Grim Fandango

Plot synopsis:
=== Setting ===
Grim Fandango takes place in the Land of the Dead (the Eighth Underworld), where recently departed souls aim to make their way to the Land of Eternal Rest (the Ninth Underworld). Good deeds in life are rewarded by access to better travel packages to assist in making the journey of the soul, the best of which is the Number Nine, a train that takes four minutes to reach the gate to the Ninth Underworld. Souls who did not lead a kind life are left to travel through the Land of the Dead on foot, which would take around four years. Such souls often lose faith in the existence of the Ninth Underworld and instead find jobs in the Land of the Dead. The travel agents of the Department of Death act as the Grim Reaper to escort the souls from the mortal world to the Land of the Dead, and then determine which mode of transport the soul has merited. Each year on the Day of the Dead, these souls are allowed to visit their families in the Land of the Living.
The souls in the Land of the Dead appear as skeletal calaca figures. Alongside them are demons that have been summoned to help with the more mundane tasks of day-to-day life, such as vehicle maintenance. The souls themselves can suffer death-within-death by being "sprouted", the result of being shot with "sproutella"-filled darts that cause flowers to grow out through the bones. Many of the characters are Mexican and occasional Spanish words are interspersed into the English dialog, resulting in Spanglish. Many of the characters smoke, following a film noir tradition; the manual asks players to consider that every smoker in the game is dead.
=== Plot ===
The game is divided into four acts, each taking place on November 2 on four consecutive years. Manuel "Manny" Calavera is a travel agent at the Department of Death in the city of El Marrow, forced into his job to work off a debt "to the powers that be". Manny is frustrated with being assigned clients that must take the four-year journey and is threatened to be fired by his boss, Don Copal, if he does not come up with better clients. Manny steals a client, Mercedes "Meche" Colomar, from his co-worker Domino Hurley. The Department computers assign Meche to the four-year journey even though Manny believes she should have a guaranteed spot on the "Number Nine" luxury express train due to her pureness of heart in her life. After setting Meche on her way, Manny investigates further and finds that Domino and Don have been rigging the system to deny many clients Double N tickets, hoarding them for the boss of the criminal underworld, Hector LeMans. LeMans then sells the tickets at an exorbitant price to those that can afford it. Manny recognizes that he cannot stop Hector at present and instead, with the help of his driver and speed demon Glottis, he tries to find Meche on her journey in the nearby Petrified Forest. During the trip Manny encounters Salvador "Sal" Limones, the leader of the small underground organization Lost Souls Alliance (LSA), who is aware of Hector's plans and recruits Manny to help. Manny arrives at the small port city of Rubacava and finds that he has beaten Meche there, and waits for her to show up.
A year passes, and the city of Rubacava has grown. Manny now runs his own nightclub off a converted automat near the edge of the Forest. Manny learns from Olivia Ofrenda that Don has been "sprouted" for letting the scandal be known and that Meche was recently seen with Domino leaving the port. Manny gives chase and a year later tracks them to a coral mining plant on the Edge of the World. Domino has been holding Meche there as a trap to lure Manny. All of Domino's clients who had their tickets stolen are also being held there and used as slave labor, both to make a profit with the coral mining and as a way to keep Hector's scandal quiet. Domino tries to convince Manny to take over his position in the plant seeing as he has no alternative and can spend the rest of eternity with Meche but he refuses. After rescuing Meche, Manny defeats Domino by causing him to fall into a rock crusher. Manny, along with Meche, Glottis and all the souls being held at the plant then escape from the Edge of the World.
The three travel for another year until they reach the terminus for the Number Nine train before the Ninth Underworld. Unfortunately, the Gate Keeper to the Ninth Underworld won't let the souls progress without their tickets, mistakenly believing they have sold them. Meanwhile, Glottis has fallen deathly ill. Manny learns from demons stationed at the terminus that the only way to revive Glottis is to travel at high speeds to restore Glottis' purpose for being summoned. Manny and the others devise a makeshift fuel source to create a "rocket" train cart, quickly taking Manny and Meche back to Rubacava and saving Glottis' life. The three return to El Marrow, now found to be fully in Hector's control and renamed as Nuevo Marrow. Manny regroups with Sal and his expanded LSA and with the help of Olivia, who volunteered to join the gang earlier in Rubacava, and is able to learn about Hector's current activities. Further investigation reveals that Hector not only has been hoarding the Number Nine tickets, but has created counterfeit versions that he has sold to others. Manny tries to confront Hector but is lured into another trap by Olivia, who has also captured Sal, and is taken to Hector's greenhouse to be sprouted. Manny is able to defeat Hector after Sal sacrifices himself to prevent Olivia from interfering. Manny and Meche are able to find the real Double N tickets, including the one that Meche should have received. Manny makes sure the rest of the tickets are given to their rightful owners; in turn, he is granted his own for his good deeds. Together, Manny and Meche board the Number Nine for their happy journey to the Ninth Underworld while Glottis who can't join them waves tearfully goodbye.

