Like the quiche of destiny, it girds the loins.
If looking at the title of this review you are a little flummoxed but inexplicably aroused, Monkey Island is the game for you. Forgo this review and buy it if you tingle.
For the rest of you, less disturbed individuals I shall endeavour to moisten the thumb of destiny as we turn the pages of time....damn it monkey island, your ramblings and nonsensical puzzles have corrupted me like Paris Hilton has corrupted the youth of America.
Let me get this out the way, I'd never played Monkey Island before. I'm old enough to have been its target audience at the time of original release but I was far too interested in my little ponies and collecting all the turtles. As such this is a review from a fresh faced and bushy tailed Island virgin.
The game, made by telltale of “Sam&Max” fame, is a reimagining of the cult classics of the nineties. It uses the classic point and click mechanic familiar to most but unfortunately, if you have lived on a diet of halo and guns, you will almost definitely find the pacing of this game to slow to keep you amused throughout. This is in no way a slight on FPS fans but instead a sad truth. In order to enjoy Monkey Island you have to enjoy a more patient and dare I say cerebral approach to gaming.
That being said Monkey Island does have a lot going for it. It has been years since I’ve played a game with such a refreshing approach to storytelling. With even the aforementioned “Sam&Max” games not quite keeping me enraptured quite like Monkey Island. The writing is undoubtedly great for a game, but it pains me to say, it is not yet near the calibre of other entertainment mediums namely TV and Stand-up. However, as this is only the first of the series I have high hopes that the writing will improve [The fact Telltale have recently opened competitions for fans to get their one-liners into the game being a great example]. There is a problem with nostalgia however, and it was on more than one occasion I was left with the feeling that the writing balance was dipping a little too heavily into the waters of the past without real direction for us newcomers. That being said it was surprisingly easy to get into the spirit of the thing once you understood that really it’s best to just go with the flow. The voice work in the game was always refreshingly above par, with only the odd repetition grating on ones nerves.
Gameplay is rather player dependant; You can play either as an “avid clicker” i.e. trying to tease every last secret out of every interactive object or as a more “restrained pointer”, logically attempting to deduce what the hell one is supposed to do with a u-bend. I must advise to at least attempt the latter approach as the former will leave you with an empty feeling as you miss out the unrivalled glee of solving the latest dastardly puzzle. Furthermore, to control Guybrush with the new mouse control [something that can only be described as “pull the boy and he’ll move about a bit”] is about as intuitive as a cactus is smooth.
In reviewing this game it is rather easy to get a little carried away in pointless pun and dry wit, or at least the attempt thereof. However that is one of the great things about this game, once you’re done with it (and at around 4 hours at best you will be done rather quickly) you can’t wait to try some of the dialogue out on your nearest and dearest. If there is anything to say about Tales of Monkey Island thus far, it is this:
Having finished the episode I am more than ready for the next, furthermore I have just bought the “Secret of Money Island: Special Edition”. It is a rare game indeed that not only captures you enough to want to keep tasting its sugary delights but also actively seek out more of the same ingredients.
The game only deserves 3 stars at the moment, however this is only because I feel it has potential. My hope is that, as long as the puzzles do not become stale and the dialogue remains tight and fluid this series will continue to climb those little stars to greatness. Either that or it'll be microwaved like Hiltons Chihuahua when I'm done with it.
