It appears "Grim Fandango," the popular adventure game from the late 1990s, is getting a revival.
According to the developers of the game, which announced they are redesigning and programming a new version for PlayStation gaming platforms, the time is ripe for a new release of the game that had captured many gamers' attention more than a decade and a half ago.
Many observers are questioning if Double Fine Productions, the makers of "Grim Fandango," are going the right route by launching a newer version of the game, but the developers believe the unique combination of Mexican folklore and film noir give it a place in the modern gaming world that should be explored.
They put out a new mini-documentary that shows that even though the game was originally developed almost 20 years ago, it was among the first to adopt 3D and this made it one of the most exciting adventure games on the market at the time. Now, if the developers can innovate and modernize the game, it could be another success.
Lead project designer Tim Schafer said he wanted "everything [in the game] to be literal," meaning when a user moves the character around a setting, "he is looking at everything," much like regular daily activity, which is different from most games where items are highlighted and you move the cursor over the item to reveal its contents.
This makes the game, in its modern aspect, more "human-like" and Schafer hopes it will be successful.
The original "Grim Fandango "was perceived to be not very lucrative, but the company has revealed they did make a profit on the original sales and hope the revival will be more successful with its unique gaming interface.
At present, the remake of "Grim Fandango" is only available on PS4 and PS Vita, but Schafer said he is hopeful that other platforms will soon have a version of the game, giving hope to Xbox users that they will get a chance to delve into the "Grim Fandango" world like everyone else.
Schafer, who is an avid PC developer, also hopes a PC version will be made and launched, which some analysts believe is in the works as well. With Sony helping to convince Disney, who owns the rights to "Grim Fandango" after it purchased LucasArts, the Sony platforms were a natural starting point to relaunch the game, said the vendors.
