''American McGee's Grimm'' is a 23-part
episodic video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
series based upon ''
Grimm's Fairy Tales
''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (german: Kinder- und Hausmärchen, lead=yes, ), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and Wilhelm, first publis ...
'', designed by
American McGee
American James McGee (born December 13, 1972)Birth record for American James McGee - Dallas, Texas, Birth Index, 1903–1997 - Ancestry.com is an American video game designer. He is best known as the designer of ''American McGee's Alice'', its ...
, developed by
Spicy Horse
Spicy Horse () was a Shanghai-based independent video game developer started by American McGee, Anthony Jacobson, and Adam Lang in 2007. It was announced on July 23, 2016 that the company is closing its doors to focus on smaller indie development. ...
and distributed online initially by
GameTap
GameTap was an online video game service established by Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) in 2005. It provided users with classic arcade video games and game-related video content. The service was acquired by French online video game service Metab ...
starting July 31, 2008. ''Grimm'' was originally thought to resemble the warped fairy tale style of ''
American McGee's Alice
''American McGee's Alice'' is a 2000 third-person action-adventure video game developed by Rogue Entertainment under the direction of designer American McGee and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Games banner. The game was originally re ...
'', but the art style appears to be much more child-friendly and simplistic. ''Grimm'' is written and executive-produced by the same person as ''American McGee's Alice'',
R. J. Berg.
The original announcement was made in the June 2007 issue of ''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
''.
Spicy Horse Games is using
Unreal Engine 3
Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game '' Unreal''. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genre ...
technology for ''American McGee's Grimm''.
There are 23 weekly episodes,
divided into three seasons of eight or seven episodes each. Each episode offers approximately a half an hour of gameplay, although different playing styles (either for "complete conversion" or "speed-runs") make for different times. The game has been referred to as "highly accessible" and American McGee has commented that the game experience shares a similarity with ''
Katamari Damacy
() is a third-person puzzle-action video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan in March 2004 and in North America in September 2004. Designer Keita Takahashi struggled to pitch the game to Namco' ...
''.
A five-issue comic book mini-series based on the game began in April 2009. Published by
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
, the book was written by Dwight L. MacPherson with art by
Grant Bond
Grant Bond is a comic book artist, writer and award-winning editorial cartoonist living in Kansas City, Kansas.
Biography
Grant Bond was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. His love for art was a fixture of his youth and early adult life due ...
.
Gameplay
In ''American McGee's Grimm'', the player controls Grimm, a
dwarf
Dwarf or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore
* Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
who creates a trail of darkness wherever he goes. The premise is that Grimm has become sick of how "saccharine sweet" fairy tales have become, and has made it his goal to revert lighthearted fairy tales to their darker, original versions by running and jumping through fantasy worlds, making things darker as he passes by them, using a downward move (called a "butt-stomp") to increase the distance his dark powers reach. By converting enough objects, Grimm can increase the level of his Dark-O-Meter (a bar that shows the effect of Grimm's powers), increasing the power and radius of his dark aura, as well as his running and jumping abilities. Certain characters complicate this process by attempting to clean the areas Grimm has converted, but these enemies can be stopped once Grimm's Dark-O-Meter reaches a high enough level. Of course, Grimm does more than simply "restore" classic tales to their original unedited versions: he practically reduces many to dark parodies, the original message of the story obliterated, ironically making Grimm little different from those who "gutted" the stories of their darker tones to begin with.
Distribution
Following the traditional television distribution model, every episode of ''Grimm'' is available free for 24 hours on the day of release.
After that, episodes are available for purchase on multiple distribution channels and also to GameTap Gold (paid) subscribers. There are currently three volumes of ''Grimm'' slated for release with Volume 1 launched on July 31, Volume 2 fall 2008, and Volume 3 early 2009. In a recent interview with ''
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'',
McGee said that he would like to put this game on
Xbox Live
The Xbox network, formerly and still sometimes branded as Xbox Live, is an Internet, online multiplayer video game, multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox ...
and may release it in retail form.
Episodes
Season 1
Episode 1. "
A Boy Learns What Fear Is" (Released July 31) When a young boy goes on a quest to find the true meaning of fear, his trek takes a turn for the darker when Grimm appears to muck things up! Traverse on a quest for fear through the boy's hometown, the gallows, a local school, a graveyard and a haunted castle... and that's the uplifting part of the story! Happily ever after ends now!
Episode 2. "
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
" (Released August 7) Red Riding hood's mother calls her into the house. "Your grandmother is very ill," she says, "So I've baked strawberry tarts for her and packed some jam. Take this basket and go straight to her cottage!" But when Grimm is thrown into the mix, someone's not coming out alive! Follow this classic story through a town in the woods, the local crossroads, Granny's place, the insides of the Big Bad Wolf and the Woodsman's Den. Keep your eyes peeled, or the wolf's gonna get ya!
