Grim Fandango (1998 Video Game) User Reviews (34)

They don't make 'em like Grim Fandango anymore

[pompadourslim · 10/10 · 18 January 2006]

Put simply, this is one of those games you have to play before you die.

Lucasfilm Games/LucasArts is one of those studios that has a well-deserved and rabid cult following even years after it has ceased to support its classic titles, and Grim Fandango is perhaps their greatest achievement. It's Monkey Island with heart, Full Throttle with depth.

Although Grim Fandango has its share of one-off gags and one-liners, its humor is more situational and cumulative than typical humor titles, which gives the entire storyline a kind of cohesiveness that is supposed to happen only in the movies. Seeing characters at the end of the game and finding out what they've gotten up to in the two years since you last ran into them is unexpected and satisfying. Each Act takes place in a new location, but maintains threads of connection with previous Acts that entirely avoids the Where Am I Now, What Am I Supposed To Be Doing And Why Do I Care? syndrome that so often afflicts adventure games, particularly more recent ones.

Although graphics junkies will find that the 3D modeling leaves something to be desired, the artistry that went into the creation of each character (and there are many, many characters) will thrill adventure fans. The voice acting is superb, and the puzzles are, for the most part, refreshingly intuitive and sensible.

The Latin American film noir setting is entirely original, a selling point which cannot be understated. It's absolutely nothing you've ever seen before and nothing you're likely to see again, and for most PC gamers it's a cross-cultural experience that is unique in the realm of PC gaming. You'll learn, you'll feel, you'll laugh, you'll hope, you'll cheer.

Without a doubt one of the best PC games ever released.

A great representation of the film noir genre.

[barryshaft · 10/10 · 3 August 2000]

Grim Fandango is one of the best games in its genre. Its almost a movie in its rich storyline and character development. You know who the heroes are and you certainly know who the villains are but somehow you are left guessing until the very end because you are in a different world then our own and nothing is quite the same. I'd say that this would make a great movie, as long as its not bogged down with trying to be aimed at kids because its not.

Corruption in the land of the dead?

[gaylord_fokker · 10/10 · 27 June 2001]

Another fine game of Lucas Arts. They keep amazing me with the game they develop. If you're familiar with the lucas arts type off games then you'll know what I mean. If you're don't familiar with the lucas arts games, try one.

This time it's about corruption in the land of the dead. You're the character Manny. He is a salesman trying to sell good trips to the dead people so they can travel to the next life or something. He finds out that the good people all have to walk to the dangerous land of the dead he knows that there must be a plot. First Manny is a salesman then his adventure goes further in the woods with his henchmen Glottis (he is very funny guy, if you like happily ever after (the bunny) then you'll like this fellow to). Then he's is a club owner with Glottis in the city and much more. As you can read there is a great variety in the game that causes no boring moments.

The game is directed just like a movie. The humour is very very professional en great. You'll only need about 2mb video ram but the graphics are all they need to be. The sounds are also very clear en full with detail.

When I played the game I wasn't bored for one moment. The cutscene, ingame infrastructure en the conversations are one of the best I ever experienced.

If you like adventuregames, great plots en bones and stuff ... try this game.

On of the finest adventuregame I ever played.

One of the last great adventure-games

[prometheus-dk · 20 August 2002]

Ah, the golden days of yore, when you could find adventure games of this quality often. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. The golden age is over, but every once in a while a game appears out of the dusk that blast through to the mainstream. This game blew my mind (and that of many others), it was voted game of the year by many sites (totally unheard of for an adventure game). The graphics are very impressive, I am not usually a fan of 3D-graphics, but the jagged, iconographic style suits the theme (which is a curious mix of film noir and a south American folklore). Of course, the greatest thing about this game is the story; it is an epic tale of a man's redemption after his death, delightfully free of usual American sentimentality and with numerous references to film noir. The narrative style is highly cinematic and the excellent voice action, along with great music, helps convey the atmosphere beautifully. This is as close to an interactive movie as you can get. That, however, does not mean that the game is too easy, you will easily spend hours on this game. This game represents everything that makes this genre great, I can't recommend it enough. By the way, if you want more of the same, I can also recommend The Longest Journey from Norwegian developer Funcom.

