Grim Fandango Remastered for PC Review

I was really excited to be able to get a chance to do this review.  Grim Fandango Remastered is a fresh look of the original game from 1998 released by LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC.  I remember getting this from CompUSA (now, closed) back when it first came out.  You can look for the original here on Amazon, or here on eBay if you are purist, and want to own both.

Getting in touch with my inner days of gaming has been a refreshing treat while playing this game.  There is something to be noted by games of the past, and that is that they bring back the feelings of why we wanted to play them in the first place, and that was to be entertained.  While there needs to always remain a fine balance between original games, and those that have been re-mastered or remade, one question always has to be answered, and that is “Has it made the game better?”.

So what was Grim Fandango about?  Here is a short little paragraph to explain that better:

Something’s rotten in the land of the dead, and you’re being played for a sucker. Meet Manny Calavera, travel agent at the Department of Death. He sells luxury packages to souls on their four-year journey to eternal rest. But there’s trouble in paradise. Help Manny untangle himself from a conspiracy that threatens his very salvation.

Re-mastered doesn’t always mean better, or does it?  In this case, I think that the developers did a fantastic job of taking a game of my past and making it better.  Were there a few shortcomings still?, maybe a couple, but not enough for me to not enjoy this as a blessing of a release for all lovers of vintage games like me, to love.

The re-mastered version released on January 26h, 2015 and includes updated hi-res images, and an improved re-recorded musical score.  Playing the game this time around included better hi-res graphics, dynamic lighting, and of course the improved sound.  The storyline and the puzzles have remained the same, and while that is good to those who have played the game before, to those that have not played a point and click game like this before, may find the art of solving puzzles a little strange.  Regardless of which group you fall into, this is truly just a gem of a game in its own time, brought forward almost 20 years for the gamers of today to enjoy in a whole new light.

Through the menu system in the game, you can switch back and forth between the original mode, and the new re-mastered mode at anytime.  Doing this truly shows you the amount of work put into this classic, and the drastic changes that it makes to not only the graphics, but the sound.  Something else that came from the re-mastered version is the ability to play the game with a Joystick if you choose to use it.  While most of us growing up were perfectly content with hitting the arrow keys, and pressing either the Spacebar or Enter Keys to perform actions, those who would like to enjoy this game in a different play mode, now has that chance.

Overall, if you are anything like me, and love games of the era of LucasFilms and Sierra Online, then you have to own this game, better yet?  You can additionally own this by downloading it on the Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Mac, and Linux.  I was given a copy of this game for free for the purpose of this review, my opinions are my own, and are true to myself.

I will be playing this game again myself, how about you?  Check here for more info to get it for yourself, and your system.

Have you ever played this? Share your thoughts below, what other classic games like this do you remember?, share with me below.  ~Tom

@DoubleFine

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."