Episode 3. "
The Fisherman and His Wife
"The Fisherman and His Wife" (Low German: ''Von dem Fischer un syner Fru'') is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 (KHM 19). The tale is of Aarne–Thompson type 555, about dissatisfaction and greed. It may be classified as ...
" (Released August 14) A poor fisherman hooks a magic fish, but his wife continues to want more and more... and more! Things can only get worse when Grimm comes for a visit! Help the fisherman as he journeys through his hovel on the shoreside, the local port, his wife's new digs, the local sailor town, his wife's church and a raging whirlpool on the coastline! Hope you know how to swim... because Grimm doesn't!
Episode 4. "
Puss in Boots
"Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for hi ...
" (Released August 21) The youngest of a miller's sons is forced to eat his feline inheritance to keep back a night of hunger... until the cat crafts a plan to save both their lives. But when Grimm enters, one question is left uncertain: is the cat helping others, or is he just helping himself? Enjoy the ride through the miller's town, a rabbit's den, the king's castle, a bandit's ambush, the local fields and an ogre's castle! Better be careful; never know when Puss is gonna strike!
Episode 5. "
The Girl Without Hands
"The Girl Without Hands" or "The helpless Maiden" or "The Armless Maiden" (german: Das Mädchen ohne Hände) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is tale number 31 and was first published in the 1812 edition of ''Children' ...
" (Released August 28) A father maims his own daughter in exchange for vast wealth and ends up walking away without any guilt. When Grimm shows up, however, pappy's gonna pay, big time! Assist the girl without hands as she journeys through the local logger's den, her father's windmill station, the castle garden, the castle gates, a battlefield, the local wilderness and a return trip to dad's windmills! There hasn't been a nastier definition of "tough love"... until now!
Episode 6. "
Godfather Death
"Godfather Death" (German: ''Der Gevatter Tod'') is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 (KHM 44). It is a tale of Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index, Aarne-Thompson type 332.
Origin
The tale was published ...
" (Released September 4) When a family gets a 13th child, the father makes Death kiddie #13's godfather. Grimm, however, has a dark fate in store for this boy... one that ends pretty badly! Join Death, kiddie 13 and his dad in their trek through the family's farm, God's church, the Devil's home for nuns, Death's "immortality plant" farm, the local castle and hell! See you in the afterlife!
Episode 7. "
The Devil and His Three Golden Hairs" (Released September 11) When a Luck Child is born, the local king tries to kill him by sending him on a quest to steal three hairs from the Devil's head. But when Grimm shows up, the king ends up in an explosive situation! Help out the Luck Child as he treks along the local river town he calls home, a thieves' den, a town of beer-lovers, a town of the well-fed, Charon the ferryman's river, the Devil's domain (along with several parts of his body), the king's castle and a rough and rowdy downstream river! Don't let the ferryman trick you!
Episode 8. "
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
" (Released September 18) If you thought this story was all songs and dance, you're looking in the wrong place! Assist Beauty (and her family) with her Beast as she goes through her water-locked hometown, a frozen forest, an enchanted castle, a rich town, Beauty's dream world, and a wedding that was crashed by pirates... Wait a second! That's not part of the story! Ah, well; what can you do when Grimm's in town?
Season 2
Episode 9. "
The Master Thief
"The Master Thief" is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Chr. Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. The Brothers Grimm included a shorter variant as tale 192 in their fairy tales. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Red Fairy Book''. George Webbe ...
" (Released October 30) When a Master Thief returns home rich and famous, he must face off against his godfather, the Count! Things can only go downhill as this story is rewritten into a monster movie by "Director Grimm"! Help the Master Thief get his loot as he slips through his old home town, the Count's castle, the Count's stables, the Count's personal graveyard/backyard, the village churchyard and the town square. Be wary of vampires, the undead and werewolves; oh, my!
Episode 10. "
The Singing Bone
"The Singing Bone" (german: Der singende Knochen) is a German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 28. It is Aarne-Thompson type 780.
Synopsis
A boar lays waste to a country, and two brothers set out to kill it, with the p ...
" (Released November 6) When two brothers are sent by the king to save their town from a monster boar and the older brother takes the credit for the kill (along with his little brother's life) away, only to walk away Scot free (until his brother's remains sing the secret that was so long hidden), Grimm decides some serious revisions are in order! Join the younger brother in life (and undeath) as he treks through a small farm, the fields ravaged by the boar, the local castle front yard, the boar's forest, a local pub, the shores on which the good brother died and the king's castle. May you enjoy his skull's little tune!
Episode 11. "
King Midas
Midas (; grc-gre, Μίδας) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house.
The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ...
" (Released November 13) In this story, a king of Greece wishes to have the touch of gold. But when he gets a chance to renew his greed and ends up with no punishment, it's time for an extreme makeover: Grimm edition! Follow King Midas throughout the Greek plains, the Muses' music court, Midas' kingdom, the local barber's place, Midas' backyard, the town port, the river Patoclames, Hades and the city of Olympus. Remember, kiddies: Wishes always backfire!
