One of the most acclaimed adventure games of all time is now back, better than ever.
Remastering games isn't a new thing, but it sure is incredibly popular at the moment. With a fair few 2014 releases being sequels, annual releases, or broken sequels and broken annual releases, it was no surprise to see that two of 2014's best selling games were also some of the best games of 2013 thanks to re-releasing on the latest consoles.
It looks like 2015 is going to be no different, with one of Tim Schafer's best adventure games hitting PC, PS4, and PS Vita in the last week.
For those who weren't gaming back in 1998, or for those who were but didn't have a gaming PC, Grim Fandango is possibly only something you've heard of in passing.
Grim Fandango Remastered.
You've probably heard how great of a game it is and you undoubtedly saw the hype created when the remastered edition got announced last E3. The next few paragraphs are for you.
Grim Fandango takes place in the Land of the Dead. Those who have died living a good life are given travel packages to make their journey to the Ninth Underworld more bearable, while those who have debts to pay (for whatever reason) have to take the journey on foot, and can, as the game states, take up to four years. Those who walk end up stopping at different points and take up jobs, having given up the thought of the Ninth Underworld.
One of these jobs the Grim Reaper, tasked with collecting the dead, finding them a decent package, and paying off their debt so they too can get to the Ninth Underworld. Manny Calavera is one such Grim Reaper, and after a short introduction to the game we see that no matter who he brings back from the Land of the Living, none seem to be qualified for a quality travel package.
Grim Fandango Remastered.
Manny eventually meets a client - Mercedes "Meche" Colomar - who surely qualifies for a trip on the Number Nine luxury express train, but somehow still ends up failing to qualify. While looking into why this has occurred Meche sneaks off, leaving just a letter apologising to Manny for being unable to help him pay off his debt. Manny takes it upon himself to uncover the mystery surrounding the travel packages and follows after Meche to right the wrongs.
While Grim Fandango hits all the right notes when it comes to mimicking the moody Noir films that clearly inspired it, the game itself is hilarious in the distinct way that only Tim Schafer games can be. In the end it's still a point-and click-adventure with all of the multi-choice conversations you've come to expect from the genre. Although, like its initial release, Grim Fandango Remastered has no pointing and clicking.
Back in 1998 the game launched with Resident Evil style "tank controls". One key moved Manny forward in the direction he was currently aiming, and two keys would rotate him left or right. There were other key presses for opening his inventory and using items, and that was about it. For the remaster they've added a new control control scheme that is oriented to the camera. While this works for the most part, camera changes can cause a confusing back-and-forth between shots.
Grim Fandango Remastered.
Other changes include a fully orchestrated soundtrack for what was already a fantastic sounding game, as well as an upgrade to the graphics. This was the part that didn't really sit well with me, and here's why. The game's default setting was for the original graphics, which meant that if I wanted to change over I had to interrupt the game, head into the settings, find the option to change, back out, and resume my game. Not a huge issue, but the difference between the two, at first, was so minimal that I wasn't sure if I had missed an option or two.
The game renders naturally at a 4:3 ratio, the same as when it launched, and while there is a 16:9 option it simply stretches the screen out and destroys the look of the game. It seems that since the backgrounds were pre-rendered 17 years ago, maybe they didn't have the original screens to spit out high definition re-renders. So we get these lovely crisp character and prop models, with beautiful new hi-res textures, only for the low-res background and foreground items to push the improvements aside. Sadly, this low-res look extends to all cinematics as well, and definitely hurts the presentation of a fresh new game.
My biggest issue with the graphical improvement is that at one point, the level of anti-aliasing (normally a good thing) caused me to have to change back to the older style graphics just to see the on-screen puzzle I was trying to complete. At first I was unsure if I was doing the puzzle correctly, until I lost the puzzle piece completely. Turning back to the retro graphics had the item pop back on the screen in all its jaggy goodness, and the puzzle could be completed.
Grim Fandango Remastered.
The best thing to be added to Grim Fandango, by far, is the ability to listen to director commentary. As you walk around the world you're able to trigger conversations between Tim and other members of the original development team. There are some great anecdotes to be heard, and every time one pops up it's hard not to place the controller down and listen. The 2+ hours of commentary alone should make this a worthwhile purchase for fans of the original.
Grim Fandango couldn't have re-released at a better time. It originally launched just as the adventure game genre started dying, and having just had its 16th birthday, the genre looks to be on the rise again. It's safe to say that a lot of people missed out on this back when it originally landed on PC, and it could even find itself with a bigger audience today than ever before.
We're only a little over a month into the new year and we've already received our second remastering of an old classic in the form of Grim Fandango Remastered (the first being the re-release of the GameCube remake of the original Resident Evil). Fans of the original are bound to relive the joy of taking Manny through the Land of the Dead, and new gamers, or those that missed out, will get to enjoy what, for some, was the pinnacle of adventure games.
Grim Fandango Remastered.
I should be glad that Grim Fandango hasn't had the same crushing change to its main character that the Monkey Island remasters had, but a part of me wishes a little more had been updated.
It's still a bit rough around the edges, the graphics are only slightly improved, and the animation just as broken as the original. But it's funny, the writing is fantastic, the voice acting simply superb, and it's a joy to play from start to finish.
Grim Fandango Remastered
Platforms: PS4, PC, PSVita
Developer: Double Fine
Rating: PG
Score: 8/10
