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[slink]

OK, I've just been replaying, and thus have been overcome by the genius again (and thusly have to recommend it to any of you fools who haven't played it) of Grim Fandango.
For those not in the know it's a LucasArts puzzle game, ala Monkey Island or the likes, but it's just so damn classy.
It's set in the Land of the Dead, so naturally a lot of the style is South American (Aztec, Incan, Mayan and Mazatec), but with a hefty dose of 30's-50's film noir thrown in for damn good measure.
For instances: At the start you are in the town where the Day of the Dead parade is taking place, featuring some fine Peruvian music. You then move on to Rubaccava, which is basically Casablanca, with Manny turning into Rick.
The Music (Peter McConnell) is sublime, perfectly done, with lots of atmosphere, and still, a good 5 years on I think, the graphics hold up.
Then of course you have the wonderful voice acting and storyline, and the brilliant, though toned down wonderfully, LucasArts sense of humour involved throughout (see: Sprouting!).
Plus with it being fairly old, it's dirt cheap and runs on anything you throw it at!
It's probably still my favourite game, being half game, half film. And it's just the most perfect balance of things anyones done yet. Much as I like your typical games (Vice City, the FPS'ers, Mafia (for it's film like beauty)) Fandango just still has something them all.
I reckon as well, the sense of humour would appeal to Achewood'ers, slightly surreal yet, well, laconic and sublime at the same time. And maybe it's just because I like the both so much!
But anyway, I ramble on well, if you haven't tried it - you must!
For more info - Grim Fandango Network

[beverly]

Yeah, I played through it a few months ago in a day -- I think it took about 18 hours.  It's a beauty.

Check out that site's forums.  I can't imagine sharing an interest with those morpions.

[slink]

Yeah, I played through it a few months ago in a day -- I think it took about 18 hours.  It's a beauty.

Check out that site's forums.  I can't imagine sharing an interest with those morpions.

Absolutely, the majority of them are obviously spotty 15 year olds with no lives, admittedly so as well! Minus the spots and I remember those good old days...

[CortJstr]

I never played Monkey Island (I know, I'm horrible) so what kind of puzzles are we talking about here? I've heard Myst called a puzzle game and I've heard Leisure Suit Larry called a puzzle game.

I heard a lot of good stuff when the game came out but nobody could ever tell me what the game really was. Even the reviews didn't actually say.

[slink]

I heard a lot of good stuff when the game came out but nobody could ever tell me what the game really was. Even the reviews didn't actually say.

Well, essentially, it's a point and click game with an inventory, although you use keys to walk around in 3d. The puzzles basically involve abstract thought and bizarre items to carry out a task... for example:
To get pigeon eggs you must - go to the balloon animal guy at the parade and ask him for a balloon animal (I tend to get Robert Frost), get a loaf of bread from the other stall, go to domino's office and get the coral from his drawer, use the coral as a grappling hook on the rope, climb up to the roof, put the balloon in the feeding trough, add the bread on top so they peck the balloon and scare themselves away!
And similair. Once you get to Rubacava they all get more sprawling and take far more deduction. It is a style of gameplay that can either scare you off completely, or get you really thinking.
Day of the Tentacle, or Monkey Island had harder puzzles than Grim Fandango, but that makes GF a game that's easier to play through and enjoy the movies and shit.

[CortJstr]

Ahhh. Day of the Tentacle  I know. Well, I know Maniac Mansion anyway, and I assume Day is basically the same. Of course I always needed to cheat with those kinds of games.