One of the scant few recent action adventure computer games. Released by Lucasarts, based on the adventures of Travel Agent of Death Manny Calaveras in the Land of the Dead, a dimension modeled after the Mexican conception of life after death, a never-ending, but somewhat macabre festival. Utilized a ground-breaking 3d isometric inteface and had an engaging story that spanned 7 years. Incorporates aspects of film noir, Mexican myth and lore, and pure comedic style.

Okay, this graphic adventure game stars Manny Calavera as the orignal bad business man. He has to go on a 4 year journey through the land of the dead, searching for the reason that all his customers' credit has gone bad. The game is a load of fun, with colorful characters like Glottis, Méché, Domino, and the real slim shady... Hector LeMans.

The buildings in this game come from the fields of the Mayan, Aztec, and Art Deco worlds respectively. People, (especially Glottis) drive big, flaming hot rods, and the graphics, although they may technically be a little behind the times, are still better than a lot of what you'll see today, because the game was done in a style. Realism wasn't the raison d'e´tre for this game. Become one of the many believers. Play this game.

The voice talent on Grim Fandango is exceptional, and the mood they set in year 2 with the art deco graphics, and music score - different for each location - is something to savor. I kept the game on one scene in the bar at the Calavera Cafe for about thirty minutes. Maybe I should get out more, but doing some reading while a massive orange...um, thing played some lightly introspective piano jazz and a skeleton nattily dressed in a white dinner jacket smoked a cigarette was very soothing. Just tell me where I can get that kind of experience in the real world.

I also encourage you to get Manny on stage in the beatnik bar Blue Casket, to do a poem. You appreciate actor Tony Plana's hamming it up - even more after Olivia delivers her poem/s (though she's good at being sultry). Eating only spiders and leaves...Don't pet the cat that way!...a single, calcified tear... Also, have Manny try to pick up some kitty litter in the big litter room.

Voices
Jack Angel (as Bruno Martinez, Chepito, Large Hitman, and Seaman Naranja)
Alan Blumenfeld (as Glottis)
Maria Canals (as Mercedes Colomar)
Bill Capizzi (as Maximino)
Barry Dennen (as Chief Bogen, Beat Waiter, and First Thunder Boy)
Patrick Dollaghan (as Domino Hurley)
Barbara Goodson (as Lola)
Morgan Hunter (as Toto Santos)
Terri Ivens (as Lupe)
Milton James (as Membrillo and Skinny Hitman)
David Jeremiah (as Aitor, Alexi, and Second Thunder Boy)
Tom Kane (as Raoul, Second Mayan Mechanic, Gatekeeper, and Cat Track Announcer)
Paula Killen (as Olivia Ofrenda)
Kay Kuter (as Dockmaster Velasco and Croupier)
Katie Leigh (as Bibi and Makeup Woman)
Sal Lopez (as Salvador Limones)
Peter Lurie (as Celso Flores and Slisko)
Joe Nipote (as Clown and Chowchilla Charlie)
Daragh O'Malley (as Nick Virago)
Tony Plana (as Manuel Calavera)
Rachel Reenstra (as Eva)
Raphael Sbarge (as Terry Malloy, First Mayan Mechanic, and Ensign Arnold)
Pamela Segall (as Carla and Pugsy)
Michael Sorich (as Don Copal and Tube-Switcher Repairman)
Keith Szarabajka (as Bowlsley and Unicycle Man)
Jim Ward (as Hector LeMans, Gunnar, and Doug)

Voice credit list from Moby Games

A LucasArts game, famed for the hype surrounding it (mostly generated by adventure game fans, convinced it was going to save the dying genre).

The story and voice talent was second to none and the graphics were, indeed, very nice. The puzzles and interface, however, was enough to make any adventure game player lose his mind and start beating things up with his/her keyboard. Not only did the game suffer from extremely illogical puzzles that often left the player in a trial-and-error situation (something every adventure player will agree is something best avoided, in much the same way as a visiting tourist to a foreign country would like to avoid malaria), the interface was a crudely designed, keyboard-only horrible mistake that should've been buried somewhere deep in the programmer's trash folder.

The game did not, to many adventure gamer's chagrin, revive or even vitalize the adventure game genre. To this day, it is still not a very widely recognized game, save for an extremely devoted cult following.

To add insult to injury, LucasArts recycled the almost offensive interface for Monkey Island IV.

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