Grim Fandango

From time to time we hear of ppl talking prophetically abt the future of games. They talk abt virtual environs in which one can feel textures & smell burnt flesh etc. Unfortunately, today, we r far away frm those wet dreams. But ever so often comes a game that gives u a total sense of immersion & is awesomely entertaining to boot. It leaves u wanting for more in the end & in a mournful state, when u realize that there aren't any sequels in the offing. One such game is 'Grim Fandango'.

The game borrows a lot from South American folklore. Especially the part abt journey of the soul after death, in the land of the dead. When a person dies he has to pass thruough the land of the dead to reach heaven (or something like it). The land of the dead is comprised of regions through which the soul must pass through (this includes the infamous Petrified Forest).

The games tagline reads: "An EPIC tale of CRIME & CORRUPTION in the LAND OF THE DEAD". U control a character called Manny Calavera, an agent for the Dept. of Dead (DOD) in the Land of the Dead. Ur job is to dress up as the Grim Reaper & harvest souls. Then u sell them a travel package depending on the sins they've commited. If u r a saint-type u get a golden ticket on the No.9, a fantastic train. Its the easiest & coolest way to heaven. U don't have to go through the torture of walking through many regions of the land of the dead that r akin to hell. Now for the Crime & Corruption part- some devious chap is selling these golden tickets to nefarious types while the deserving souls go through hell! Its upto Manny to get to the bottom of things.

The game uses Lucas Arts's SCUMM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion) system. Which basically is a interface system for
point-and-click adventures. CABAL::SCUMM
U use ur character to go around the land of the dead (rendered in 3D) collecting clues & stuff to solve them. U get to interact w/ a rich variety of characters. All the characters look like paper skeleton dolls (that r known as Calaveras in Mexican). Then there r demons that do menial jobs like sweeping, cleaning, repairing etc. The game has lot of references to that noir classic - Cassablanca. The buildings, streets, objects have this Art Nouveau touch abt them. Everything reminded me of Victor Horta. Victor Horta: Nouveau Monster
The game has also won numerous awards for its art.

The voice acting is impressive as in most Lucas Arts games. the soundtrack is mainly awesome swing & bebop tunes frm the Big Band era. Infact if ur upto it u can download the soundtrack here: Grim Fandango OST: Big Bands, Bebop, and Bones
I recommend the track "Hector Steps Out".
The humour in this game is great. Some of the dialogues r profound. One of my Favs:

Membrillo (a coroner in the Land of the Dead): I'm up to my ass in azaleas.
Manny: Do you ever worry that your job is getting to you, Membrillo?
Membrillo: Well, forensic botany is a trying job, Manny, but have you ever spent much time here with a florist?
Membrillo: In life, they became florists because they loved flowers, but here.......a flower is a symbol of pain, of death within death.
Membrillo: Their conflicted feelings build and build, and eventually they become quite mad.
Manny: Thanks for the tip.
Manny: I guess I'll send balloon bouquets from now on.
{Note: The villains in the Land of the Dead use a gun that shoots bullets that sprout plants on impact. These plants bore their roots into the bones. and that folks spells death for the Calaveras}

For screenshots & more stuff check out Grim Fandango Network