Grim Fandango	R1C2
	R2C2

Further set than the acclaimed point and click adventure series of Monkey Island but further back from Star Wars, Lucas Art's Grim Fandango is set around the 1940's where film Noir's were popular. Taking the dark world of gangsters and betrayal and mixing in some Mexican culture may seem an odd marriage, but it works surprisingly well.
Beginning with a cinematic entry we are greeted with a skeleton with a comic look and a lovely accent. After this relatively short and brilliant scene you take control of the character called Manny. It's not hard to see that this is going to be a lovely game. Manuel Calavera has been modelled on Mexican skeleton dolls called calaveras and his unique and polished look blends well into some lovely, high quality pre-rendered backdrops, which Manny moves around wonderfully. You begin without a sense of "Ok, so what do I do" but rather are given a guide from the start to avoid boredom and confusion, however the game certainly doesn't hold your hand.
You will most likely to explore and interact with the numerous objects and characters simply due to the fact that there are so many of them, the entire game has intricate details woven throughout. There are jokes to be found and characters a bursting at the seems with personality. In fact 50% of the experience is being drawn into the world of Grim Fandango. It does an admirable job and has a better feeling of involvement than most Role Playing Games.
One obvious revolution is that Lucas Arts have done away with point and click and now you move using the directional buttons to move Manny around the scene and Manny will turn his head to anything of interest. A handy button will also make him cycle around all the objects doing away with frantic mouse waving trying to highlight an object crucial to the games completion.
Whereas the Monkey Island series gameplay consisted mainly of pure logic, Grim Fandango focuses more on observation and exploration to find out more about your surroundings and what makes what tick providing for extra time spent exploring. In addition to these incentives to explore there is an incentive in itself due to the huge areas each with unique characters to interact with, items to use and many other - all in its pre-rendered goodness.
As I mention there are numerous NPCs to talk with, some are vital to progression; most are mainly to give atmosphere. There are thousands of lines of dialogue to go through and each line is chosen by you from a list of options providing more depth. Each of the responses are said by talented actors whose voices are clear and comprehensible.

Graphics: Unique characters blend well into pre-rendered backdrops. Sound: Varying background music with its roots set mostly in Mexican style and brilliant voice talent. Lifespan: Plenty of exploring to be had though it won't last to long. Little replay value. Storyline: A classic noir style plot with depth. Gameplay: Evolved from point and click gameplay to bring you a more involving experience. Rating: 92%