Zero Punctuation: Grim Fandango - Does It Hold Up?

[Darth_Payn]

why does this entire site revolve around Yahtzee, again?

Let's see, Movie Bob is gone, Loading Ready Run much reduced, Extra Credits gone, most of the Podcasts gone.

Is there anything else left keeping the ship afloat?

There are still the two from the LRR crew and No Right Answer, and their other series Guy Cry Cinema.
What would it take to bring the Extra Credits guy back here?

OT: I forget what year Grim Fandango originally came out, or what that younger version of me was doing that year to not have me play that game, but he was an idiot. I'm gonna make up for lost time and download this new version ASAP.

EDIT: We still have Gavin here, right? Right?!

 

[RJ Dalton]

Malaysian Airlines. Ouch! Dang Yahtzee you're a rebel aren't you? Can't wait to see who is "triggered" over it.

Probably the survivors.

 

[Saika Renegade]

Oh geez, The Dig. There's a poster child for good art, atmospheric music, fascinating writing, genuine intrigues, and bloody obnoxious puzzles that made you loose sleep and hair.

As for Grim Fandango, well, it's still got a lot more personality than a good number of other adventure games, even if it kind of hurries towards the end like it's got a vertical asymptote.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

Did you watch Interstellar all the way through? Then you finished The Dig. But joking aside, The Dig is pretty good sci- fi with a great athmosphere.

 

[vitamint]

why does this entire site revolve around Yahtzee, again?

Let's see, Movie Bob is gone, Loading Ready Run much reduced, Extra Credits gone, most of the Podcasts gone.

Is there anything else left keeping the ship afloat?

You've got a treat in store, since you clearly haven't read any of Shamus Young's work. Enjoy.

 

[Meneth]

I feel I have to plug Homeworld Remastered [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGY4a1BOtEY], which is coming out on the 25th. Very excited!

 

[T8B95]

So...did anyone else feel that the beginning of the video was a jab at the people behind the Escapist? What with the sinking ship metaphor?

 

[lylemcd]

why does this entire site revolve around Yahtzee, again?

Let's see, Movie Bob is gone, Loading Ready Run much reduced, Extra Credits gone, most of the Podcasts gone.

Is there anything else left keeping the ship afloat?

They've got those awesomely pointless 8 ____ that you should _____ lists to try to get better SEO.

Might as well just do Clickbait at this point.

The Escapist Presents Three Easy Tricks that Will Let you Finish Games 87% Faster.

He Played A Video Game To the End And What Happened Next Will Change the Way You Look at the World.

For all this site is worth now.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I finished The Dig, but not without extensive use of GameFAQs.

 

[Nurb]

The writing, humor, and voice acting still beat anything current these days

 

[rgrekejin]

I confess: I had to google "The Dig".

Wagnerian soundtrack. Writing by Orson Scott Card. 90's LucasArts adventure game.

Damn. Sounds fantastic. And it's even on Steam. How did I not know this was a thing before now?

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Not gonna lie, with his talks of sinking ships in the beginning in relation to the Triple A industry (get the same feeling btw), I almost thought he was gonna take a jab at the Escapist.

But then that'd require him to be clairvoyant due to the whole, time when video is made and published difference.

 

[Carl Morris]

Why does EVERY single person who reviews this game continues with the blatant disinformation about the original game not being playable on modern machines? ResidualVM, people!! Residual-V-freaking-M. It came out with a stable release like 3 whole years ago, and not only does it allow you to play the game on all modern operating systems (windows, ubuntu, linux, debian, etc'), but there's even an android port. That's right, you can play GF on your freaking phone!
I mean, even Schafer himself used it to play the game [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3IidGmVLo4] a little less than a year ago. So anyone who says it's not playable on modern machines is either lying in order to make the remastered version seem more desirable, or just wasn't looking hard enough.

 

[Logience]

For all my love for Grim Fandango, I never finished it. I got all the way to Year 3 (the ship) and left it there, because I couldn't figure out puzzle #1, and the crashes were getting on my neves anyway. Wish I could get it again and try it out with a fresh perspective. It's nice to see it's getting a second chance at life. This and Monkey Island are the best adventure games I ever played.

why does this entire site revolve around Yahtzee, again?

