A brilliant return to the series at its best. Our review.
The infamously bewildering ending to 1991's Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge left players longing for resolution that subsequent Monkey Island games never delivered. Three decades later, and after effectively saying it would likely never happen, key members of the original Monkey Island team—including series creator Ron Gilbert—have finally made the game that picks up after the closing moments of LeChuck's Revenge.
Everything is different, but familiar in Return to Monkey Island, from its characters and narrative to its revised systems for interaction and puzzle solving. It can temporarily transport you to the '90s—at least if you also have cosy memories of staying up too late solving pirate puzzles—but it isn't stuck there.
A great many of Return to Monkey Island's best moments come from the new characters, who are almost universally brilliant. Highlights include the oddly charismatic Putra, undead galley chef to LeChuck, who serves both rasping sass and all manner of delightfully gross food gag set-ups as she gradually develops an affection for Guybrush. Or there's Mêlée's town's new locksmith, Locke Smith.
Compared to the previous Monkey Island games, though, the puzzles here play out a little faster. It's not that this is a profoundly easier Monkey Island. Rather, you're less likely to get stuck on individual snarls or weird leaps of logic. The solutions are never as obtuse as the infamous monkey wrench puzzle from LeChuck's Revenge, for example. Thanks to a few small additions, Return to Monkey Island kept me feeling smart and capable more than overwhelmed or confused.
Then there's the hint system. It can be ignored by those who want the satisfaction of getting themselves unstuck, but for those of us who would normally head to Google, the in-game hints maintain immersion in the world. It's much better than pulling up an external guide, and you can choose how subtle or explicit the clues you digest are. Another small improvement for time-pressed players is Guybrush's run speed. Despite his age, he can move faster than ever.
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