Return to Monkey Island

« A wonderful continuation of a classic that takes us back to an improbable story in an impossible place and leaves no buckle unwashed. »

« Return to Monkey Island isn’t a grand reinvention of point-and-click adventure games in mechanical or narrative ambition. It is, quite literally, a return. It sticks to its own identity, and aims to be the best version of itself – a comforting, charming game with great characters and amusingly esoteric puzzles. That a new Monkey Island game exists with Gilbert and Grossman at the helm makes Return to Monkey Island an attraction well worth the curiosity. And that this traditional format still satisfies while remaining largely unchanged, several decades later, speaks volumes about how timeless their ideas and this world have always been. »

« If true achievement in art is realising creative ambition, then Return to Monkey Island is a masterclass bursting with metatextual mischief. By turning inward and confronting its own legacy, this sixth entry in a storied series summons the laughter and adventure of its forebears but ventures beyond them to deliver a surprising and brave dose of heart. Those looking for nostalgia will find it, but not in a way that feels fleeting. And newcomers to the series will find a sleek, must-play, carefully modernised adventure game that provides plenty of reasons to dig in the LucasArts archives. »

« Return to Monkey Island is a fantastic addition to the series and a great game in its own right. If you’re a Guybrush Threepwood fan or want to revisit the high point of adventures past and present, you owe it to yourself to come back to Monkey Island. »

« The nostalgic return of the hero who captivated us at an innocent age came to remind us in the most emphatic way that no matter how old we get, we will always want to be children. »

« Guybrush’s new adventure is every bit as fun as his previous ones. This is a triumph of a game that manages to live up to exorbitant amounts of expectation and ticks every box. »

« The game deserves to be called one of the best point-and-click adventure games of recent times. It continues the narrative and completes the old story to general satisfaction. It blends tradition with innovation and isn't afraid to reckon with both its own legacy and the genre as a whole. [Issue#322] »

« If you were a fan of the original game/s then absolutely grab a copy… it’s a nostalgic joy and will warm your heart better than a bottle of Rum. »

« I've been a long-time fan of the Monkey Island games since childhood, but I refuse to believe this game was made by Ron Gilbert. I was so excited when I first saw the trailer, even though people were complaining about the artwork. In the older games, you could interact with almost anything, prompting Guybrush to make funny comments, which really made the world around him feel alive. But in this one, you can only interact with puzzle items which makes the game feels empty. This game sadly left me feeling a bit empty. I hope they make a better one which stays loyal to old games in future.... »

« Perfectly handled sequel for those who played the originals. I played through those games multiple times but hadn't touched them for decades and this was the perfect way to remember them. »

« Truly a kids game wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. don’t get this if your kid is older then 8 »

« If you played part 1 and 2, and you think this is good for le **** did not understand those games then.. You can see Ron Gilbert intelectual decline in display here. »

« I'm a little late to the party for this game. I had my suspicions on release, just by looking at the graphics style, but nothing substantial. Now that I finally get to play it, because of bargain and urge for nostalgia, as a big fan of the old Monkey Islands, unfortunately I see my suspicions confirmed. The game pushes "THE MESSAGE (tm)" really hard. Muscle packed boss-bi characters, injections of current-day social and political topics. Where earlier games inserted these jabs in a funny, non-intrusive way, here it's really just bad writing, you feel you are getting lectured all the time and topics are forced in that make no real connection to the game. Guybrush is reduced to shallow, soulless punching ball, especially for all the snippy female characters (which is basically all of them). I'm a few hours in. The game starts really lame and unfunny, but gets slightly better, and more true to the former iterations, in later progression. But for what it's worth, for the first hours of the game, I never laughed, chuckled or even smirked once. The absence of good jokes is really sad for a Monkey Island game, when this was the main selling point for the earlier games. But what almost bothers me most are the insanely over the top positive **** game even received a "game of the year" award...there is something very wrong with the whole "gaming journalist" profession. They seem to be reduced to nothing but henchmen for the studios, hyping up bad games for profit. In conclusion, disappointment immeasurable and day ruined. It would have taken another year or two in development to get good. As it is now, the game seems like a quick cash grab, with manipulative undeserved hype, banking on the success of its predecessors. As a fan of the series, you can skip this one without regrets. »

« Nice game overall. The story is not amazing and I was expecting something more from the puzzle. »

« For me, it's just "okay". I like the art style. But the game is *very* easy, it lacks the scale and scope of the series' finest entries (MI2 for example, which has never been bested), and as someone who has enjoyed all of the games except for Escape the soft retcon vibe and super meta ending just felt a bit off and discontinuous with the previous games. It has its moments, but ultimately left me unsatisfied. »

« It captures the fell of the old school Monkey Island/point and click adventures - with all the good and bad that comes with that. I don't particularly like the art style, but it works well enough. The puzzles are mostly good, until the last chapter where it just gets annoying. Overall, it's a fun time, but it goes on too long. The ending, while I get what they were going for, is not exactly satisfying. »