In the last several years, however, adventure gaming has taken a back seat to the fast-action shoot-em-up games that exploit the fast processors and enhanced graphics capabilities of new computer systems. In fact, these days many writers in the industry love to spout out pages about the "death of adventure gaming".
Fortunately, games like LucasArts' "Grim Fandango" come along every so often and prove everyone wrong (at least for awhile). "Grim Fandango", designed by Tim Shafer (who also created LucasArts' classic adventures "Full Throttle" and "Day of the Tentacle") is one of those titles, which pushed adventure gaming into a new direction when it was released in 1998, and can now be found in a gaming discount bin near you for around $10.
Like all of Shafer's games, Grim Fandango has an amazingly innovative plot. The game takes place in the "Land of the Dead", a strange world where skeleton-like people live temporarily before setting out on the journey to a higher place (the game is gleefully vague about what exactly awaits there). As Manny, you play an employee at the Department of Death, an underworld travel agency of sorts who prepares souls for the trip. As the game progresses, you follow Manny through four years, hoping to find the woman he loves. At the same time, Manny manages to unravel a sinister plot (what other kinds of plots are there, anyway?) to steal valuable tickets to the Number 9 train, the mode of transportation that makes the journey to the next world in a mere four days.
Obviously, it's hard to summarize a game like Grim Fandango in a paragraph. However, rest assured the world that the game creates is incredibly detailed and skillfully drawn-out -- you can see why some want to stay there, and others will do whatever it takes to leave. Music, sound, and graphics are used effectively to maintain the feel of the Grim Fandango universe: a cross between real-world Jazz-era New York (the game features a very catchy Jazz soundtrack), the surrealism of the popular game Myst, and the art deco architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The voice acting in the game, which uses the talents of some very charasmatic Mexican/Latino actors and actresses, is likewise well done, especially the gentleman who provides Manny's distinctive drawl.
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