Shades of Gray: The Characters of GF

[I say, I say]

One of the things that amazed me when playing Grim Fandango was not only the scale of characters and how they fitted into the overall plot of the story; but also with whom they sided (if anyone) and what their personal gain was in the Land of the Dead.

 

For example most obviously, is Olivia Ofrenda; not until the end do we know with whom she stands with. It was a shock for me when she betrayed Manny, but being a complex character with the obvious instinct of betrayal for the greater power (ie Maximino for Hector) would she have betrayed Hector for her ticket on the Number Nine?

 

Other characters that began as innocent or villainous twist as the story goes on; Meche is not entirely innocent and Domino's motives are questionable in the game as well. We know who are the major villains; Hector Lemans is constant throughtout yet his purposes are not entirely known until the very end.

 

I liked playing a game where the characters were not completely black-and-white but what was most haunting was that it wasn't just Manny's story- it was all these characters stories except we saw them through Manny's eyes. We know the fate of characters such as Lola, Chepito and Domino; I like also the unknown of the story- what happened to Eva, to Carla and the others.

 

Which character/s do you think most affected you and made Grim Fandango a 'different' game experience.

[Samnmax221]

Glottis, definetly

[Shuz]

Manny of course, carried the whole expeience for me but apart form him Chepito had an enormous impact on me and I'm not sure why. That moment where he crosses over to the ninth underworld just touched me in so many ways. Maybe it was his steadfast determination or something else, but Chepito definately made GF a 'different' game experoence.

[VampireNaomi]

For me the character who touched me the most was probably Nick. He leans towards the darker side of the "good - evil" scale, but I found him really intriguing. Especially (as everyone who knows me knows) his affair with Olivia. During the entire Year 2 I wondered about what was really going on between them, was the whole affair just sex. If so, why not pick a woman whom he can date without hiding from Maximino, unless it was exactly the danger that attracted him. I've also pondered if it was possible that he actually fell for her, just like Maximino and possibly Hector. An author called flame mage has explored this possibility fantastically in her fanfics.

 

Also, the beginning of Year 4 was really effective for me. When I saw Nick in the train, I went "Yay, he's back!" for a few seconds. Then it turned into horror when I realised what was going to happen to him. No other game has made me go through such different emotions in such a short amount of time.

 

Not only that, but that scene made me wonder exactly what had made Nick buy a Double N Ticket. He never stroke me as the kind of character who'd belive in pipe dreams and go chasing for eternal rest. I fully expected him to remain in Rubacava forever. And that brings up the question, why did he leave?

 

But I've blabbered about him enough. I guess it's just save to say that I'm obsessed with Nick.

[Shuz]

at risk of derailing this thread...I can't remember exactly, did Nick actually break up with Olivia? If that was the case, maybe he did fall for her and after breaking up he felt he had nothing left in the LotD.

[VampireNaomi]

We never find out what happened to them (or if we did, I missed that), but that explanation is my favourite. I like to think that someone who could murder could also love.

 

A little OT, but did Olivia mention that she dumped Maximino, or have I picked up that detail from somewhere else?

[Flibbo]

I've always wanted to know what everyone did to get stuck working off thier moral debt in the land of the dead. But then again, Manny doesn't even know his own reason.

[Samnmax221]

I've allways just figurered Manny burned down an orphanage

[Shuz]

with the orphans inside?

[Samnmax221]

Probebly, or maybe he spit on the sidewalk

[Shuz]

ouch, the mayan gods must be harsh. Maybe he jaywalked as well.

[retroman3000]

and squashed mosquitos!