HOT

[Keara · 8/10 · 23 November 2001]

This game is smokin! I loved the witty dialogue and jazzy music. The scenery makes the sometimes impossible puzzles worth solving to see. I have to admit I cheated and went to online walkthroughs for help, but this game was really fun for the most part. It's a little odd that I found Manny almost attractive. I mean, the guy is a cartoon, he has no skin, but he's such a snappy dresser! And he's really cool and funny. Thanks again to those guys at LucasArts for making a wonderful game. I also loved Jedi Knight, and of course I'm a major Star Wars fan.

One of my favorite Adventure Games

[emasterslake · 9/10 · 24 April 2006]

Grim Fandango was one of the top games of 1998. It's made by LucasArts the people behind the Star Wars and Lucasfilms related games.

This game is taken place in the land of the dead. The place where people go to when they die. Only it's different from what you would expect the "Afterlife" to be.

In this universe you are first met by a Grim Reeper who'll be introducing you to your new living style in the land of the Dead. Grim Reepers are more like Travel agents who'll give you a good profit.

If you lived a good life you'll receive the good profits like a car, be on a boat cruise line and if you lived a great life you'll get a ticket for the 009 Express which leads to the 9th Underworld where you can live peacefully for eternity. And if you lived a bad life you don't get either of these opportunities.

Mandy Calavara is a Grim Reeper working for the D.O.D.(Department of Dead). He's been a great salesman and getting great clients right until he's been getting lousy clients who aren't worthy of getting a 009 ticket. Mandy's been on the bottom list of achievements for awhile. And he's wondering why other Salesmen get good clients while he doesn't.

Through out the game you control Mandy who'll be solving the mystery and finding out the secret of who's really behind the scheme of taking all the 009 tickets.

You get to collect items and figure out puzzles and solutions. And interact with several mysterious and random characters.

The have nice 3-D background and great voice acting. CGI is a little old but it's still well done.

I recommend this game to those who like to play a game that does rule.

One of the greatest games of all time.

[ogreogre · 10/10 · 23 April 2000]

Grim Fandango is one of the best games of all time. If ever a game simply YEARNED to translated into a big screen CG movie, it's this one. Having possibly one of the most intriguing, dramatic, romantic, humourous, action-filled storylines of all time, the translation to the big screen would be seamless. With amazing graphics, great puzzles, outstanding voice-acting, brilliant dialogue and storyline, Grim Fandango is a testament to what the human mind can produce. If you have not played this game yet, I highly recommend you go out to purchase it today, or order it from Lucasart's website. Your first time playing Grim Fandango is a pleasure you'll never forget. And when you reach the end, you'll be so saddened to see it all come to an end, knowing that you'll never experience something like this again. I was almost at tears at the end, when Manny and Glottis said their goodbyes. Highly recommended and highly enjoyed. Tim Burton! I want YOU to create the movie version!

best.. game... ever.. created.

[maromam · 10/10 · 24 July 2006]

there is so much to say about this game... that i just don't know where to start. you know, every once in a while a great game is being created... the game is so unique and that it just steals your heart and makes playing it an unforgettable experience.. but no game has ever..ever combined so much genius and at the same time, soul and creativity... and in this game, "grim fandango", you have so much of them both that just looking at the environment of the game melts you... now i have played a lot of games from all kinds, and there were some games that made me feel this way, games like monkey island, neverhood, oddworld and many more games that are all very good. but never, ever, a game so good with such a great plot and art directions has been created, and to create a game like this takes a gigantic Passion for games, intelligence and a really large heart. this fantastic Mexican film noir style game can be played over and over as a game, as a movie, or even just to remember the great characters on it such as many calavera, the hero or glottis his friend, that are so hard to say goodbye when the game ends... there is no reason in the world why this game should not be voted 10, and it can be described in 3 words: best - game - ever. but on the other hand, it cant be described in words... because only when you play it you understand the greatness of it...

Magic

[Jonah14 · 10/10 · 25 November 1999]

It's funny how the same themes worm their way from Full Throttle (1995) (VG) to Grim Fandango. Aside from Schafer's obsession with hot rods and decals, the doomed love story makes its way into Fandango.

Yes, Manny and Meche are united at the end, but there is a great deal of unsurety about whether they'll meet again "on the other side". Manny's final words that there's no way to know what's at the end of the line, and to enjoy the ride there, are classic, but in a different way than one might think.

