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Return to Monkey Island Review


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859765095_ReturntoMonkeyIslandlogo.jpg.1b4a137a7aba63dd642d246400b889a7.jpgReturn to Monkey Island isn't just the return of Guybrush Threepwood—mighty pirate—to point and click fans, it also puts series creators Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman back at the helm, bringing back classic adventure vibes, silly jokes, and most importantly a grand reveal of the true Secret of Monkey Island. Although Return is obviously tailor-made for fans of the series, new players will still enjoy setting sail on waves of charming humor and clever, engaging puzzle design.
 
As the title implies, Guybrush Threepwood's latest adventure is a look back at the quest that started it all. This game aims to finally reveal what is the Secret at the heart of Monkey Island as Guybrush races to claim the prize before his longtime rival LeChuck. The game is packed with other returning characters and plenty of references to past adventures that might go over the heads of new players. Still, even if this is your first voyage to Monkey Island, the game's signature humor and lighthearted charm makes it a joy to play. You'll want to click on every object you can not just for picking up usable items or clues but for the jokes packed into every little detail of the game. The game's sense of humor culminates in an ending that might surprise some players, but ultimately feels quite at home in the world of Monkey Island. One aspect of the game that is not obvious though is the Writer's Cut feature in the settings, which essentially adds a ton of additional dialogue to the game. It seems to have been cut for the sake of pacing, but a huge part of the appeal of Monkey Island games is the humor, so denying yourself all of that extra dialogue, even if it isn't 100% necessary to the story, would be a shame.
 
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Return features some classic point and click adventure gameplay, though obviously with some more convenient modern features. You'll need to pick up every item you can, examine everything in the scenery, and come up with clever solutions to unusual puzzles. The difficulty on hard mode feels like the perfect sweet spot for an adventure game like this, though. The puzzles aren't a complete walk in the park, but there also aren't wacky solutions that you'd never come up with on your own. You don't have to combine every item in outlandish ways, you just have to think logically—and granted sometimes creatively—about how to use your limited inventory to progress. It helps that most of the environments are big enough to give you lots to see and do, but small enough that it's not overwhelming to figure out solutions. And if you do find yourself stuck, there's a built-in hint system that also nicely balances the sense of challenge by giving you just a nudge in the right direction without outright telling you what to do next. Plus, you can play the game on easy mode if you prefer, which streamlines some puzzles, i.e. things that might take two or three steps on hard mode only take one on easy mode. It's a nice option if you're not a puzzle fan and just want to enjoy the game's humor.
 
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The game's controls also suit the point and click experience nicely with both a controller and touch screen option. The touch screen might recapture the mouse and keyboard experience a bit better, but moving with a control stick is much easier and you can use L and R to cycle through interactive objects in the environment, so you aren't aimlessly trying to click on everything around you. The interface also makes it clear when you can pick up objects, so it's hard to miss grabbing a key item.
 
Return's presentation is also excellent. The colorful, cartoonish graphics perfectly suit the tone of the adventure, and the angular design makes every scene playful and unique. It has an almost papercraft style to it, and looks great in motion. The soundtrack has some great tunes, though the voice acting is the real star of the audio department. Fully voiced lines add a ton of personality to the already great writing and helps make this charming, goofy adventure come alive.
 
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Return to Monkey Island is everything fans of the series love about these games. It's witty and fun from the big story beats down to the little descriptions of tiny details in the environment, the characters are varied and charming, and the puzzle design is creative but not tedious. Return leans heavily on the franchise's history, but even if you're a fresh-faced pirate you'll quickly be charmed by the humor and style of Monkey Island.
 
Rating: 9 out of 10 Pirates
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