As 2008 winds inevitably toward the new year, so too has another season of American McGee's Grimm, the second of three, come to an end. This season has seen smatterings of innovation amidst a large dose of the same gameplay found in the first season. No too surprising, given the episodic nature of Grimm, but that doesn't make the repetitiveness any less disappointing.
In fairness, when Grimm Season Two was good, it was great. Episodes such as The Master Thief, The Pied Piper and Iron John are some of the most enjoyable casual gaming romps I've experienced -- quite a feat, considering the plethora of free flash-based games available within the Internet's many tubes. The conclusion of Season Two, A Christmas Carol, isn't one of the series' best offerings, but its excellent art direction, as well as its depressingly truthful analysis of the true meaning of Christmas circa 2008, does make it quite entertaining.
A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a crotchety old coot who spends his holidays counting money and sputtering "Bah humbug!" at anyone who dares attempt to spread holiday cheer. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three spirits who attempt to show him the error of his past and present ways, and the dark future that awaits him should he continue to avoid a drastic shift in attitude.
It comes as no surprise that the majority of Grimm's dalliance in A Christmas Carol takes place during Scrooge's tour of his life's numerous cranky moments. The gameplay is nothing more than connecting all the dots in an effort to see a definitively more "Bah humbug" rendition of the tale; but its art direction does give it a pretty shine -- odd for a Grimm game -- and also makes it worth experiencing at least once.
Most stages begin during quiet winter nights. Snow flakes dribble quietly from the sky and frolic with children as they spiral toward the ground. Said children are usually gathered around gigantic Christmas trees covered with lavish decorations and strings of lights that emit a warm holiday glow, as do lanterns shining like lighthouse beacons from cottage windows.
Rather than douse the good cheer with pestilence and death, Grimm spreads different forms of corruption that vary between the episode's six stages. During the first stage, Jingle Bells plays in the background as Grimm moves inexorably toward his goal, covering everything with a thick sheet of ice that freezes love and goodwill in their tracks. The tune changes to a darker Christmas carol as Grimm darkens more and more of the environment. Grinning snowmen blacken and grimace as they reach down, pluck their youthful builders from the ground, and throttle them with their twig arms.
Other stages demonstrate Grimm proclaiming the true spirit of Christmas: consumerism and commercialism. Children gathered around Santa Claus made greedy and grumpy by Grimm's presence proceed to kick the jolly fat man in the groin in some scenarios, while St. Nick strikes back at the screeching kiddies by punting them over rooftops in others.
This take on corruption is more grisly and gross than any of the nastiness that players have spread over Grimm's previous 15 episodes due to its bleak truth. For every house visited by cheery carolers, at least a dozen door greeters and shoppers at Walmart are trampled by greedy shoppers more concerned with purchasing cheap electronics than the well-being of their fellow man. The microscope with which A Christmas Carol allows players to view the modern world's perception of Christmas is accurate indeed.
With a few exceptions, A Christmas Carol is quite like any Grimm game you've already played. But the beautiful art direction for the light and dark scenarios are worth witnessing, for American McGee and Spicy Horse chose to focus not on surface-level corruption, but the festering ugliness that ironically shows itself in spades during the supposed happiest time of the year. Video games may never unanimously be viewed as art, but their ability to make statements on the human condition is manifested in this concluding episode American McGee's Grimm Season Two.
It comes as no surprise that the majority of Grimm's dalliance in A Christmas Carol takes place during Scrooge's tour of his life's numerous cranky moments. The gameplay is nothing more than connecting all the dots in an effort to see a definitively more "Bah humbug" rendition of the tale; but its art direction does give it a pretty shine -- odd for a Grimm game -- and also makes it worth experiencing at least once.
Most stages begin during quiet winter nights. Snow flakes dribble quietly from the sky and frolic with children as they spiral toward the ground. Said children are usually gathered around gigantic Christmas trees covered with lavish decorations and strings of lights that emit a warm holiday glow, as do lanterns shining like lighthouse beacons from cottage windows.
Rather than douse the good cheer with pestilence and death, Grimm spreads different forms of corruption that vary between the episode's six stages. During the first stage, Jingle Bells plays in the background as Grimm moves inexorably toward his goal, covering everything with a thick sheet of ice that freezes love and goodwill in their tracks. The tune changes to a darker Christmas carol as Grimm darkens more and more of the environment. Grinning snowmen blacken and grimace as they reach down, pluck their youthful builders from the ground, and throttle them with their twig arms.
Other stages demonstrate Grimm proclaiming the true spirit of Christmas: consumerism and commercialism. Children gathered around Santa Claus made greedy and grumpy by Grimm's presence proceed to kick the jolly fat man in the groin in some scenarios, while St. Nick strikes back at the screeching kiddies by punting them over rooftops in others.
This take on corruption is more grisly and gross than any of the nastiness that players have spread over Grimm's previous 15 episodes due to its bleak truth. For every house visited by cheery carolers, at least a dozen door greeters and shoppers at Walmart are trampled by greedy shoppers more concerned with purchasing cheap electronics than the well-being of their fellow man. The microscope with which A Christmas Carol allows players to view the modern world's perception of Christmas is accurate indeed.
With a few exceptions, A Christmas Carol is quite like any Grimm game you've already played. But the beautiful art direction for the light and dark scenarios are worth witnessing, for American McGee and Spicy Horse chose to focus not on surface-level corruption, but the festering ugliness that ironically shows itself in spades during the supposed happiest time of the year. Video games may never unanimously be viewed as art, but their ability to make statements on the human condition is manifested in this concluding episode American McGee's Grimm Season Two.
The Baconing (6/23/11)
X Rebirth Screenshots
Rise Of Immortals Nysuss Screenshots
The Witcher 2 Screenshots
Trackmania 2 Screenshots
Prey 2 Screenshots
Mass Effect 2 - Arrival Screenshots
Magicka Vietnam Screenshots
Choplifter HD Screenshots
