Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge launched in 1991, and I picked up a copy not long after, in the early years of high school. It became the experience that basically defined my youth, as far as computer games went: I spent hours immersed in the swashbuckling, wisecracking world of Monkey Island and its pirates, clicking on and exploring every pixel on my 286 computer (that didn’t yet have Windows).
From the Backlog
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Three Monkey Island games followed, though without the involvement of series creator Ron Gilbert, which I dipped in and out of. Then, in 2022, we got Return to Monkey Island: Gilbert was back on board, the game was being positioned as a direct successor to Monkey Island 2, and I bought it as soon as I could.
And then — I never got around to playing it, for one reason and another (there are obviously a lot of different pressures on your time in your 40s, compared to when you’re a teenager). When TechRadar Gaming started up its From the Backlog series, though, I knew it was a sign — I had to get reacquainted with lovable rogue Guybrush Threepwood and the ghost pirate LeChuck.
Back in the game
Just to reiterate: there were 31 years between Monkey Island 2 and Return to Monkey Island. That’s a long time by any measure — in terms of video games and technology, it’s eons. And yet Ron Gilbert and his team have managed to produce an experience that’s very similar to what got me so absorbed back in the 1990s.
There’s even an option to get a recap of the Monkey Island story so far, much like you might see something done for TV shows, but I suspect this is a game you’re only going to get the most out of if you’re already a long-time fan of the series — otherwise a lot of the jokes and references may go sailing over your head.
This is very much a game that gives the fans what they want: lashings of nostalgia. A lot of the old Monkey Island 2 locations and characters are back, from cartographer Wally to smooth-talking used ship salesman Stan, and it’s fun to see these places and people get a graphical revamp for the 2020s.
And the graphics are probably what have impressed me most in my playthrough. This is a gorgeous-looking game, with artwork that’s rich, detailed, and full of character — it’s like the exact opposite of AI slop. There are so many neat touches here, and the sound design is almost as impressive too (complete with the classic Monkey Island theme tunes).
When I’m standing on the deck of LeChuck’s ship as Guybrush Threepwood, for example, I’ve got swaying lights casting ever-changing patterns on the boards beneath my feet, jagged drops of rain shooting down from the sky in front of me, and the atmospheric sounds of rain and thunder all around me.
The game may use a simplified, cartoon style, but it’s done with heart and care. Each scene comes with so many cool details to explore (which will often advance the plot or solve a puzzle), and I quickly found myself as invested in the Return as I was in Monkey Island 2 all those years ago.
The point-and-click approach
Monkey Island 2 was part of a wave of games that used a ‘point-and-click’ interface in the 1990s, an early precursor to the open-world games of today. It lets you interact with the environments around you, talk to other characters, pick up and use items, and navigate the world — and the same basic mechanics are here in Return to Monkey Island, too, albeit updated with a more modern feel.
It’s refreshing to go back to the old way of gaming, where options are more limited, the pace is slower, and the emphasis is on plot rather than action (the sword fights here are won by the quality of your jokes and comebacks). There are puzzles to solve and challenges to overcome, but the game is as much about exploring a story and its characters as it is about achieving objectives.
That can be frustrating, on occasion — “this all seems needlessly complicated” is a line Guybrush says, at one point — but I’ve really enjoyed wandering around chatting to characters and exploring scenes to figure out how to progress, rather than blasting away enemies or trying to beat countdown clocks.
And the sense of humor so prevalent in the earlier games is here again. The dialog and indeed the storylines come packed with gags and whimsy, which means that spending an hour or two inside this game is a genuinely fun and relaxing experience, a welcome respite from the stresses and strains of the day — and isn’t that what games are for?
I’ve not yet finished the game and discovered the true secret of Monkey Island, but I’m more than half the way there (I think). I’ve crawled along the sides of ships in turbulent seas, played tunes on impaled skulls, stolen eyepatches by distracting parrots, and followed maps to mop trees, and I’ve loved every minute. I really should have started this game a lot earlier.
Game franchises are incredibly common, of course, but it’s hard to think of one that’s quite like Monkey Island — in its longevity, its idiosyncrasies, or its complicated history. I’m very glad Ron Gilbert and the team came back for another adventure, though, and it’s reminded me just how much I like this world and these characters.
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