The most heartwarming/breaking scene was Manny and Glottis' farewell. "You're the best friend a guy ever had," Glottis sniffs. Manny's response, of course, is a muffled cry for help as Glottis is crushing him. Even with that joke thrown in, you still feel bad.

A Fantastic Tale With Fantastic Puzzles

[theawesomespamsponge · 10/10 · 10 April 2007]

This game is simply awe-inspiring. It uses its consistently excellent plot to hold you, while it presents fiendishly difficult puzzles for you to solve. The game felt immensely satisfying both intellectually and aesthetically.

The story follows Manny Calavera in his four year journey of the soul through the land of the dead, as he searches for a woman he believes that he cheated. There are classic themes of corruption, redemption, love, betrayal, karma, and others. The story has a profound sadness to it, lamenting for time, love, and opportunities stolen by injustice and greed. At the same time, the game never loses its sense of hope, and never loses its razor-sharp wit. In short, this plot is as good as many of the movies out there.

As for the puzzles, they are extremely challenging. If you have played Lucas Arts adventure games before, you would know the formula. Basically, it consists of this:

1) You cannot possibly lose the game

2) There is no general time limit, or indeed, general progression of time at all

3) You are given a general, limited area in which to find items and to solve puzzles necessary to advance the game

This particular game seems to require you to find comparatively few items (compared to the other Lucas Arts games I've played), and relies more on the clever use of your surroundings in order to solve a puzzle. Most of the time, I found I had all the tools I needed to solve the puzzle on hand, which was very useful. The puzzles are still difficult enough to keep you entertained for hours.

The only flaw I found was the control system, which was clunky and irritating at first, but the environments become easier to navigate and I stopped noticing. Despite the obvious flaw, I found it hard to justify deducting a star from the overall rating. The game was really that good.

One of the best games I've ever played...

[Ringthane · 9/10 · 16 February 2002]

This is an absolute gem of a game. A bit of film noir, a bit of Mexican folklore combined. The combo makes this game as much fun as I've ever had on a computer. The characters are rich and interesting, and the dialogue is totally snappy. Dig on the Poetry in the Blue Casket for the best taste of this.

It's anything but Grim!

[Aia · 10/10 · 29 October 2001]

Grim Fandango is an absolutely breath taking game. It was made in 1997, but you could so easily be fooled in to thinking it had only just been released! The story line is fantastic, as is the game play and characters. It's a breath of fresh air to play a game like this, I'd definately recommend it to anyone!

The best title of its Genre!

[S · 4 January 1999]

Grim Fandango is most definitely the best title of its Genre EVER! You play the part of Manny Calavera a travel agent of death selling nothing but poor travel packages for the long journey to the 9th underground to his recently passed away clients, but Manny senses crime and corruption in the department of death when he find that his associate Domino gets all the good clients and Manny is stuck with all the poor clients. In my honest opinion Grim Fandango is the best title of its genre. Of course there are downsides like the long loading times between scenes and controlling Manny can be difficult at times but it doesn't get in the way of it's great storyline.

An incredible premise, a more incredible game...

[hnewburn · 10/10 · 12 August 1999]

Following Manny through the Mexican Land of the Dead was one of the most intriguing and rewarding experiences I've ever had in a game or most movies. When the game was finally done, I felt like I had lost some old friends. The scenery is vast and magical and never boring. There are parts of the game that might move a tad faster, but for the most part, the adventure part of it makes sense. The interface isn't clunky and the writing and voices supercede any small flaws the game might have. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This game would make the perfect neo-noir movie.

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 10/10 · 4 March 2021]

Grim Fandango is a graphic-adventure game: it's no platformer or action-adventure game, but it's one driven by story, character and exploration of the game's graphical world and assets. Basically, gameplay elements are treated like beats in a film's screenplay: and sometimes it takes a bit of wrapping your head what exactly you're supposed to do some of the time.

The way to play graphic-adventure games is like this: treat them like interactive movies, where the puzzles involve the player thinking about all of the 'Chekhov's Gun' elements at their disposal. It takes some getti used to for Grim Fandango, but once you're into the gameplay you can be immersed in this game's legendary storytelling. You're Manny Calavera: a travel agent in the Land of the Dead uncovering a conspiracy where you're right in the criminals' crosshairs.

