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Grim Fandango

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.7 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 78 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: LucasArts

Developer: LucasArts

Genre(s): Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: September 30, 1998

Summary

Something's rotten in the Land of 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. [LucasArts]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Computer Games Magazine

The large cast of characters is unforgettable. Although for the most part they are skeletons in 40s garb, with mask-like faces that can be attributed to Day of the Dead festivities, their personalities render them as distinct and memorable as members of an extremely diverse cast from any fine film.

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100

Just Adventure

Quite possibly one of the top five adventures of all time, and certainly in the Top Ten. The style, atmosphere, wit, creativity and inventiveness are what makes Grim Fandango remarkable.

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100

Yahoo! Games

Everything in the game reeks of excellence. The characters are good, the story is intriguing and the Land of the Dead is a wonderful place.

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100

Four Fat Chicks

This is what other adventure games only aspire to be. It is extremely well-written, well-executed, and above all, fun to play.

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100

Cincinnati Enquirer

If the Academy Awards opened themselves to video games, Grim Fandango would be looking at a sweep. Best acting: Grim Fandango. Best script: Grim Fandango. Best cinematography: Grim Fandango. The game’s creators wouldn't have to leave the podium.

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Game Over Online

With this title Lucasarts has completely revolutionized the adventure game genre much like Sierra did when it invented the clickable mouse interface.

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IGN

Hands down the best adventure game we've ever seen...You'll love Grim Fandango's incredible art, storyline and character development.

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Gamezilla!

I particularly liked the consistent film noir theme (especially a bit of homage paid to "Casablanca" in Year Two).

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GameSpot

In addition to being a very good adventure game, it features great writing and beautiful art direction.

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PC Gamer

A sure bet for the adventure crowd and anyone who appreciates a great story. [Jan 1999, p.186]

Game Revolution

One of the best, most thematic (Swing-Era Bebop and Jazz, Mexican folk, and others), and most memorable soundtracks ever to grace the inside of a cranial cavity where an ear drum used to be.

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Happy Puppy

Looks so good that it took me a minute to figure out that the opening computer-generated cut scene was over and the gameplay had begun. The transition between cut scenes and gameplay is swift and seamless.

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All Game Guide

An extraordinary adventure game. With its great story, beautiful artwork and fabulous voice acting, you'll be missing out by not giving this game a whirl.

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Adventure Gamers

If you have been looking for a great game that combines humour, a great story, appealing graphics, and long game play with a reasonable price, then Grim Fandango is what you seek. Quality has never been so much fun.

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TotalGames.net

GF doesn't really go anywhere new so don't expect too many surprises in that field, where it does excel is in keeping to the tried and tested Lucasarts formula of comedy and logic combined to give you the most senseless fun you can imagine.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.7 (out of 10) based on 78 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Oleg O. gave it a10:
Simply one of the best adventure titles out there.

Tom W. gave it a10:
A game of pure genius and eagles on pogo sticks.

Jonathan R. gave it a10:
This is one of the most immersive and innovative games ever made. I hadn't heard of it until seeing it on the PSN store, and I was blown away by the demo. I knew I had to buy it, and I'm so glad i did :D. I have the PSWii60 and this is the only game I have played since I bought it and everyday I can't wait to come home to play it!

Simon S. gave it a10:
This is everything you could want in a game, it has story, substance and great gameplay. Its amazing to be frank.

Harry B. gave it a9:
I really enjoyed this game, the cool jazz music and noir movie style really landed on my soft-spot. The graphics are of course outdated but the art style offered still maintains it's charms. Some puzzles in it are difficult and sometimes illogical, making the game difficult to finish without a guide, unless I just wasn't paying attention. But in the end I decided it was good.

Robson B. gave it a10:
This is the best game in the world!, really amazing, and i will keep waiting for a second version of this game!!!

Timmah gave it a10:
What I remember best about this super-slick adventure game was the sardonic humor that came out of left field and slapped you silly with it's wonderful tming and ability to match the punch line with the absurd visuals. Either the way the gag filled the in between moments, keeping the pace fresh by funny, such as when you had to scare pigeons off a roof with a balloon animal and one of the things you twisted the balloons into was Robert Frost, the poet. Manny's dead-pan frustration matched ours as we struggled with what to do with that mess, "Run Pigeons! It's robert frost!" In a tone we knew would never work. Or when we enter the dead land for the first time and meet our busy secretary who has "A lot of filing to do" which is more of a joke, since she's a skeleton and after she makes the joke, realizes she has no nails and quietly puts the file away before we have a chance to call her on it, brilliant. There has not been a game like this since, can lightning strike twice?

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Grim Fandango

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

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