If there’s one game I’ve been waiting for to get a proper re-release all of these years, it’s been Grim Fandango (ok, Snatcher is a close second). My memories of Grim are sparse and vague, but I remember loving it–every single aspect. The writing, the world, the pacing–it all came together to form a cohesive and compelling experience that I haven’t quite seen matched yet in adventure games.
Grim was one of the final adventure titles released by LucasArts, and man, what a high-note to go out on. It featured several firsts for adventure games, including 3D models and direct control over their movement, as opposed to the traditional method of point and click. Add to that the fact that it was such an original vision (in my opinion Tim Schafer’s most-realized) that blended humor, noir, Hispanic heritage, and cartoon innocence, and it’s a shame that more people haven’t had the opportunity to play through it.
Ultimately, the upcoming 2015 re-release may end up being the icing on the cake of adventure games’ comeback, and hopefully it won’t signal the curtain call once again for adventure games. I think with all the titles that have been released over the past few years ( Walking Dead, Broken Age , etc), we’re finally seeing the true growth and maturation of adventure games. I’d hate to see it all go up in smoke and lose all of the traction that the genre has built up recently.
If you’re the type of game player that digs adventure games as well as beautiful experiences, I highly recommend that you support Grim Fandango ‘s release in 2015. You’re in for a great experience.