Tags: comedy, dark, neo noir, murder, romantic

Review:
They don't make 'em like Grim Fandango anymore.
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.
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..
Grim Fandango is one of the best games in its genre.
One of the last great adventure-games.
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 game represents everything that makes this genre great, I can't recommend it enough.
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..
With a risk of sounding necromantic I must say that I'm in love with Grim Fandango.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 sounds are also very clear en full with detail.When I played the game I wasn't bored for one moment.
If you like adventuregames, great plots en bones and stuff ...
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.
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).
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..
Thanks again to those guys at LucasArts for making a wonderful game.
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.
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.
Most of the time, I found I had all the tools I needed to solve the puzzle on hand, which was very useful.
One of the best games I've ever played....
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..
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.
because only when you play it you understand the greatness of it....
The medium of "adventure game" is always grappling with the central problem: the necessity of making puzzle-solving fun.
Great Game.
Why, because this game has a great plot and the actors doing the voices were great.
My favorite character was Manny because he is cool and he does funny stuff sometimes.
I really wish LucasArts would make a Grim Fandango 2 because I loved this game and I enjoyed playing it.10 out of 10.
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.
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..
***Grim Fandango***Grim Fandango is about a man named Manny who as a normal job as a travel agent and lately he has been getting the worse cases possible,oh yeah did I mention he is a talking skeleton that lives in a after-life place called the land of the dead.
Like I was saying though lately he has been getting very bad cases that don't qualify for anything good it's always walking sticks for the journey for eternal rest.
But the journey that he takes is a long 4 year journey with bumps and hardships.This is a great game with great puzzles.
with great voices and colorful characters.
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..
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.
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.
Quite Possibly the Best Computer Game Ever.
Grim Fandango has a creative story, great voice acting, beautiful locations, incredible music and insanely good puzzles.
The folks at Lucasarts make the best adventure games around and with this wonder they out did theirselves.
Grim Fandango not only boasts great visuals, but it provides unsurpassed vocal talent speaking the best dialogue found any game, period.
Manny becomes wrapped up in a revolution, owns his own casino, and captains a ship, just to name a few of the adventures (only to avoid spoiling the beauty of this game).
The gameplayer navigates Manny through bizarre plot twists, hilarious dialogue, and puzzles intelligently woven into the story.
The game feels more like a great book or movie, where the only disappointment is that it has to end.
Forget all those Star Wars games, Lucas Arts has set the standard in game quality in Grim Fandango.
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.
There are parts of the game that might move a tad faster, but for the most part, the adventure part of it makes sense.
I just wanted to recommend it to anyone who likes film, good graphics, inspiring environments and has a sense of humour...
One of the BEST and most rewarding games out there!.
Grim Fandango is worth every cent and hour you spend on it!
This game is wonderful if you're great at solving puzzles, but it is not for the novice player.
However, time flies as you help Manny, and you will find yourself laughing all along the way.
The references to the culture and death traditions just proves that the creators put their blood, sweat, and tears into making such an incredible, and accurate, game.
Best adventure game ever!.
This is probably the most enjoyable game I've ever played.
Stylistic it's a mix of Art Deco and Azthec, and the whole game has a nice nostalgic Film Noir feel to it.
Grim Fandango is an absolutely breath taking game.
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!.
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.
The adventure game genre has been said to be dead a 1,000 times.
"Grim Fandango" proves them wrong.
It shows everyone else the way adventure games should look and feel like at the end of the 90s.
While his previous work "Day of the Tentacle" is still first choice for wacky humor and hilarious plot twists, "Grim Fandango" is LucasArts' most mature game to date.
That's not to say it isn't funny: It's film noir story about a man's four-year-journey through the "Land of the Dead", inspired by Mexican folklore and Aztec culture, succeeds at merging comedy, thriller, drama and even horror, plus lots of references to old movies (it has "Hitchcock" printed all over it).
Grim Fandango's look and atmosphere will capture you from the very first minute.
It is LucasArts first 3D adventure game, and also the first one to drop the well-known mouse interface for a keyboard control, which works very well once you get used to it.
I highly recommend this game to anyone with a love for great storytelling and visual style.
If I had a rating scale, "Grim Fandango" is a definite 10 out of 10..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The first year feels like a perfect "Brazil"-knockoff, whereas the second year feels like an absolutely amazing film noir, "Casablanca"-style movie.
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.
This was the first real RPG game I ever played and it firmly established it as my favourite genre.Grim Fandango is set in the land of the dead where Manuel "Manny" Calavera works as a travel agent in order to pay of debt left from when he was alive.
It keeps you glued to the screen from beginning to end and portrays the characters in such a way that you really do care about them and want them to survive through the land of the dead.The graphics are absolutely stunning and the Mexican soundtrack is a very neat touch.This game should have been massive and it kills me that very few people have played it and even fewer have heard of it.
Grim Fandango is my all time favourite game and it will take a true masterpiece to topple it.The one bad thing I will say about the game is it is too short.
The script gets you so emotionally involved with the characters that when it is time for you to leave the world of Grim Fandango you won't want to.