Released in 1998 by LucasArts, Grim Fandango follows the adventure of the undead, skeletal travel agent Manuel “Manny” Calavera as he travels the world in an attempt to save his lost client, Ms. Mercedes Colomar from an eternity in limbo and to help her reach the 9th underworld. While a commercial failure which lead to the decline in adventure games, Grim Fandago earns its place at the heart of many gamers as one of the best games of all time, let alone the adventure genre.

Set in an abstract, Aztec-inspired world with a dash of various video game references, Grim Fandago is a wonderfully written piece from the mind of Tim Shafer who’s also brought us Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island, Full Throttle, Psychonauts and other genre-defining classics. Why do I like it so much I’d place it on my list? When was the last time you’ve played a true adventure game? Unless you’ve dabbled in the newer Monkey Island or Sam & Max series, it’s probably been a while. The genre having only recently been brought back from the grave by the previously mentioned, or the lesser known Ceville, Grim Fandango opens the floodgates to wonderfully-rendered retro nostalgia of what I consider to be the golden age of gaming.

Location

The game takes place in the Land of the Dead. A temporary “level” following death where people spend their time trying to reach the ninth underworld, presumably the land of eternal rest. Visitors to the Land of the Dead are greeted by sales agents like Manny to be sold travel packages to ease their passage. If the person has lead a particularly good life, as is the case of our ‘castled princess’ Ms. Colomar, they are eligible to board the elusive Number 9 trains, sweeping its passengers to the the Ninth Underworld in a matter of minutes, rather than having to endure the four-year journey on foot.

As you’d expect, things don’t always go as planned and a web of corruption is found in the Department of Death, where scrupulous bad guys are caught stealing tickets to the number nine train, and selling them to souls who don’t deserve it. Manny sets out to rescue Meche from the grasps of Domino, a fellow salesman gone rogue and rid the land of its evil-doers.

The story, to say the least, is engrossing. You’ll meet plenty of interesting characters along the way, each with their own sub-plot and background. Grim features over 50 characters in over 90 sets.

Graphics and Sound

The beautiful, 3D pre-rendered backgrounds clash against the heavily pixelated characters, and looks amazing while doing it. The overall design of the Land of the Dead drips with inspiration in the film noir genre, with Aztec-like designs mixed in the sometimes colorful, sometimes bleak settings. There is little I can say about the visuals other than they’re amazing. While the 3D polygonal models are showing their age, the backdrops are constantly mesmerizing and beautiful, but the true beauty of Grim lies within it’s sound.

Grim Fandango is one of those games where every sound, every voice, every soundtrack is impossible to forget. Don’t just take my word for it, take a minute and listen to the soundtrack. If you’ve played the game already, chances are you’ll be itching to give it another go in a sudden burst of nostalgia. To this day I still find myself listening to some of the game’s tracks like Manny’s Casino from time to time. It’s that special kind of memorable that makes you cry out for a sequel.

For these reasons and many more, Grim Fandango earns my award as a game you should have played, and holds a special place in my heart.

More information

You can find out more about Grim Fandango on Wikipedia, or on the Department of Death (a fan site). You can pick it up from Amazon if you’re a collector, or look it up on eBay.