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kermitthefroggy
Reviews
Grim Fandango (1998)
A brilliant game: shame that LucasArtsdon't make more of its type.
Grim Fandango is a brilliant, well paced game, with a snazzy soundtrack, witty exchanges and imaginative characters that bring the art-deco world alive.
You play as Manny Calavera, an effective travel agent, who's trying to work off his debt so he can leave El Marrow and travel to the Ninth Underworld. However, on the way, he discovers a trail of deceit, conspiracy and betrayal.
The game takes place over four years, and each year you go to a different place, but ultimately, my favourite is Rubacava. The characters in this city are all full of life, and the events that specifically happen whilst you're playing are full of tension. Check out Olivia's poetry in the Blue Casket- it sucks, but is a good laugh nonetheless.
Background detail and in-jokes are scattered inside en mass, just adding to the richness of the world (based on Mexican mythology), and with the excellent graphics (even in 1998), the designs are so individual you won't find much to top them.
My only regret is that, adventure games not selling awfully well, LucasArts seem to have abandoned games of this type to continue with Star Wars take-offs, and the creator, Tim Schaffer, has now got his own company: Double Fine, I believe. If you liked Grim Fandango, I'd suggest Psychonauts (a PS2 game), which is just as good.
Eragon (2006)
Oh dear. If you've read the book, steer clear. If not...
Oh, boy, am I in mourning. Eragon came out yesterday in England, so I and a few friends went to see it last night. We were not amused.
If you hadn't read the book, I'm afraid I doubt you'd even be able to work out the plot line. No real explanation, no character development, no coherence with the original book plot line... if I hadn't been on a severe sugar high, I would have cried on the way home.
What the hell was Murtagh doing? Turning up all over the place, randomly saving the overly corny, badly acted main character's behind, falling from trees, being overly American (Miiirtagh? WTF?)- no offence guys, and just saying, basically, 'I expect you to trust me, a random stranger, and I'll take you, another random stranger, to the Varden, somewhere 15 minutes ago you didn't really want to go to, and in the book, somewhere there was no chance in hell I wanted to go near either. Screw the author, I'm Fox's property now!' Oh, dear dear dear. Not good.
When you sacrifice plot for visuals, you do have to have good visuals too, surprisingly enough, but they didn't manage on that count either, some of the time; though I'll give them credit for Saphira. Severe warping of the text- i.e. taking a blunt axe to it, hammy dialogue, bad acting (Jeremy Irons tried valiantly, bless him), often bodged CGI and severe plot holes were the failings of this film.
However, my hat off to the good actors who were involved- one only in a vocal part, who would have excelled if other parts of the film had let them.