This game is fantastic stuff, and be it PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch or Mac OSX, Grim Fandango is an adventure for the ages, and a wonder from the 1990s that more than deserved to be brought back into the modern gaming limelight.

A brilliant game: shame that LucasArtsdon't make more of its type.

[kermitthefroggy · 9/10 · 24 December 2006]

Grim Fandango is a brilliant, well paced game, with a snazzy soundtrack, witty exchanges and imaginative characters that bring the art-deco world alive.

You play as Manny Calavera, an effective travel agent, who's trying to work off his debt so he can leave El Marrow and travel to the Ninth Underworld. However, on the way, he discovers a trail of deceit, conspiracy and betrayal.

The game takes place over four years, and each year you go to a different place, but ultimately, my favourite is Rubacava. The characters in this city are all full of life, and the events that specifically happen whilst you're playing are full of tension. Check out Olivia's poetry in the Blue Casket- it sucks, but is a good laugh nonetheless.

Background detail and in-jokes are scattered inside en mass, just adding to the richness of the world (based on Mexican mythology), and with the excellent graphics (even in 1998), the designs are so individual you won't find much to top them.

My only regret is that, adventure games not selling awfully well, LucasArts seem to have abandoned games of this type to continue with Star Wars take-offs, and the creator, Tim Schaffer, has now got his own company: Double Fine, I believe. If you liked Grim Fandango, I'd suggest Psychonauts (a PS2 game), which is just as good.

Casablanca, eat your heart out

[linkola · 10/10 · 22 August 2001]

A computer game that merges the best of film noir, art deco, art nouveau, Mexican folk traditions, Mayan and Aztec architecture, jazz, bebop, mariachi, beatnik poetry, fashion from 1920's, cars from 1950's and heaven knows what else. Crime and corruption, big guns and a femme fatale, booze and tuxedos, night clubs and conspiracies, skeletons and gambling, left-wing worker bees and over-sized mechanic demons, and at the end of the line the place of eternal rest. Interested yet? Go buy it.

Ah, Humor! so often absent from adventures

[sadinoff · 9/10 · 30 October 2000]

The excellent voice acting and bizarre setting made for an entertaining ride. The medium of "adventure game" is always grappling with the central problem: the necessity of making puzzle-solving fun. Luckily the payoff for each puzzle was a real plot bringing us to a fascinating and funny world we've never visited before.

The big bang with which the adventure genre went out

[pontus_aj · 10/10 · 9 July 2006]

Grim Fandango is a stunningly exciting saga that stretches four years and takes us on a trip across the Land of The Dead.

Released in 1998, you assume the role of Manuel Calavera, travel agent at the Department of Death. Manny is a lost soul with time to pay off to "the powers at be". But he suspects something is wrong within the Department of Death, too many bad cases get thrown his way and the good ones go to his rival and arch-enemy, Domino Hurley. Manny decides not to stand for it anymore, and goes off to do something about it. This leads to an epic adventure spanning four years and a virtual army of backup characters and odd locations, he gets a loyal sidekick, a driving demon named Glottis who helps you chase after Manny's love interest, Mercedes Colomar, while maintaining his secret position in the revolutionary group "The Lost Soul's Alliance", lead by the mysterious Salvador Lemonez.

Let's get it out there right away: Grim Fandango is possibly the greatest game of all times. Had it arrived at another time it would no doubt have rocked the world, but as it turned out it came out in 1998, just as the Adventure game genre was pulled the plug and drew its final wheezing breaths before giving in to FPSs like Half-life and Deus Ex. And despite not being a commercial success, it frequently hits the top three places in "100 greatest games of all times"-lists, usually competing for first place with Half-life. And rightly so. The story is as brilliant as anything you can get. It's Mexican folk-lore meets "Brazil" meets "Casablanca" meets "Nightmare Before Christmas". Film Noir in a mythical underworld with intrigues, love stories, crime drama and action. The plot is bizarre, weird, funny and completely insane, and yet it makes absolute perfect sense all the time. You always feel like you are doing what you are doing for a completely logical reason, even when you are trying to get a big flying bee out of jail for spreading communism by sucking up to a dead lawyer who just killed a dead woman for taking a picture of the dead lawyer and another dead woman. Trust me, it makes total sense. The story grips you and makes you smile and cry (it's almost true, my lower lip was trembling ever so slightly by the end). Grim Fandango is simply a perfect mix of everything in it, and there is nothing that should have been done differently.

