I actually didn't mind Grim's inventory system that much. It wasn't optimal, but for the most part you didn't have enough items at one time to make it as annoying as it could've been. Controls were definitely a pain, although I got used to them eventually.

Anyway, Grim Fandango is pretty much my favorite game so I'm slightly biased. A wonderfully unique world, great and memorable characters, a satisfying ending, a story arc that's fairly "epic" but also quite personal, etc. It's just great.

It's nearly the exact same case as The Shawshank Redemption, didn't sell too well at first (both of them have an obscure name), but eventually became a super huge hit and one of the best movies of all time.