For any criticism you can make in the Monkey Island franchise, you have to admire its refusal to die.
today’s release return to monkey island It’s 13 years since Telltale’s last game Tales of Monkey IslandAn episodic adventure from 2009. Before that hiatus came a nine-year break monkey island curse, which was the ultimate LucasArts adventure game. Did I mention there was a lapse of six years before this?
return to monkey island The three original series marks the return of two of the creators (Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman are back, Doublefine’s Tim Schaefer is not). So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the latest adventure for the mighty pirate, Guybrush Threepwood, is most fixated on his legacy.
Although the game picks up after the events of Gilbert’s final entry, monkey island 2, return Doesn’t attempt to take non-Gilbert games out of canon. It decides to raise an unanswered question hanging in the history of the series. Namely: “What exactly was Secret of Monkey Island?” Despite being the title of the first game, Titanic Mystery was never actually revealed.
Image: Awesome Toybox / Devolver Digital
So return Follows Guybrush as he joins a race with his continuing nemesis, the ghost pirate Lechuck, to uncover the mystery with the help of ex-governor-turned-scurvy-activist Ellen Marley, who also happens to be Guybrush’s wife. Is. Throughout the journey, there are plenty of funny meta jokes about how long it’s been since the last Monkey Island game. Many at Guybrush’s Mealy Island home do not remember him well, and comment on a suspicious number of reconstructions in the town of Threepwood.
So far return to monkey island Aware of how it can feel at times, it doesn’t seem to be interested in developing.
Of course, there have been obvious upgrades. the downright ugly polygon scene to escape And Tales of Monkey Island has been replaced with a sort of Henri Selick aesthetic, such as a living map populated by hinged paper dolls. The look will undoubtedly polarize the game’s followers for a long time (a first in all pop culture, I’m sure), but it’s certainly less dated than the 3D models employed for every other Monkey Island game released this millennium. Is.
A remarkable way in which adventures have been streamlined: you no longer have to choose How You will interact with objects in the world. Instead, it is established through context. A left click can be continuing a conversation with a friend, a colleague in a painting, or simply walking to a different point in the room. If you can either talk to the friend above or steal their wallet, you might have the ability to right click, but there are two options as far as it ever expands. This makes for a more enjoyable experience in which the UI is really in service of the story rather than taking center stage, as is so common in the genre. It’s a welcome refinement, though I miss forcing Guybrush to explain what a lampshade sounds like or explain why he can’t talk to a tree.
Image: Awesome Toybox / Devolver Digital
I would have appreciated similar improvements to happen all over the world. It wasn’t particularly pleasant to watch Guybrush strolling after his furiously clicking the cursor from screen to screen Mystery of Monkey Island, And after almost 32 years it is nothing less than a task.
Fortunately, the other part of the series’ lineage is that return to monkey island has been held on is far more welcome.
It still carries the same warmth through the Caribbean that Monkey Island has always done business with. Stan, the slippery ship salesman, and Otis, often imprisoned thieves such as stalwarts, aid Guybrush on his journey, and engage in a sword fight. Insults (both literal and metaphorical) are conducted through the boom. It’s the same involuntary, eager-to-please Monkey Island you’ve always known.
Return to Monkey Island seems content to see how others in the world, especially players, refer to its existence.
The puzzle solutions are as mind-boggling as they ever have been—you can’t borrow the chef’s mop, you must go on a spiritual quest to discover the apparently fictitious mop-wood tree. Maybe the apology you wrote on the frog wasn’t personal enough? There’s a casual mode with fewer puzzles, but it feels more like an acronym than an evolution. If you do get stuck, there’s no need to call the LucasArts 900 number. Instead, you’ll find a built-in hint book that will steer you in the right direction.
returnThe humor, perhaps the most fundamental aspect of the series, doesn’t try as hard as some of the more cringe-inducing attempts at the comedy adventure genre. There are very few pop culture references or visual gags (I’m looking at you, Starbuccaneers). It sounds material hovering between “mildly amusing” and “smile-inducing” on the chuckle-o-meter. The game is firmly in the possession of an employee of its predecessors, who refuses to leave any gag unattended, which may not necessarily be my bag. That said, I did have some deep-bottom belly laughs at some of the more abstract gags that were closer to my taste.
Image: Awesome Toybox / Devolver Digital
While it’s undoubtedly tempting to read what a grown man does and doesn’t sound weird, I should make special mention of the returning composers Michael Land, Peter McConnell and Clint Bajakian, who continued the franchise’s “Pirate Reggae” score. keep. The kind that would feel like a cozy blanket for ’90s adventure nerds. For a returning voice cast including Alexandra Boyd’s inexplicable Elaine and Dominic Armato’s amiable and always-effortless cowbrush.
It’s all contained in an experience that is nostalgic at best. return to monkey island Instead of pushing me in the ribs and reminding me of all the fun that day, I really reclaimed the joy the series provided in my youth.
Curiously – yet fresh – for this long, uneven history series, return to monkey island He does not seem to be particularly interested in re-establishing his own importance or greatness. It feels satisfying to see how other people in the world, especially the players, refer to its existence. It doesn’t require players to have any previous knowledge of the series, but it doesn’t explain much of its characters or jokes.
return to monkey island Monkey Island is yet another game in the franchise that makes only a small effort to reflect the ever-changing gaming landscape, while confidently clinging to the DNA that made it so beloved in the first place. And if you’re looking for the secret to building a lasting franchise, you can do worse.
return to monkey island 19 was released on Windows PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch. The game was reviewed on PC using pre-release download codes provided by Devolver Digital. Vox Media has an affiliated partnership. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commission for products purchased through affiliate links. you can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here,
