Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate™! In Launch of the Screaming Narwhal!
Almost 2 decades ago, LucasArts released an awesome adventure series : Monkey Island. Now nine years has passed since the last Monkey Island game. Does Tales of the Monkey Island still have enough humor and mystery to entice players to ship out 35$ for 5 monthly episodic contents? Or is this game bound to sink and end up in Davy Jones’ locker?
From the start, players will notice the graphics are presented in a vivid cell-shaded fashion similar to Team Fortress 2. For new players to the series, there is no explanation of the story or introduction to characters as it launches players straight toward a face-off against the evil pirate LeChuck . Just when players are finished putting the magic on their voodoo blade, Guybrush accidentally blows up the ship, and the mighty pirate ends up with a pox-infected hand and is drifting towards Flotsam Island.
The story in this game might be simple but the puzzles in this game are anything but simple. From applying voodoo to Guybrush’s blade to finding a way out of Flotsam island, the puzzles are hard yet creative. There are just enough hints for players to yell out “Oh my god, how did I miss that!” However, there are some minor flaws in the game. Some people might get frustrated at the Devil May Cry style of forest maze, and some objects might be hard to click as those objects are hiding behind some other things in the foreground.
Almost the full original cast of voice actors are back for Tales of the Monkey island, except the voice actor for Guybrush. There are some new characters in the mix as well, from the extremely flamboyant Doctor de Singe to the childish Spanish treasure hunter D’oro. Each new character brings their unique personality to the game. Where the game really shines is in the characters’ dialogue. The amount of funny dialogues and modern references are just mind blowing. The characters in this game successfully move the story forward and suck the players in at the same time.
The Story does end in a cliff-hanger, and I cannot wait till next month for the next episode to come out. I will definitely suggest this game to both fans and new players. This first episode took me around 3 hours to finish (without walk-through or guide) . 35$ for 5 episodes is a Must-Buy for everyone. A special edition of the 1990’s Secrets of the Monkey Island is also out today, with the hand-drawn graphic and fantastic voice acting at 10$. If you wish to reminisce the old school adventure game or want to experience the old adventure game for the first time, now is the time to buy these 2 fantastic games.
+ Amazing Puzzle
+ Great, Funny Dialogues
+ Old-School “Point N Click” adventure
+ Addictive
- A bit hard for younger players
- Cliff-Hanger
