10 Gaming Flops Much Better Than Their Reputations

Grim Fandango is another example of the void between the people in the industry and the average punter. When the game was released in 1998, critics lauded its definitive sense of style, snappy dialogue and intriguing story. It won plenty of industry awards for its art direction and was even named GameSpot's Game Of The Year. The person on the street, however, was not looking for this type of experience anymore.

Grim Fandango is a neo-noir point-and-click adventure game. The whole aesthetic, from the 50s attire, be-bop soundtrack and smoke-filled apartments could have been lifted straight from Kiss Me Deadly, but players were moving away from this genre.

The immortal Monkey Island series, which defined the point-and-click genre, debuted eight years before Grim. Players had seen it all before and were looking to explore new frontiers. Games like Spyro, Half-Life, Banjo-Kazooie and Ocarina of Time which all released in the same year, sucked the life out of Grim Fandango.

Once again, Grim Fandango found a cult following and is now seen by most as critics saw it 22 years before.