I picked this up at a Goodwill store for a couple of bucks, and I have just one thing to say... WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY TELL ME THIS GAME WAS SO GOOD?!
OK, I lied. I've got more things to say about this clever adventure game. The first is that it's geniunely funny... some of the dialogue and characters had me wiping tears from my eyes. I especially like the disgruntled clown with the Jack Nicholsen voice, but the main character, Manny Calavares, is great, too, with a snappy comeback for every occasion.
The setting, atmosphere, and storyline are all golden, too... it's very fresh and original. It's a bit like the film Beetlejuice, but with inspiration from some very unlikely sources. The designers at LucasArts heavily seasoned Grim Fandango with some savory south of the border spices, then added a heaping tablespoon of cheesy detective films from the 50's. This results in one of the tastiest adventure games I've ever played, hampered only by a combination of clumsy controls and static backgrounds. This was really frustrating in Resident Evil, but here, it's not so bad thanks to the less demanding gameplay (you talk a lot more than you fight) and a run button that lets you race through areas you've already seen.
After playing Grim Fandango, I have a hard time believing that LucasArts didn't release it for a game console. The trimmed down interface (no typing is required) combined with the simple polygonal characters and gorgeous rendered backgrounds make it seem like the game would have been right at home on the Playstation. Nevertheless, Grim Fandango is so brilliant that you'll love it no matter what you're playing it on.
JR