The acting is, as far as computer games go, the greatest I've ever seen. Tony Plana plays Manny Calavera with gusto, and the entire other ensemble does an amazing job. I dare say there is not a single bad performance in the entire game.

The atmosphere throughout is incredible. The first year feels like a perfect "Brazil"-knockoff, whereas the second year feels like an absolutely amazing film noir, "Casablanca"-style movie. And out of all fictional places in movies, TV, games and books ever made; if I had to live in one of them, I would choose the city of Rubacava by the edge of the Petrified forest by the Sea of Lament. It is the coolest place ever created, and the game is worth playing just to see that place alone. The music is fantastic, and though short it always suits the mood of the scene.

I daresay that Grim Fandango is a game for everyone, regardless of your tastes in games, or even if you don't play computer games at all. It is a lot like Dr Strangelove in the sense that even if you don't like black-and white movies, comedy movies or political satire you should still see it, and even if you don't like computer games you should play Grim Fandango, as it is an experience in itself, and represents what the medium can be in its best form. Recommended for all who wish to enjoy the story of a lifetime. So get in your Bonewagon, check your sproutella gun, get yourself a driving demon and head off into the Ninth Underworld, and get going. Happy gaming!

Quite Possibly the Best Computer Game Ever

[Guido 182 · 10/10 · 18 March 2000]

Grim Fandango has a creative story, great voice acting, beautiful locations, incredible music and insanely good puzzles. If you own a computer, you must buy this game. The folks at Lucasarts make the best adventure games around and with this wonder they out did theirselves. The box even includes the great soundtrack for free! While others are out playing violent first person shooters or horridly bad deer hunting games, do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Rich, well textured, and fun to play!

[sam-crewdson · 10/10 · 5 July 2002]

For gamers who love the linear, story-based video game, Grim Fandango is a visual feast. Rich with cultural back-story and excellent graphics, the game is a delight to play.

I would recommend this game for others who have enjoyed linear, story based games such as: Gabriel Knight and Phantasmagoria.

Death and his embrace.

[Finntroll · 26 July 2004]

Introducing Manny Calavera to you all, salesman and dead. With a risk of sounding necromantic I must say that I'm in love with Grim Fandango. This is highly enjoyable for everyone but I think we moviebuffs get even more out of it. This game is shockful of references to movies, from the "Glengarry Glen Ross" style opening were Manny doesn't get access to the best clients to the Casablancaesque police officer and the film noir feeling of it all. This is just a game you need to own. The cut scenes are beautiful, the voiceovers are the best of this world, the puzzles are also ace, it's all so good that it's really hard to describe. The only bad thing was the ending, not because it was a bad ending but because this game ends and because it doesn't open up for a sequel. Go buy this now instead of reading this review.

10/10

Masterpiece of adventure gaming

[cherylkyrandia · 9/10 · 1 April 2023]

This point-and-click adventure game tells of Manuel Calavera, a travel agent in The Land of the Dead who has stumbled across a ring of corruption. It's a great game which balances humour and suspenseful drama so skilfully. It's propagated by a well-written script and you'll honestly feel like you're watching an unanimated film rather than an animated PC game. I have some very fond memories playing this game and am still in disbelief the game dates back all the way to 1998. We've come a long way in gaming from a visuals and gameplay perspective, but few games do justice to writing great classics like this one.

A Game with capital G

[Joachim-6 · 9/10 · 14 May 1999]

A bit strange however to stumble over the title here at IMDb, but it sure was a cinematic game! I just wanted to recommend it to anyone who likes film, good graphics, inspiring environments and has a sense of humour... really loved Glottis... :)

Good work Lucas Arts! over and out

Masterpiece

[gillmurphydogg · 10/10 · 10 February 2023]

For an adventure video game, this has to be one of the best I've seen in history. There's so much character here. The context itself was so unique - being set in the land of the dead. There's a real noir vibe about the game yet so much brightness within the darkness. It's a really funny game to play with some pretty awesome voice actors providing great comedic timing.

The game score is very good too- of course I downloaded the music decades ago but still listen to them to this very day. These days I'm sure you can still get your hands on this game and play it or watch the gameplay online somewhere.