Return to Monkey Island (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): September 19, 2022
- Release Date (EU): September 19, 2022
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Developer: Terrible Toybox
- Genres: Point-and-click, adventure, puzzle
- Also For: Nintendo Switch
Game Features:
I still remember the first time I came across the Monkey Island series: the late 90s’, on a floppy disk at my cousin’s place. The game’s humour and quirky puzzles struck younger me as I gazed longingly at the colourful, pixelated scenes on the screen. The game, along with its sequel, is a personal timeless classic and I still occasionally get back to them on ScummVM, more recently on the RG350M retro handheld.
I have followed the series, albeit from a distance, since first coming across the floppy disk at my cousin’s and I was thrilled to hear that the series’ creator, Ron Gilbert, was reviving the iconic series with a new instalment. However, ahead of its launch, Gilbert received abusive comments regarding the new art style, forcing Monkey Island’s creator to stop sharing about the new game altogether. The series has a history of adopting new art styles from the pixel art of the original titles to the cartoony-2D visuals of Curse of Monkey Island to the 3D models of the Tales spin-off. So it was quite surprising to see the outcry from so-called fans about the new art direction that the series’ creator himself greenlit. More so given that the game wasn’t even released; but I’ll just say it’s their loss if they skip this new entry as I highlight in this review. So let's get to it!
It’s been years (in-game and IRL) since Guybrush’s last face-off with his nemesis, the zombie pirate LeChuck. In fact, so long that Guybrush and Elaine now have a child who knows of his father’s adventures by heart. But there’s one he hasn’t heard of yet, that of how the mighty pirate Guybrush sought the fabled secret of Monkey Island.
Return to Monkey Island is the story of this epic adventure across familiar lands and uncharted territories filled with encounters with new and recurring characters; and, of course, filled with that iconic humour.
If you’ve played the original titles, you’ll easily be able to point to the number of callbacks to the series’ origin. Early on, Guybrush visits Mêlée Island where he meets the old lookout, goes to the Scumm bar and chats with the owner of the Voodoo shop. These encounters occasionally break the fourth wall as our fearless pirate protagonist reminisces about the past. While returning players will surely appreciate those nods as they serve as a refresher, they also get get newcomers up to speed with the series (there’s also a quick recap scrapbook from the main menu for this purpose).
While the art style is new, the voice actors of the characters returned for this new instalment. Notably, we have Dominic Armato as Guybrush, Alexandra Boyd as Elaine Marley, and Gavin Hammond as Stan; and each and every conversation is fully voice acted. You’ll thus be able to fully immerse yourself in lengthy pirate-y debates such as the differences between a cook and a chef. Inane conversations such as these are the hallmark of Monkey Island and they are a delight to indulge in with this new title.
For the audio score, the original composers are also back with new soundtracks that add to the laidback pirate-y atmosphere of Monkey Island. The new soundtrack, combined with the professional voice acting, new art style and fluid animations delivers a presentation worthy of a contemporary Monkey Island title.
In a similar vein, Return to Monkey Island brings back the point-and-click gameplay but with a modern twist. Like the previous entries to the series, this title will require you to interact with and scrutinise your environment in order to solve the accompanying puzzles. In this title, the interactive elements are highlighted, which is handy to prevent you from wandering around and clicking everywhere in a scene.
Puzzles are original and bear that Monkey Island-esque humour, but can also be challenging. Point-and-click games can be notorious with their puzzles occasionally requiring aimless clicking on the environment as is the case with the newly-released Sunday Gold. However, some newer titles, such as Lost in Play, have been going the extra mile to provide hints to assist the player when encountering challenging puzzles.
I was thrilled to see Return to Monkey Island also adopt a similar approach with its Book of Hints that can provide assistance in case of a roadblock. Its puzzles are indeed fun and unique like getting out of the hold of the ship by greasing the porthole with ghost chicken grease; but some are not obvious to solve. At one point, I was stuck at figuring out how to get past a scurvy inspection point; while after that I stumbled at determining how to meet a certain prisoner and convince him to escape
There are hints in the decor and during conversations but some might not strike out as much. That’s when the hints come in handy for those not wanting to scratch their heads any further.
However, to complete puzzles and find the required items to solve them will require quite some backtracking. This is particularly the case in Part IV of the plot which will have you travel back and forth across the ocean and on several islands. You are free to tackle the challenges at your own pace and in any order and focus on another task should you be stuck on one, but things might get confusing.
But the handy hints, fast travel and the option to make Guybrush move faster do make the whole experience more approachable and enjoyable.
All things considered, Return to Monkey Island is a love letter to the series and to traditional point-and-click games. The quirky humour is on point, the puzzles are original and the mechanics feel more appropriate to tackle the challenges while delivering a memorable experience. Fans of the series will easily reconnect with what made the series so iconic and newcomers will discover the reason it is so.
Return to Monkey Island | Launch Trailer
Verdict
- That iconic Monkey Island vibe
- Fully voice acted
- Handy tips book
- Original puzzles
- Some backtracking
- Some puzzles' solutions are not too obvious