You tell me.

What I meant Was: "Why did Escapist have to fire literally everyone but Yahtzee? One angry cynic does not a Website make."

 

[Dalisclock]

I confess: I had to google "The Dig".

Wagnerian soundtrack. Writing by Orson Scott Card. 90's LucasArts adventure game.

I like the soundtrack well enough for what it is, but I'm still not sure why they use "Wagnerian" as the descriptor. It's Orchestral, it's pretty but there's nothing particular wagner-esque about it. I've actually listened to the Ring Cycle, if that tells you anything.

 

[TKretts3]

What I meant Was: "Why did Escapist have to fire literally everyone but Yahtzee? One angry cynic does not a Website make."

In this case it kind of does. I get the sentiment from a lot of people myself, and I admit I carry it as well, that Yhatzee is the only reason they visit the Escapist for videos. I still read Critical Miss and Experienced Points, but those are take-it-or-leave-it for me. Without Yhatzee I probably wouldn't be on this site anymore.

 

[Fsyco]

Why does EVERY single person who reviews this game continues with the blatant disinformation about the original game not being playable on modern machines? ResidualVM, people!! Residual-V-freaking-M. It came out with a stable release like 3 whole years ago, and not only does it allow you to play the game on all modern operating systems (windows, ubuntu, linux, debian, etc'), but there's even an android port. That's right, you can play GF on your freaking phone!
I mean, even Schafer himself used it to play the game [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3IidGmVLo4] a little less than a year ago. So anyone who says it's not playable on modern machines is either lying in order to make the remastered version seem more desirable, or just wasn't looking hard enough.

Or, y'know, because that fancy software you mentioned requires the original game files, and if you don't have a copy of the original game, you either have to pirate it (and if you're going that route, why not just get the remaster?) or try your luck getting a working CD from Amazon or eBay. Oh, and the cheapest I found a used copy of GF on Amazon was about 30 bucks, which is twice what the remaster costs. Plus, it seems a lot more of a pain in the butt to fiddle around with Residual VM than to just get the remaster.

I'm not sure it counts as 'blatant' misinformation, since it seems like a really obscure, niche sort of software. They've probably just never heard of it, because they had no reason to attempt to replay Grim Fandango. You seem to be very passionate about this, though, considering that you joined today and that this is your only comment.

 

[iller3]

haha, shots also fired at Amiga...

 

[StreamerDarkly]

So what if it's a remaster and Double Fine is firmly a medium sized studio? I smell a 2016 IndieCade grand prize winner here.

 

[Carl Morris]

Or, y'know, because that fancy software you mentioned requires the original game files, and if you don't have a copy of the original game, you either have to pirate it or try your luck getting a working CD from Amazon or eBay. Oh, and the cheapest I found a used copy of GF on Amazon was about 30 bucks, which is twice what the remaster costs. Plus, it seems a lot more of a pain in the butt to fiddle around with Residual VM than to just get the remaster.

I'm not sure it counts as 'blatant' misinformation, since it seems like a really obscure, niche sort of software. They've probably just never heard of it, because they had no reason to attempt to replay Grim Fandango. You seem to be very passionate about this, though, considering that you joined today and that this is your only comment.

Of course it requires the original game files, that was the point; people saying the original doesn't work (meaning they have the original and tried to get it running).
And I don't really see how it can be considered obscure, when googling 'grim fandango on modern computer' or 'grim fandango modern pc', the first page of results brings it up or brings up a website that has a mention of it (including this very own website [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121253-Residual-VM-Stable-Release-Brings-Grim-Fandango-to-Modern-PCs])

And, well, yes, I've decided to register and comment about it here because I figured that Yahtzee, who is known to like adventure games (unlike most other reviewers I've seen who just pay lip service) will atleast be one of the people who would know about this.

And yes, playing the remaster is easier, and i have no issues with it being released, obviously. But still, saying that the original is unplayable is a misconception and disinformation. If the reviewers don't know whether or not it's playable, best not to say anything about it, than to assume it's not.