game.

My wife was actually looking at that game... Now she'll have an extra reason to get it!

 

[Ken]

I love that game!

 

[farnham54]

One of my absolutley favorite all time games. I found that when I was done, i really didn't want to be--I wanted it to keep on going. I highly reccomend it to anyone, I've played it through several times.

Cheers

Craig

 

[Mycroft]

Never heard of either, what are there storylines etc. ?

 

[Deleted member 259]

Syberia is a strategy game - your basic "pick up anything that isn't nailed down and use it for something else."
The plot is fairly interesting and the graphics are incredible (even though it's an older game)
This synopsis is blatently stolen from the screenshot site I linked above:

Kate Walker, a young lawyer, has been mandated by the Universal Toy's Company to complete the acquisition of a renowned automaton factory
located in a small alpine village named Valadilene.
At her arrival, Kathe follows the funeral of Anna Voralberg, the owner of the automaton factory with whom she was supposed to conclude the transaction. Thanks to Anna's testament, she learns that this one has an heir-at-law, her brother Hans, who has disappeared many years ago.

Therefore, Kate decides to go after him.
She will follow Hans through four different worlds. Helped by Hans' last-built automaton, Oscar, she will travel in an automate-train, which will drive her through some unknown territories…

The player will have to rely on his decisions and its logic to follow Hans' path.
Through Kate's character, he will have to resolve some involving enigmas and puzzles, interact with a wide variety of individuals and discover some objects and clues to follow the Syberia quest.



There are a couple irritating points - such as a random and useless phone calls you recieve (at first you think they might be pertinant, but it's not so.)
But Overall - I recomend it

 

[Mycroft]

Oh, shounds fun. Like that game Titanic.

 

[ginobarracuda]

'Titanic' was a fun game...
Especially when the coal loader in the engine room starts calling you a 'toffer' ('topper'? - can't tell.. thick accent), and keeps insulting you and telling you to get back up on deck..then you insult him back by calling him a 'land lubber' and he lets you pass! LOL

 

[Mycroft]

'Titanic' was a fun game...
Especially when the coal loader in the engine room starts calling you a 'toffer' ('topper'? - can't tell.. thick accent), and keeps insulting you and telling you to get back up on deck..then you insult him back by calling him a 'land lubber' and he lets you pass! LOL

I heard it was a good movie too.

 

[IndianaGuybrush]

... is an amazing game.

First of all, it's LucasArts game, and is really one of my favorite PC games of all time. Here's a quick snopsis borrowed from a fan page :

Manuel Calavera is dead. But in the Land of the Dead, that characteristic doesn't really set you apart from anyone. So what makes Manny stand out? Well, for starters, that robe and scythe. Manny is a reaper for the Department of Death: one part harvester of souls, one part travel agent. His job is to gather newly departed souls from the Land of the Living and sell them the best possible travel package through the Land of the Dead to the Ninth Underworld, Land of Eternal Rest. But lately, Manny's clients barely qualify for walking sticks, let alone the ultra-premium Number Nine train, which cuts the trip down from four years to four minutes. Has Manny lost his touch in the face of hotshot salesmen like Domino Hurley, or is there something more sinister going on here?

Manny sets out to answer these questions by stealing one of Domino's premium clients. Using a DOD car that's been heavily modified by Glottis, a demon mechanic-turned-driver, Manny outraces Dom to reach recently-deceased Mercedes Colomar first. Meche lived the life of a saint, reading to children, volunteering at animal shelters, and generally doing good deeds. So she should be a shoo-in for a Double-N ticket, right? To Manny's dismay, apparently not. He can't find anything for Meche, and he's only found trouble for himself. This convinces Manny that the DOD is up to no good, and he decides to uncover their schemes and help Meche, and maybe others, get the sweet hereafter that they deserve.

Manny's journey, which will take him to the Edge of the World and back, takes place over a four-year period. He will be helped along the way by militant revolutionaries, shady con men, Sea Bees, coral miners, and a number of other characters. Danger may not seem like much of a consideration when you're already dead, but a thug with a sprout gun can bring any soul's journey to a painfully premature end. To Manny, though, it's all worth it if he can discover the truth and bring those he cares about safely to the End of the Line.

This game is noir all the way, and in fact, playing Grim Fandango is what got me interested in reading 'The Big Sleep' and thus starting my interest in Phillip Marlowe novels. There are also scenes, almost entire parts of the game, borrowed from classics like Casablanca. Manny's outfit in the second quarter of the game is taken from Rick Blaine's in Casablanca. He owns a cafe/casino that he lives on toip of and has a rigged roulette wheel. There are characters that are mirror's of Claude Rains' and Peter Lorre's characters as well.

What I love most about this game is Manny himself. He is the perfect hero, because he is an ordinary guy who just won't give up. No matter how many times he gets knocked down he always manages to pull himself up again. he goes from Rags to Riches to rags again ans just plows resolutely on with his quest.

I think Farnham put it best when he said that when the game was over he didn't want it to be. This game plays like a great book. When it's through you feel as if you really know the characters, and that you're sad to see them go.

And most importantly, you don't have to be a huge fan of computer games to enjoy this game. While it can be very difficult at times, especially for those who are relatively uninitiated to adventure gaming, there tons of walkthroughs available. Keep in mind though, that the phenomenal sense of satisfaction that you would normally feel when beating this game all on your own will be severely diminished if you cheat

I encourage everyone reading this who likes both thinking around corners, and the era from 1920 to 1950 to get this game. The best way to play is with a bunch of people. Not only is it a fun group activity, but having many different points of view will increase your chances of quickly solving puzzles.

OK, I've ranted enough, now go out there and get this game.

 

[SpykiE]

Man oh man, I still own this game to this day! One of my favorite adventure games and brilliantly styled and designed all the way from story to scenery to graphics(for the time) and music....Manny Calavera is still one of my favorite characters!

Any of you who are interested, this game was actually made by a guy called Tim Schaffer, he also did the critically acclaimed (and also very awesome adventure game, which came out way before Grim Fandango in 1995) "Full Throttle" in which Mark Hammill (of Star Wars fame) played the evil money hungry bad guy. You played as Ben, the leader of a biker gang called the "Polecats" with their slicked back greasy hair and black leather biker jackets, it was just an awesome awesome game!! In fact here is a synopsis of the plot:

"Featuring a superb story that borrows from the cult films Easy Rider and Mad Max, Full Throttle is arguably LucasArts' finest graphic adventure creation. While the graphics are only slightly better than they were in Sam & Max Hit the Road and Day of the Tentacle (the company's latest additions to this category), Full Throttle does feature 3-D rendered objects on its familiar jagged and blocky screens."

"The engaging, film-quality script unfolds with the confidence and grace of its square-jawed main character, Ben. All the ingredients of a great story are here: murder, deception, greed, lust, unrequited love, honor, and of course, motorcycles. Surprisingly, despite all these elements, the plot doesn't ever seem forced or melodramatic; it just flows. Even in the face of adversity, Ben's gravel-voiced one-liners supply laugh-out-loud comedy that Schwarzenegger and Van Damme would envy. And while the game easily could have depicted biker gangs as a motley group of violent, remorseless criminals, it presents a clan of honorable loners who talk tough but don't hurt anyone without a really good reason."

or just click this link for the review:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/fullthrottle/review.html

Also, I'm not sure how many people here are big into videogames and the like, but if you are interested, Tim Schaffer is finally releasing his very much anticipated "Psychonauts" game for the xbox and pc in the next few weeks. I highly suggest picking it up or taking a gander at it. Very different and intriguing storyline that I've never seen done to date. Hope this was informative

Brad