Grimm Review (PC)

poor
key review info
  • Game: American McGee's Grimm
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: No
  • Reviewed on:
Grimm looks better than it plays

American McGee's Grimm is an episodic video game series drawing inspiration from the famous fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, and attempting to turn them even darker.

American McGee is famous for the macabre tone of his design work, being most notably known for the wicked rendition of Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland.

While the notion of making the illustrious body of work compiled by the Grimms during the 19th century even darker is a ghastly one indeed, one need not fear, for the twisted intentions only refer to the superficial strata of the fairy tales.

The 23 episodes were created by Shanghai-based Spicy Horse and were released during a period ranging from July 2008 through April 2009.

As of January 6 this year, the entire collection has been added to Steam, allowing everyone to play their part in the salvation effort of the fairy tales.

Once upon a time, they all served as valuable cautionary tales filled to the brim with sage advice and dire warnings, but over the centuries, they have gradually been watered down and infested with cuddly woodland creatures and happy endings, losing their true purpose.

American McGee's Grimm attempts to transform the classic tales into darkly twisted versions that are more in tune with their original content and purpose. Each of the 23 episodes is centered around one of the fairy tales, providing a complete and standalone experience.

Among the 23 tales, you'll find many timeless stories, ranging from Snow White and Cinderella to the Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots and even more exotic ones such as Mulan and King Midas.

It all sounds good on paper, but unfortunately, most people who would expect something akin to American McGee's Alice will be disappointed, as the art style is much more simplistic and child-friendly, and so are the themes presented, which although of an extremely violent nature, are merely superficial and don't delve into the twisted human psyche enough to warrant a worthwhile time investment.

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Pink crosses deserve to be defiled
I wouldn't mess with Hulk Hogan either
Grimm's gameplay also retains the same simplistic nature, playing like a dark version of Katamari Damacy, where you mostly run around not doing much, then run around all over again.

Each episode consists of several scenarios that explore a sub-chapter of the story at hand, and each one comes with opportunities for both completionists and speed runners to get more out of their otherwise short span, but all together they would put a serious dent in your spare time.

The problem with the game is that you have to know what you expect from it, otherwise you'll be disappointed. If you like the macabre content and archaic tone of Hans Christian Andersen's works and expect the same themes that transcend age and move you in a way that you didn't expect a children's tale to, well, you better leave those expectations at the door.

American McGee's Grimm is a much more casual experience, so put down that Apocalyptica CD, take off the black eyeliner and fake vampire teeth and relax. Otherwise, you won't be able to enjoy it.

Some of the alterations introduced to the traditional fairy tales have the potential to become redeeming adaptations, while others are simply puerile, but unfortunately, all that is good about them gets lost along the way.

You play the role of a rather impish character that perverts the very ground he steps on, and as such, you have to step on a lot of ground in order to spread your wicked influence. The more your pestilence engulfs, the more potent your ability to turn larger and larger items to the dark side becomes, and you'll find yourself backtracking and smearing your filth on trees and buildings.

From a more mechanical point of view, you convert land and flowers at first, then progress to bushes and decorations, then small animals, trees, fences, houses, enemies, mounted enemies and progressively larger targets.

Converting stuff to the dark side results in a visual transformation that's fitting of a more twisted outlook on fairy tales, generally stuff changing color from blue and pink to dark green and yellow and getting some bloody or gangrenous features, becoming decrepit versions of their former selves.

There are some... enemies, let's say, that remove the stench of your passing when prancing around, but they won't have any noticeable overall effect, as you'll quickly be able to turn them into your minions before they can do any harm. Or good, rather.

It seems that Prince Charming's not all it's cracked up to be. Which is the main problem of the game, apart from the fact that there's not much to do, it's also very easy to do and it becomes tedious. The narrated cutscenes are very childish and do not provide enough motivation to spread your wickedness all across the land.

Unless, of course, you are a child, or the sort of person who goes "puke, gross, cool" and then starts laughing, in which case Grimm might provide some entertainment.


The Good

  • A lot of content
  • Interesting ideas

The Bad

  • Stale gameplay
  • Overly simplistic visuals
  • Childish

Conclusion

In the end, the concept clashes with the actual implementation, as the ideas behind the game would have been much more fitting in a traditional adventure title than in this incarnation of a platformer that's devoid of any gameplay value.

If not for the shoddy and overly simplistic visuals and the completely lackluster gameplay, Grimm could have been an interesting casual experience, but unfortunately, the potential is wasted.

The art direction is interesting, but the digital comic allure is then spoiled by what looks like bad papercraft versions of everything, and the narrative get lost in the midst of all the pointless walking.

The good thing though is that the first of the 23 episodes is offered as a free demo on Steam, so you can sample it and see for yourself whether Grimm is a good fit for you.

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story 7
gameplay 2
concept 8
graphics 5
audio 7
multiplayer 0
final rating 5
Editor's review
poor