Episode 12. "
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
" (Released November 20) This timeless story tells of the struggles of the young girl, Cinderella, as she strives for her "happily ever after". However, Grimm feels that something needs to change when Mrs. Angry Stepmother and the Evil Stepsisters don't get what's coming to them! Dance the night away with Cinderella through her old village, the town graveyard, Cinderella's new home, her new town, the new town graveyard, the prince's castle and Cinderella's wedding (complete with explosive cake!). Yet another disturbing work, in the style a la Grimm!
Episode 13. "
The Golden Goose
"The Golden Goose" (german: Die goldene Gans) is a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 64).
Story
In the Brothers Grimm version, the hero is the youngest of three brothers, given the nickname Simpleton as he is not handsome or stro ...
" (Released November 27) When the youngest of three brothers earns a goose of pure gold for being nice to a stranger, he ends up with more rewards than he first thought! Time for Doctor Grimm to "cure" this epidemic! Follow the youngest brother's quest as he heads through his small hut, the local woods, the nearby town, the castle's wine cellar, Mount Bread and the ship that sails on land and sea! May your voyage be merry aboard the S.S. Grimm!
Episode 14. "
Iron John
"Iron John" (AKA "Iron Hans" or "Der Eisenhans") is a German fairy tale found in the collections of the Brothers Grimm, tale number 136, about a wild iron-skinned man and a prince. The original German title is ''Eisenhans'', a compound of ''Eise ...
" (Released December 4) When a young, disobedient prince recklessly puts several lives in danger by releasing a sadistic, metal monster of a man named Iron John (for the sake of a toy) and gets rewarded, Grimm decides it's time this story got set to "Terminator" mode! Follow Iron John and Prince Connor as they journey through the local town, Iron John's pond hideout, Prince Connor's massive castle abode, Iron John's "
Midas
Midas (; grc-gre, Μίδας) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house.
The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ...
pool", a kingdom that neighbors Prince Connor's, the old king's tournament, and Prince Connor's wedding. Side with Iron John if you want to live!
Episode 15. "
The Pied Piper
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany.
The legend dates back to ...
" (Released December 11) When the town of Hamelin is saved by a mysterious Piper, but the townspeople don't thank him and he doesn't do much as revenge towards them, Grimm decides to crank the plague up a notch or two! Join the Pied Piper as he wanders through the outskirts of Hamelin, Hamelin's town square, the local docks, the riverfront, the Family Celebration Day festival, and the Piper's mountain hideout. Better pay the Piper; you've put up quite a bill!
Episode 16. "
A Christmas Carol
''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...
" (Released December 18) In this special season finale, we wrap up the season with a twist on a holiday classic. If you thought Ebenezer Scrooge was bad, wait till you see what Grimm does with the story!
Season 3
# "
The Frog King" (Released February 12)
# "
Jack and the Beanstalk
"Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...
" (Released February 19)
# "
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
" (Released February 26) - This episode is spoken entirely in Mandarin Chinese
# "
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
" (Released March 5)
# "
Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
" (also including "
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of ''Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of ''Persinette ...
" and "
Rumpelstiltskin
"Rumpelstiltskin" ( ; german: Rumpelstilzchen) is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of ''Children's and Household Tales''. The story is about a little imp who spins straw into gold in exchange for a g ...
") (Released March 12)
# "
The Adventures of Thumbling" (Released April 16)
# "
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...
" (Released April 23) Mirror, mirror, on the wall, this is the Grimm-est of them all! The finale of season 3, and Grimm overall, brings us to one of the most beloved fairy tales...to make it vile. This tale of a young girl rushed out by her evil stepmother is given a high boost of extra darkness! Explore the Queen's Mirror chamber, the castle gardens, and the Dwarves Cottage. Then, to make the royal wedding a smash, Grimm will rally his friends from other tales to have fun!
Reception
The first season of ''Grimm'' was met with mild praise. As of March 2009, the average rating of the first season is 6.77 out of ten, according to GameTap users.
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
rated the episodes as follows:
# "A Boy Learns What Fear Is": 6/10
# "Little Red Riding Hood": 6.1/10
# "The Fisherman and His Wife": 6.2/10
# "Puss in Boots": 6.1/10
# "The Girl Without Hands": 5.7/10
# "Godfather Death": 6.3/10
# "The Devil and His Three Golden Hairs": 6.2/10
# "Beauty and the Beast": 6.3/10
Season one had an average IGN score of 6.1
As of March 2009, the second season had an average of 6.7 out of ten, according to GameTap users.
References
External links
Grimm official homepage at Spicy HorseAmerican McGee official homepage{{Brothers Grimm
2008 video games
Action-adventure games
Episodic video games
Single-player video games
Spicy Horse games
Unreal Engine games
Video games about cats
Video games based on fairy tales
Video games developed in China
Windows games
Windows-only games
Disney parodies