Well what can I say, Monkey Island was a trend setter in its time, it was and still is one of the best point and click graphical adventure game. It was a game that inspired a lot of games and movies alike and with its charm it set itself apart from all the other games of the era that died in time. This re-invented version combines both The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s revenge digitally re-imagined for this generation to enjoy, and Lucas Arts also throw in some exclusive never seen before contents and concept arts.
Plot: For those of you not familiar with the original series I’m going to briefly go through both titles’ plot for the sake of keeping my reviews similiar in look. The first instalment of the series is set in the Caribbean’s Melee Island revolving around the main character, Guybrush Threepwood and his quest to becoming a pirate. To become a pirate Threepwood has to prove his valour to the Pirate leaders by showing off his skills in Sword play, Thievery, and treasure finding. The second instalment follows after the predecessor’s story, and starts off with Guybrush hanging off a rope over a hole, and starts narrating the story of how he got himself in this situation. Unlike the previous title, most of the game is set on Scabb Island and we also get to explore the Tri-island area of the Caribbean on two vessels, and as the title says, Threepwood’s sworn enemy LeChuck has something to do with his current situation. I will not go any deeper into the story as it might ruin the story of the predecessor, and I would suck out the fun of the game.
Audio & Video: What can I say, the games have been remade in the best possible way, the scenery and surrounding look like they have been hand brushed on and the paint is still fresh, the colours are vivid and the animations are faithful to the game’s charm. Usually re-makes manage to turn any good series into an over milked pile of garbage, but this time the development team took Monkey Island to a whole other level making it possible for people of this generation to be able to enjoy the game. The cut scenes are also well made giving out the hint of 90’s Disney movies we all loved. The soundtrack and voice acting blends well with the theme of the game and it’s what I imagined Monkey Island would be if it wasn’t for the limitations they had back in the day. An awesome gift for all the fans of the franchise was the ability to change over to the original game (in original resolution) at any point in time with the click of a button that is a really classy touch.
Gameplay: The Gameplay is pretty straight forward, it’s a simple point and click adventure game with selective turn based dialogue that will help you get through the missions. You have an inventory system that allows the character to pick up, combine, and use items to complete puzzles. The environment is set in a 2.5D setup, and the map can be explored from a top down view to view your unlocked areas and points of interests.
Personal Impact: This game was a real trend setter with its unique charm; it’s the type of game that gets you hooked and gets your mind going all the time. The jokes and subtle comic references are brilliant and keep the entertainment level to a high. The only negative feedback I have to mention is the tedious glitches present upon changing environment that will reset console and make you lose all unsaved data, which will hopefully be fixed through a patch soon. To conclude my review I will just say one thing, unfortunately the game is too complex for today’s market, and there is only a little fraction of gamers that might enjoy the game for what it is, it is simply a good game with a genre that died a long time ago.
Overall Rating: 8/10
Written By Matthew C.