One of the coolest things to happen to games over the past few years is the ability to upgrade classic games for new and returning audiences. We’ve seen games like Shadow of the Colossus and Final Fantasy X get amazing HD re-releases.
We always get an upgrade in visuals, sometimes we get an upgrade in mechanics, but my favorite is when the score gets a huge overhaul. That is the case with Grim Fandango Remastered by Double Fine, and the results are just as beautiful as you’d expect from this ridiculously talented development team.
Peter McConnell (composer) and I talk about how much work had to be done to save the most vital components in returning to the music of Grim Fandango from 15 years ago. As it obviously turns out, technology has changed a lot since then, and we go into how using some of the old assets to combine with the new required some pretty serious engineering skills. Doing away with the old meant replacing with a full orchestra. The Grim Fandango Remastered orchestral sessions were recorded in Melbourne, Australia to renew the classically brilliant and hilarious qualities of this beloved score.
Hit the play button below to also hear about Double Fine’s Tim Schafer on bongos in a brainstorm meeting, and how it was just too glorious of a story for my Internet to handle.
Grim Fandango Remastered Original Soundtrack can be found on iTunes.
Be sure to check out Peter McConnell’s additional works on iTunes including Broken Age, Psychonauts, and Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft.
