Return to Monkey Island Review (dhend4k)
I'll have to admit to you, dear reader, that I was one of the people who was initially disappointed with the trailers for this game, though I never voiced my opinion in a public forum, because I love Ron Gilbert too much for that and owe him a great deal of gratitude for helping make my childhood awesome. I originally decided not to get this game. I held out for many months after its release, feeling sad that there would be a Monkey Island game I would not play. I then saw some interviews of some of the people who worked on the game (developers, voice actors, etc.), and I realized that an awful lot of care and hard work had gone into the game. This was not something that had been thrown together quickly and released as a cash grab. I suddenly understood that even getting another Monkey Island game is a "miracle" in and of itself, and passing it up would be a missed opportunity. Let me tell you what, my friends, I am beyond happy that I bought this game. I have already beat it three times, and I will no doubt play it through again. It truly is one of the best adventure games I have played in a very long time. There are so many great features and ideas here, and I sincerely hope we get more Monkey Island games like this in the future. Thank you, Ron Gilbert and crew for giving us a beautiful, funny, accessible, modern adventure game to carry on the Monkey Island name.
Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
Sound Design- Immersive, crisp, clear, and satisfying. The best sound in the series.
Music- On par with the best in the series. The composers pull from the older games while adding a lot of new material.
Graphics: Really nice. The environments are gorgeous and packed full of detail.
Quality of life features- They really packed it full of features that make it the most re-playable game in the series.
Voice acting- Dominic is back, baby! Hearing Guybrush again for the first time since 2009 brought tears of joy to my eyes!
More voice acting- Every character was voiced perfectly. There was not a single person who sounded like an amateur.
Puzzles- The vast majority are satisfying and not unnecessarily difficult. I personally cannot say anything negative about the puzzles themselves.
Trivia cards- They have these awesome cards scattered throughout, and I get a hit of dopamine every time I find one.
Cons:
Length- It is relatively short, but I personally did not mind. I played it through three times and loved it more every time.
Character design- I never fell in love with the character design, but that is a small gripe.
Questionable writing in a couple places- Let me elaborate. The vast majority is written brilliantly, but I found a couple choices to be sub-par. Without spoiling anything, one of the quests Guybrush must face involves making a mop. The way he acquires the wood for the mop is totally ridiculous and unnecessary. That scene is my least favorite in the game, because Guybrush changes from a lovable, sometimes ethically challenged, pirate wannabe to a full on destructive psychopath. I am sure the writers had a reason, but I found it jarring.
Another point to make is the ending. I do not care that certain things did not happen that were building to happen. I even like the idea that they tried something different from all the other games, but I found all three different endings I have had so far to be a little abrupt and bordering on sad. I cannot say more without including spoilers.
Final thoughts:
I do not even like talking about the few negative aspects of this game, because they pale in comparison to the rest of it, but I just wanted to be fully truthful in my review. I want more Monkey Island games like this! I want more Monkey Island games, period. I would sign my house over to Ron Gilbert if he were to promise me he could make a few more.
If you are on the fence about this game for whatever reason, I hope this convinces you to get it. Even with its couple of story hiccups (subjective), I love this game so much. Ron Gilbert, you did it, you glorious son of a gun! It's so good having you back on the series! Also, I meant what I said about my house....